Charlotte's Reject by Treadway K. R

Author:Treadway, K. R.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-08-20T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

DRIVEWAY HEADWAY

In the dark the two-lane blacktop became an ocean. The bike leaned one way or the other like a rocking boat, sometimes pitching up or down as we sped across hills like vast rolling waves. I held Charlotte to me—or held myself to her—and watched the road reflectors glow like the scales of exotic sea life before whishing past.

“Why are you thinking about fish?” Charlotte yelled at one point. I almost laughed. The impressions she was getting through the bond must have been super weird. I didn't know why I was thinking about fish.

Or maybe I did.

Charlotte had shown me a night beyond my experience. For me, riding a motorcycle to go dancing with a beautiful woman was like visiting an alien world at the bottom of the sea. Or like a guy in a landlocked state finally getting to scuba dive.

Tonight, I'd been to an EDM show—my first—with Charlotte Fender. Because of Charlotte Fender.

I couldn't exactly yell how much all of that meant to me, so instead I tightened my arms around her and just…felt it. And after a few minutes, one of her hands briefly reached back to squeeze my thigh.

We pulled into my driveway just after ten o’clock. Mom and Dad would be thrilled at the non-antics of their mild-mannered son. We would have gone past midnight if Jessica hadn't happened. Now the evening was done. Shit. Why hadn't I at least suggested going to a park and making out for a while? I was a dumbass.

My dismount was awkward, wobbling when I overcorrected to avoid the exhaust pipe. I didn't care. Every time I got off Char’s ride without getting burned or falling on my head felt like winning a prize. But my rueful grin vanished once I got the helmet off. Charlotte hadn't cut the engine. She hadn't even raised her visor.

“How’s your chest?” she asked, staring over the handlebars.

I brought up a distracted hand and touched my breastbone. It was tender, but surprisingly good considering Jess had pulled some fighting game shit on me. “It’s okay.” Please look at me.

“I’ll see you on Monday,” she said, the words muffled by her helmet and the motor. “Just hold onto the spare.”

Fuck that.

I didn’t need the bond to figure out what was happening. Reaching out in a way I hoped was casual, I tapped on her visor and then made an “up” gesture with my thumb. She ducked her head. For one awful moment I thought she was going to back the Honda down my driveway. But then she slowly opened the helmet and looked at me.

Char was trying to fool me, but her “neutral” expression worked about as well as my fake smile earlier. Even in the dim light I could see the strain around her eyes and how her full lips were pressed tightly together.

“This was a date, right?” I asked, raising my voice to be heard.

Her brow furrowed, like she suspected a trick. “Yeah.”

I spread my hands. “Where’s the goodnight kiss?”

“Joseph…”

“For this to be official, those lips” I pointed.

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