Chapter 19
19
Nathan
I said I was going to give her space. Give her time to figure it all out.
But that lasted about 0.5 seconds.
Because I don’t actually want to give her space. I want her .
She texted me yesterday and told me she broke up with Joel. Which means I need to be patient. I don’t want her to feel like she’s just hopping from one thing to the next. But we all knew her relationship with Joel wasn’t right—her friends, me, probably even Joel himself.
She hasn’t told me all the details about the breakup yet, but I’ll be here for her. Ready when she is.
And so, here we are.
It’s the music team’s practice night at the Warehouse, and I know she’s there. She also mentioned—half-jokingly, but I took it as a promise—that she’d take me up on my offer of a motorbike ride one day .
Well. One day is today.
She’s going to panic. I know that. But Nataly doesn’t need someone who’ll let her stay in her cushy comfort zone. She needs someone who’ll make her fly .
I grab the leather jacket I brought over from Belfast. My dad had originally bought it for my mum years ago, when they were still together. She took a couple of trips on the bike, and it hasn’t been worn since. But I kept it, waiting for someone who’d truly belong on the back of my bike. Someone I’d want on the back of my bike, arms wrapped around me.
I drive a Kawasaki Z 1000cc, and it’s great for driving through the city, but also to have someone on the back. It’s gray, it’s sleek, it’s sexy . The sports bike I’ve had my eye on for a while now, the Suzuki GSXR, isn’t really as great for a backpack rider. So, thankfully, she should feel comfortable enough on this one. And if I have to be patient and wait for her, well, I’ll happily do it with her arms around me. I can’t wait.
I’ve also got boots for her, for longer rides. And a helmet. Though something tells me she’ll want her own. A pink one. I know her well enough by now that pink really is her favorite color.
I pack it all and grab my leather jacket. I put it on and grab my helmet and keys and head out the door. I lock up, thinking about how I’m eager to know what she’ll think about the bike. I’m sure it’ll take a little warming up to for her. She’s learned to be fearful throughout life.
I want her to let go of fear and choose hope. Choose adventure.
So I’ll help her do just that.
The night is perfect . The air’s crisp, but not too cold, and the golden hour glow is radiant, turning the city into something cinematic. On the bike it might feel a bit nippy, but all the more reason for her to grab on tightly to me. I won’t object.
I pick a playlist, pop in my earbuds. There’s nothing like a bike ride with house music pumping through my veins, matching the rhythm of the engine beneath me .
As I weave through London’s traffic, my heart pounds. Not from the speed, not from the ride—but from the thought of seeing her. She’s always wearing a hair tie on her wrist, ready to put up. So I know she’ll be prepared for the ride.
It takes me 30 minutes to zip through the chaos of London streets, slipping between cars, the pulse of the city alive around me. I love zipping in and out of the chaos of London traffic.
I pull up to the Warehouse and park. I whip off my helmet.
I don’t text her right away. I want her to hear me first.
The moment feels like electricity, like I’ve just set something in motion.
Then, I pull out my phone.
Nathan: Look out the window
Then—there she is. Her head pops into view, eyes wide. Her mouth drops open, then morphs into a smile. A real one. Not the polite kind. Not the hesitant, overthinking kind. A good sign.
Not even a minute later, she’s pushing her way through the double doors and walking straight towards me. Jeans. Boots. Perfect for the ride.
“Hey, you,” I grin.
“Hey, yourself! What are you doing here?” Her eyes flick to the extra helmet. Then back to me. Her jaw drops open slightly. I see the hesitation. A flicker of fear.
“I’m here to give you a lift home.” I lift the helmet slightly. “You still owe me that ride.” I wink. I know she’ll be a bit hesitant but I want to show her she’s got nothing to worry about.
She crosses her arms, shifting onto one hip. “So you’ve come to cash in, huh?”
“I have.” I flash my widest grin. “What time will you be finished?”
“It’s basically over. People are just chatting now.” She hesitates. “I’m not gonna lie, I’m a little nervous about getting on.”
She bites her lip.
I groan inwardly. That lip. Focus. I school my face. Stay cool. Don’t give away the fact that she’s just made this about ten times harder to be patient.
Instead, I grab the leather jacket. “Here. It’ll keep you warmer. And safer.”
She takes it, slipping it on. It’s the perfect fit for her. Looks better than it ever did sitting in my wardrobe.
I hand her the helmet. She begins to put it on, and the visor is up so I can still see her eyes. She fumbles with the strap.
I step closer. “Here, let me.”
Her breath catches. Her eyes flick to mine, heat pooling there.
For a second, I forget what I’m doing. Forget the helmet, the bike, the road ahead. I just want to close the distance.
But then the strap clicks into place, locking her in.
If she wasn’t wearing this helmet, I don’t know if I’d be able to stop myself from kissing her right here.
I clear my throat. Step back. “Okay. Put your address in my phone.” I hand her my phone. “I’m gonna get on first, and then I’ll show you where to put your feet.”
She nods, but her fingers tighten slightly around the helmet.
“You trust me, don’t you?” I say, softer now.
She exhales. “I do.”
“Then let’s go.”
I swing onto the bike, planting my boots firmly. I turn slightly, looking back at her.
“You’ll step here,” I say, motioning to the peg. “Swing your leg over and keep both feet on the pegs. Then—” I smirk, locking eyes with her, “—you’re gonna have to hold on tight.” There will be times she won’t need to hang onto me but I’m not about to tell her that now.
She exhales slowly, nodding.
She swallows. She takes a steadying breath first. Then, she moves. She puts her foot on the peg and swings her leg over the bike.
I feel her weight shift onto the bike behind me .
Feel her hesitate.
I start the bike and start to feel the engine rumbling beneath us.
And then, her arms wrap around my waist. She scoots closer to me. She grips my jacket tighter than necessary. I can feel the tension in her. I look back at her.
“You ready?”
She nods.
Here we go.