Page 25 of What They Say

Maybe I could get used to having a nice big sister again.

She paused for a moment, surprised. For a change, the house didn’t feel quite as heavy.

And tomorrow...tomorrow she was meeting Chase for a ride.

She smiled in the dark, just a little.

One good thing at a time.

Chapter Seven

Chase

Chase pulled into the parking lot behind The Grindhouse at 2:50, ten minutes early, because he was nervous and didn’t know how to play it cool.

His truck rumbled to a stop two spots away from Kath’s bike, the loud exhaust announcing his arrival like it always did. He sat there for a second, hands still on the wheel, staring at the back door of the coffee shop like it might give him advice.

Don’t fuck this up.

He’d spent most of last night thinking about Kath. The sharp way she smiled when she was teasing him. The way her voice got softer when she talked about riding the bike and how it gave her freedom. The guarded look in her eyes that said she’d been hurt before.

He understood that expression better than he wanted to admit.

The back door to the coffee shop opened, and there she was—helmet under one arm, short platinum hair catching the afternoon sun, wearing black jean shorts, a white tank top, and those bold red stockings that shouldn’t have worked as well as they did. She looked up, spotted his truck, and a small, genuine smile crossed her face.

Chase’s chest did something complicated.

He climbed out and met her halfway.

“You showed,” she said, tilting her head.

“You thought I wouldn’t?”

She shrugged, but her eyes were warm. “Guys say a lot of things. Actions matter more.”

“Fair.” He nodded towards the blue-and-white bike parked nearby. “You still up for that ride?”

“Only if you’re still okay riding behind a girl,” she said, a teasing edge in her voice.

Chase grinned. “That bike’s yours. I’m not dumb enough to argue with the owner about who drives their baby.”

Kath studied him for a long moment, like she was waiting for the catch. When it didn’t come, she nodded once.

“All right then. Let’s go.”

She swung a leg over the bike with practiced ease and handed him a spare helmet. Chase settled in behind her, careful not to crowd her space. The moment she brought the engine to life, the deep rumble vibrated through both of them. He placed his hands lightly on her waist, respectful, ready to adjust if she needed him to.

“Hold on tighter if you want,” she called over her shoulder. “I ride like I mean it.”

Chase tightened his grip just enough. “I trust you.”

He felt her pause for half a second at the words, and then she pulled out of the lot, smooth and confident. The wind rushed past them as she opened the throttle, and Chase felt something loosen in his chest that had been tight for years.

They rode out of town, taking the winding back roads that ran along the river. Kath handled the bike like it was part of her—leaning into the curves, accelerating at just the right moments. Chase had ridden plenty of times behind other people, but this felt different. He wasn’t just a passenger. He was riding with her.

After twenty minutes, she pulled off at a scenic overlook at a lake that most locals knew about but tourists rarely found. She killed the engine and they both sat for a moment in the sudden quiet, the bike ticking as it cooled.

Chase swung off and took his helmet off, running a hand through his hair. “That was incredible. You ride like you were born on it.”