Chapter 18
Eighteen
Emory
I slowed my bike to a stop in Enoch’s driveway, waddling the bike until I could put the kickstand down.
I switched the engine off and tugged off my gloves and shoved them into my jacket pocket.
After turning off the music that was still playing through my helmet’s Bluetooth, I swung my leg down from the bike.
My face twitched at the sight of the scratches on my bike, but I released the tension with a deep breath. Cole had stopped by and thoroughly inspected my bike. Other than the paint scratches and needing to replace one of the footpegs, the bike was in great condition.
I was nervous getting back on my bike today for the first time since the accident. I was questioning whether I should even continue riding at all. Whether I was taking unnecessary risks with my life, especially now that I was, well whatever it was Enoch and I were doing.
I never drove recklessly on the road, apart from the one time I didn’t put on my riding pants and jacket.
But now, experiencing a taste of what could happen to me on the road, knowing that it could me away from this reality where Enoch still loved me, the idea of chasing an adrenaline high wasn’t as appealing.
My head was abruptly tugged to the side, and I nearly screamed until I recognized the familiar, brown-eyed man.
My eyes quickly scanned his body, taking note of his fitted t-shirt and dark jeans that accentuated all the muscle beneath the fabric.
He shifted his weight like he was aware that I was checking him out and my eyes flicked up to his.
“Fuck’s sake, Enoch. You scared me,” I growled with a glare, his hand holding my head hostage by the chin of my helmet.
The corner of his mouth twitched, like he was trying not to smile. His gaze was filled with anger and attraction. And I wasn’t sure what was going to come out of his mouth.
“Seeing you in that, I’m almost willing to ignore the fact that you rode a motorcycle here.”
I blushed at his compliment but tampered the butterflies in my stomach with a frown.
“You don’t control me,” I gritted out.
“No,” he agreed with a smirk. “I don’t control you. You’re hot as hell, but an idiot if you think I’d be willing to live through your death a second time.”
I scoffed, attempted to break free of his hold, but he didn’t relent.
“You do realize I am going to die one day, right?”
“Not if I can help it,” he said confidently. “If you die, I’m going with you.”
“Don’t say that,” I chided.
“Then don’t scare me.”
My shoulders sagged and I reached up, pushing his hand off my helmet so that I could remove it. I brushed the hair that had escaped my braid out of my face and tucked my helmet between my hip and the bike.
“You really don’t want me riding?” I asked, studying his features.
Enoch, glanced to the side, his lips pursed into a line. When his brown eyes came back to mine, he stepped forward, causing me to stumble back into my bike. His hands landed on my hips as he lifted me to sit on the edge of my seat. I hung my helmet on my throttle, and his hands captured my face.
“I want you to be safe. I don’t want to keep you from doing something that you love. But I can’t lie and say I like it. It freaks me the hell out knowing you’re on the road so unprotected.”
“But I’m wearing—”
“That gear isn’t going to stop you from being crushed by a car or thrown across the highway in a high-speed crash.”
I swallowed, the concern in his eyes making my stomach pitch.
Enoch’s thumb caressed my cheek, a sad smile on his face as he leaned in to kiss me. My eyes shut of their own accord as his lips pressed against mine. The feel of his body pressed firmly against mine and the way his teeth snagged my bottom lip sent a rush of heat running through my body.
I didn’t stop the impulse as I wrapped my hands around the back of his neck and pressed us infinitely closer with my heels hooked around his back. His fear, his anger, they were bleeding into his kisses, and I gave it right back, my own passion, neediness.
His hand snaked around the back of my neck until he was gripping my braid. He tugged, sending tingling shocks across my scalp that made me involuntarily moan into his mouth.
He hummed, slowly pulling me back with his grip on my hair. My eyes opened to find him staring down at me.
“We should probably go in before the neighbors see something I don’t want them to,” he said with a smirk.
My cheeks flamed and I nodded in agreement. He lifted me to the ground and laced his fingers through my hand. I grabbed my helmet and let him lead me to his front door.
My heart was still pounding, lips still tingling from his kisses, when we reached the front and he tapped in a code on the front door.
“Wait,” I looked up at him with confusion. “That wasn’t there the other day, was it?”
Enoch shook his head with a smile, the door lock beeping before he pushed the door open.
“Front door open.”
I blinked, startled by the electronic voice ringing out from inside the house.
I looked up and noticed the camera tacked up on the outside of the house and stared ahead at Enoch who was pulling me inside, despite my stupor that had stopped me in my tracks.
“We got a home security system set up this week.”
I nodded, noticing the camera hanging in the corner of the hallway inside the house. Enoch maneuvered me further inside the entryway so he could close and lock the front door behind me.
Enoch tugged my hand, and I dragged my eyes back to his face.
“I know it’s not the same thing as a firearm, and we can talk about that in the future, but we want you to feel safe when you’re here.”
My mouth open to speak but no words came out. I cleared my throat. “Th-thank you. That means a lot to me.”
Enoch smiled, leaning down to kiss me. To my displeasure it was only a quick peck, and I blinked my eyes open when he stepped away, releasing my hand.
Enoch took my helmet from my hand and snagged the zipper to my jacket, pulling it down until my shirt underneath was exposed.
“I’ll hang it up for you,” he said. I nodded, shaking myself from my trance, and removed my backpack and my jacket.
Enoch’s stare lingered on my inked arm, before he moved to a door on the wall beside us and opened it to reveal a small coat closet.
He hung up my coat and placed my helmet on an empty space on the shelf above the hanging coats.
I unstrapped my riding boots, slipping them off, and proceeded to unzip my riding pants.
I looked up to find Enoch staring at me once again.
“What are you–shit,” he slapped his hand over his eyes, “sorry.”
I chuckled, shaking my head to myself. “I’m not naked.”
Enoch froze, slowly removed his hand and squinted at me. He looked at my legs to see that I was wearing a pair of long bike shorts. He sighed and laughed softly. I finished removing my pants, careful not to snag them on the last remaining chunk of scab on my calf before folding them up.
Enoch reached for them, and I smiled in thanks. He placed them in the coat closet, and I put my boots on an empty slot on the shoe rack by the door.
Enoch followed behind me up the stairs, and I realized that this was the first time he was seeing this much of my body. Which wasn’t much. I was wearing a baggie t-shirt, a pair of bike shorts that stopped just above my knees, and tube socks.
I hurried to the top of the stairs, taking notice of the cameras placed in the living room and cringed.
I turned to face Enoch, “There’s not cameras in every room, is there?”
“Not the bathroom or the bedrooms, but everywhere else, yes.”
I nodded, Enoch’s hand grasping mine to lead me to the couch. I dropped my bag beside it.
“You hungry?”
I shook my head, sinking down into the couch and turning my body to face his as he sat beside me. Enoch studied my face before dropping his eyes down to the tattoos on my arm. I let him stare, knowing that if he really looked closely, he would see the scar I had covered with the ink.
“What’s that one for?” he asked, his hands dragging down the length of the sword on my bicep. It was wrapped in vines, script forming one edge of the sword.
“A book series I read with Lottie and Hannah.”
“Hm,” he cocked his head, reading the quote from the book. “You like reading?”
“Sometimes, yeah. It’s a great escape from reality.”
“And this one?” His finger traced the butterfly that sat just below the crease in my elbow. The wings curved around the word PAIN, my final connection with my brother Javier.
“From that show we had watched the other night. It’s a butterfly with a monkey face on its wings.”
“Is this quote from the show, too?” I looked down to read the script that ran along the bottom of the butterfly’s wings.
“Yeah.”
Enoch gasped, twisting my arm to see the other side. For a moment I thought he’d noticed the scar, but then his finger traced the tail of the dragon that curled around my arm, its body stretching the length of my arm.
“Woah,” he whispered. “That’s sick. Is it…wait, is that a girl?”
I nodded, stroking the black silhouette of the girl just above my wrist.
“She’s falling. And the dragon is trying to catch her.”
“So, did you come up with all of these ideas or was some of it Cole?”
“I told him what I wanted, but he drew everything himself and added in all the filler stuff, like the stardust and flowers.”
“It must’ve taken a long time to finish.”
I shrugged.
He smiled and relaxed into the couch.
“So, Cole…you guys seemed comfortable. Have you been friends long?”
I bit back a smile, watching him study me. “Are you jealous?”
“No,” he said quickly. “Maybe. It’s just an observation. I’ve never seen you interact with anyone outside of my family. You just didn’t seem to mind the fact that he was touching you, or Lottie for that matter. You just seem…comfortable with them is all.”
I laughed softly, shaking my head. “We’ve been friends about two years. And it’s not just Lottie and Cole I guess.”
“Who else is there?” he asked, holding my gaze.