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Chapter 31

Camila - Aged 16

Luke waves at me from his motorbike. He’s here to pick me up from school like he always does. Every girl's head turns towards me as I run up to him and wrap my arms around his waist.

“Hey, Chicken. How was school?” he asks, taking his helmet off and running his fingers through his messy, ginger hair.

“Nothing new...” I look behind me to see everyone still staring. “You’d think they’d asked enough questions about us by now.”

We’ve been together for about two years now, but everyone in school has only been finding out about it recently. We didn’t really want anyone to know since Luke is four years older than me. Everyone knows he’s been a family friend since we were babies. But in the year leading up to us getting together, I’ve been seeing him differently. He’s really attractive. With a sharp jawline and messy ginger hair—long at the top and cut at the sides. He also has cute freckles dusting his face. And I think he started seeing me too. I think I always liked him, and my newfound teenage hormones didn’t help.

He twists to the compartment on the back of his bike and pulls out a bouquet of roses. “Happy birthday, Chicken.”

I squeal, taking the roses from him. “Thank you!”

He leans in, puckering his lips, but I swerve out of the way, looking behind us to see some girls watching and giggling.

“Sorry, not here,” I say in a small voice. He looks annoyed as he leans back.

We have kissed, don’t get me wrong, but not in public. And I don’t want to give the mean girls of the school something to talk about.

But we’ve also only kissed a couple of times, and nothing else. I get shy. And we’re waiting until I’m eighteen for… all the other stuff. I’m not comfortable yet, and he understands that.

“Get on,” he says, putting his helmet back on and gripping the handles of the bike.

I wait expectantly for him to hand me my helmet, but he just turns and throws his thumb backwards, indicating for me to sit.

“My helmet?”

“Oh shit, I forgot it. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, okay… Should I just walk, then?”

“No, it’s fine. Just hop on. I have a surprise for you.”

“I don’t think it’s safe to—”

“Just get on the bike, Camila,” he snaps, clearly agitated by my hesitation.

I sigh, lifting the seat to put the roses back in, and climb on the back, gripping his waist as he revs the engine and pulls out of the school car park.

“Does Mum know you’re taking me out?” I shout over the wind and the sound of other cars on the road.

“Yep,” he replies simply, sounding annoyed at the mention of my mum.

My mum is my best friend, and we spend a lot of time together. Luke says it annoys him that I spend more time with her than I do with him. But while our parents approve of our relationship, my mum does limit my time with him. She says we’re young, and it’s best to not become dependent on each other. She makes me leave my door open when he comes round, as do Luke’s parents.

We speed down the streets. The wind blows my hair this way and that, and I don’t even have a hairbrush to brush my hair out after. Looking up into the sky through strands of hair, dark angry clouds have already formed above us, and I think it’s going to start raining soon. It was sunny this morning, so the only protection I have is either my bag or my blazer.

The bike slows, and we approach a car garage that I’ve been to more times than I can count. Apparently, it’s where Luke works. He doesn’t let me in much on what he does for work; he says I’m ‘too young’ for stuff like that.

“Stay here,” he says, slipping off his helmet and securing the bike in place.

I do as I’m told. I don’t really fancy going in there, anyway. The men are all creepy. There are two of them sitting outside on a pair of tyres, watching Luke and me. One of them leans over to the other and whispers something, making the other one nod. I sigh, facing the other way. Nothing I’m not used to at this point.

I fold my arms over my chest. Luke is taking longer than usual in there, and I’m starting to get worried. But there’s no way I’m going after him. I’d rather stay out here, in the rain that’s slowly starting to spit at me.

After a while, he finally returns, and my hair is already soaked from the rain. He puts his helmet back on and turns on the bike.