Chapter 37 #2
I don’t need any further persuasion. I swing my leg over and get comfortable in the saddle. Cheers go up. There’s a second ripple of applause as I admire all the fittings.
‘Wait, wait,’ Hollie says, sounding so British compared to everybody else. ‘He has to have his last present!’
‘What is it?’ I say with a grin.
I see her glance over my right shoulder. ‘Look behind you,’ she says.
I’m confused, but I turn my head. A second wall of emotion hits me hard.
‘No way,’ I breathe.
Noah is standing there, with Rita holding onto his shoulders, both grinning at me.
‘Happy birthday big bro!’ he says to me, holding what looks to be a brand-new motorcycle helmet with a red bow wrapped round it.
‘Noah?’ I holler, getting off the bike and giving him a hug. Holding onto him, suddenly, I feel worried. ‘Should you be here?’
Next to Hollie, Mom appears. Now I understand why she is really celebrating tonight. ‘After the Floods got arrested, the cops dropped all the charges against any minors caught up in car theft. Rita drove him back yesterday.’
‘Happy birthday AJ,’ Rita says as I give her a hug too.
‘You’ll be needing this,’ Noah says, holding out the helmet. ‘To replace the one you lost in the fire.’
It’s literally my dream helmet, and I’m kinda speechless, but right now, I just wanna hug my little brother. ‘Get over here,’ I say, and wrap my arms around him for a second time.
‘Be cool, man,’ I hear him say into my shoulder, the words all muffled. ‘Be cool.’
I pull back and muss his hair. Honestly, I feel like crying. I take the helmet and hold it up.
‘Balthazar helped us pick it out,’ Hollie whispers to me, a sweet, hopeful look on her face.
I’m done. I’m fucking crying. Faced with the girl of my dreams, and my brother she helped rescue, giving me the helmet I’ve coveted for years, and being the new owner of a bike gifted to me by the man I’ve looked up to my whole life, while surrounded by pretty much everyone I love, I can’t switch off the goddamn waterworks.
‘Oh-em-gee, I literally don’t think I’ve ever seen AJ cry before!’ Nicole sings, and everybody is laughing.
I gather Hollie up in my arms, still holding onto to the helmet. My tears wet her skin. ‘Thank you, baby,’ I say into the curve of her neck. ‘I love it. I love you.’
‘You’re welcome,’ she whispers back at me. ‘I love you too.’
‘Can’t believe you made him your boyfriend,’ Noah mutters to Hollie.
‘You might be needing these,’ Katerina says from behind me, and dangles the keys to the Harley in front of my eyes, before she drops them into my palm.
Everybody waits. There are cheers at the sound the engine makes as it bursts into life. That delicious low rumble. The boom-splutter-boom I know she’s gonna make when I take Hollie out for our maiden voyage tomorrow.
‘Thanks, Echo,’ I manage eventually, squeezing away tears from my eyes.
He nods at me. Smiles. Almost like he knows something I don’t. ‘You deserve it, AJ. Now, everybody! Come on in, back inside! This is supposed to be a party! We got a bar opening to celebrate!’
The cheers go up. They all file back inside. My mom hugs me and takes Noah back inside. I remain on my new ride. I’m not ready to get off it just yet.
Hollie leans into me, her arms around my shoulders.
‘Did you know about all this?’ I ask.
She bites her lip. ‘Echo may have let me in on the birthday secret, yes, and yes, I knew about Noah coming home.’
I grin at her. ‘You know this means we can go riding now, right?’
I pull her closer. Her lips hover above mine.
‘Where are we going?’ she asks.
One side of my mouth curves up. I’ve got an idea. ‘How about that road trip?’
Under the lights of the streetlamps, her eyes sparkle. ‘To California?’
‘Like we talked about. Catch up with your Noah.’
I know they’ve been talking a lot on the phone, but they haven’t managed to see one another yet.
‘Really?’
‘As long as we don’t have to take your shitty car, and you ride with me, I’m all in.’
Her fingertips smooth the hair at the nape of my neck. ‘Can we stay at a really shitty motel in Roswell though?’
‘As long as there’s only one bed. And I can strip you naked and give those busted mattress springs a good workout.’
She hums out a laugh. ‘That would make a change from our usual road trip.’
‘A change for the better, I hope.’
Her lips find mine and we kiss, long and slow, and suddenly I’ve got a birthday boner.
‘When do we leave?’ she whispers when we finally break apart.
I move a lock of her hair away from her forehead. ‘Whenever we want.’
‘Can I go beat Chase at pool first?’
‘If you can extract his tongue from Aubri’s throat.’
Her nose wrinkles. ‘Eww.’
‘You wanna come beat me at pool instead?’
She sighs. ‘Definitely.’
‘And, Hollie?’
‘Yes?’
‘This has been the best birthday ever. And not just because Noah’s home, and I got gifted a sweet ride and the best helmet in the world. It’s because I got to spend it with you. I love you. More than anything. You’re my ride or die. You’re straight up perfect.’
She kisses me again. I know we have to go back inside Scotch Two, but a part of me wants to sneak her away, back to our apartment. And when she tells me she loves me back, I believe it with my whole heart.
We’ll be saying it to one another for a long time to come.