Chapter Five
Five
Priya swung the car door open and stepped out.
She reached for the back door, grabbed Mumma’s shawl, and draped it around her shoulders.
Moonlight bathed the ground, casting a silver glow over the trees and flower beds.
The scent of lilacs hung in the air as Priya gathered her heavy beaded skirt and walked past the edge of the property.
She followed the abandoned train tracks until she reached an old freight car, its wheels buried in a sea of withered grass.
The doors, long stuck open on either side, let the darkness sweep through its hollow shell, weathered by years of rain and wind.
Priya kicked off her shoes and scaled the side of the car, gripping the familiar rungs like she’d done a hundred times before.
Rusty flakes of metal crumbled under her fingers as she pulled herself up.
Hoisting herself onto the roof, she took a moment to catch her breath.
From her vantage point, the estate nearby was veiled by trees, but its lights still pierced through the darkness.
With a weary sigh, she stretched out on the roof, drained by the emotional toll of the night.
The sky unfolded above her, deep and endless, though Priya found no comfort in its beauty. Her parents believed the stars shaped destiny. Tonight they felt like a cruel joke.
“Fuck you,” Priya flung her words at them. “Fuck you all.” Her voice echoed across the fields, shattering the silence.
“Rough night?” a voice drawled from the shadows.
“Ethan?” Priya jolted upright so fast that she almost tumbled off the roof. “What are you doing here?” He sat a few feet away, barely visible in the dark, his face hidden beneath the shadow of a hoodie.
“Old habits.” He exhaled a cloud of smoke, watching it dissolve into the dark sky.
The familiar, pungent smell of weed hit her instantly.
“Feels like nothing’s changed, huh?” His eyes flickered from the glowing tip of his joint as he turned to look at her.
“You and me meeting by this same beat-up old freight car.”
“Hardly.” She tried to mask the all-too-familiar fluttering of her heart. “You’ve done something with your life, Ethan. Everyone knows your name. I’m still sitting here, exactly where I’ve always been.”
“Right here’s not so bad.” He took a deep drag, gesturing around them—the glow of the moonlit field, the rustle of leaves, the calm hush of the night. “Sure, I’ve chased big dreams, and don’t get me wrong, it’s incredible, but it’s fleeting. Just smoke in the wind.”
“Please, you’re practically a bonfire.”
“A bonfire, huh?” Ethan laughed. “Is that your way of finally admitting you think I’m hot?”
Priya tilted her head, pretending to think it over. “You’re more like a fire hazard, really. Too much heat for anyone’s good.”
“How about a little heat then? Safe and contained?” He offered her his joint with a playful grin.
“Heathen Knight,” Priya teased. “Still tempting everyone to the dark side.”
Ethan let out a low chuckle. “Heathen Knight…Wow, I haven’t heard that in ages. You’re the only one who ever called me that. And look at you. Still the same good girl, huh?”
Priya didn’t say anything. Instead, she snatched the joint from his hand and took a bold drag, the smoke burning her throat but making her laugh.
“Okay, who are you, and what did you do with Priya?” Ethan grinned.
Blowing the smoke out with a small chuckle, Priya leaned back. “Oh, this is Priya 2.0. Divorced, unemployed, and fresh off a night where I pretty much set the family name on fire.”
“I have to admit, I did not see that coming.” He let out a short laugh. “I mean, when Brooke told me…Priya Solanki, divorced? No way.”
“Here.” Priya passed him the joint. “Might help you process. Deep breaths, Ethan.”
He smiled and took a slow drag, shaking his head.
As they sat together, the night felt strangely nostalgic, like slipping into an old sweater.
For a moment, Priya didn’t feel like she was sitting next to someone the entire world seemed to know.
She was sitting with Ethan, the boy she’d met right here on these train tracks, in the no-man’s-land between their two homes.
She could still see the dust caked on his jeans, the way he held his arm stiffly even as he insisted it was fine, the beautifully messy way he’d burst into her life.
The memories hit her all at once, sharp and alive, pulling her back to that day.
Priya stretched out on the roof of the freight car, reading her book.
The sun dipped low, casting a golden hue over the field.
At nearly twelve, she was starting to realize she was different from other girls her age, girls who didn’t grow up surrounded by death and loss.
She loved this time of the day. It was the perfect escape from the funeral home.
The roof held the heat of the day but was cool enough to be comfortable.
As the warmth seeped through her bones, a distant roar reached her ears, growing louder as it approached.
Priya sat upright and pushed her glasses up her nose.
Squinting into the distance, she caught a flash of chrome—a motorcycle barreling toward the freight car at full speed.
Priya’s stomach churned with rising panic.
It’s not slowing down.
She wanted to move, to scramble to safety, but her legs felt like lead, frozen in place as she braced herself for the inevitable impact.
No way, no way…
In the split second before disaster struck, the rider yanked the bike into a bone-rattling stop.
The tires screeched against the ground, sending a cloud of dust billowing up into the air.
As the haze settled, he slowly emerged, streaked with dirt, his hair wild from the wind.
When he finally lifted his face, Priya’s breath hitched.
Ethan Knight.
She recognized Brooke’s older brother right away.
In the few months since their mother passed away, Ethan had earned a reputation as a troublemaker.
At fifteen, he was only three years older, but in a league of his own.
He skipped school, ignored homework, and was always in the principal’s office.
Brooke spent more time at Priya’s place than her own to escape the explosive arguments between her father and brother.
Hidden from view, Priya watched as Ethan brushed the dust from his eyes, unfazed by the close call.
He gunned his engine, sped back across the field, and made a sharp turn.
Pausing for a second, he gripped the throttle, then shot straight back toward the freight car.
The wind tore at his clothes as he drew nearer.
Priya stared in disbelief, her entire world narrowing to one terrifying image: Ethan Knight hurtling toward the freight car, reckless and unstoppable.
She saw the scene flash before her—the motorcycle smashing to pieces, Ethan flying through the air, the metallic smell of blood and oil.
The engine roared like a death knell, and Priya’s hands flew to her ears as Ethan slammed into the car.
But then, as if by magic, Ethan appeared on the other side of the freight car. For a moment, he seemed to hang in the air, his motorcycle frozen in perfect balance. Then gravity reclaimed him, and his tires struck the ground, smooth and sure, as he nailed a flawless landing.
Priya’s brain scrambled to catch up. Then it hit her—Ethan had pulled off some insane stunt, zipping through the open doors of the freight car and coming out the other side in one piece.
But then it all went horribly wrong.
“Oh, shit!” Priya gasped, as the impact sent the bike skidding sideways. With a sickening screech, it dragged Ethan’s body along with it. They tumbled across the field in a blur of flesh and steel.
“Please be okay,” Priya whispered, scrambling down from the roof. She bolted toward Ethan, barely noticing the shattered mirror and jagged shards littering the field. The bike was sprawled on its side, its wheels still spinning. Ethan lay trapped beneath, motionless and frighteningly still.
“Come on, come on.” Priya wedged her fingers beneath the bike’s frame.
Her muscles screamed in protest, but the bike barely budged.
“Don’t you dare die on me,” she grunted through clenched teeth.
Planting her feet and digging deep, she shoved with everything she had.
With a strained cry, she heaved the bike off Ethan and managed to free him.
Her heart hammered as her eyes darted over his body—the gash on his forehead, the blood seeping from his ankle, the torn jacket, the missing shoe.
Ethan let out a low groan and cracked his eyes open, shielding his face from the sun as he squinted at her.
Relief flooded through Priya, so sharp and sudden it made her lightheaded.
She felt a fluttery sensation, like a thousand tiny wings beating inside her.
She didn’t know why her pulse quickened or why her thoughts scattered, but she couldn’t tear herself away from him.
Ethan tried to move but flinched and sank back to the ground. His eyes drifted to Priya’s hair, swaying in the breeze. The motion seemed to soothe him.
“Are you okay?” Priya asked.
“I’ll survive,” Ethan murmured, cradling his shoulder as he tried to get up again. Priya reached out to help, but he waved her off. “I can manage,” he said, dragging himself onto all fours before rising to his feet.
Priya felt a flush creep across her face as he studied her.
“I know you,” he said, tilting his head. “You’re friends with my sister, right?”
“Priya,” she introduced herself. “Priya Solanki.”
Ethan winced as they shook hands.
“That was a pretty wild stunt you pulled,” she said.
Ethan huffed out a laugh. “Didn’t think anyone was watching.”
“I was on the roof.” Priya gestured toward the freight car. “My parents run the funeral home next door. I come here to get away sometimes.” Her words tumbled out in a nervous rush. A strange sensation that had taken hold of her. Being around Ethan made her feel jittery and flustered.
“Cool hideaway.” Ethan retrieved his shoe and slipped it on with a grimace.
“Want me to call Brooke?” Priya asked.
“No,” he said quickly, picking up the broken pieces of the mirror. His jaw tightened as he hobbled back to his bike. “If she helps me, she’ll just get herself in hot water.”
Priya nodded. “Sorry about your bike.”
He circled the bike, scanning the damage. “It’s not too bad. As long as I can get it to start.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Priya’s eyes lingered on Ethan. His arm hung awkwardly, and blood dripped from his ankle, staining his jeans. “You should get checked out.”
Ethan shook his head. “If my dad finds out I’ve been on his bike again, he’ll lose it. He already yelled at me earlier. I just need to go home, clean up, and stash the bike before he gets back.”
Ethan tried to haul the bike off the ground, but the weight was too much for his injured arm to handle. Gritting his teeth, he tried again. Priya rushed to his side, and together they set it upright.
Ethan swung a leg over the bike, wincing as he settled into the seat. Leaning forward, he turned on the ignition. The engine coughed weakly, then died.
“Come on, now. Work with me here,” he growled, giving it another shot.
Nothing but a weak sputter.
Swearing under his breath, Ethan tried yet again. This time, the bike roared to life. “Fuck yeah!” Relief washed over his face.
As the engine settled into a steady, throaty rumble, Ethan glanced at Priya, streaks of dirt smeared across his face.
“Thanks,” he said, his voice rough but sincere. Twisting the throttle, he jerked forward with a sharp wince. “Until next time, Priya Solanki.”
Priya had heard her name spoken countless times, but the way Ethan Knight said it made her senses sizzle, like a jalebi hitting hot oil. A sweet, dizzying rush spiraled through her as she watched him take off.
It wasn’t until Ethan faded into the distance that Priya realized what she was feeling. Her first crush had just barreled into her life, and she was utterly and completely captivated.