Page 49

Sitting up, I reach for the cup, holding it between my palms. “Thanks. I do now,” I tease, forcing humor into my voice as the warmth radiates through me.
He scans my appearance. “Did you bump your head?”
“Yeah, sat up too quickly.”
He nods, taking a drink from his mug, motioning toward the door with a tip of his head. “Camila made breakfast if you’re hungry.”
I fake a smile. “Oh, I thought I smelled something good.”
His hand reaches out, long fingers trailing under my chin. “Why don’t you shower and then come eat.” I guess I look bad enough I need a shower. Great. Retracting his hand, he tilts his head in the direction of the door. “Camila has some event today in Long Beach. Thought maybe we could tag along and check out the coast a bit.”
Wracked with guilt, I fight back the dilemma. Do I tell him what the event is? From what I heard she’s a rep for BAGJUMP. They’re a company that makes airbag landing for freestyle motocross. Crazy, right? How the heck did our paths cross like this? Or is this some kind of divine intervention?
But I can’t lie to Agustin. I don’t want to. “We could if you want but I should warn you—” I pause, chewing on my words. “That’s a freestyle motocross event.”
At first, I don’t think he gets it but then the smile fades and his eyes cloud. “Oh.” He works the emotion from his face, easily. “That’s okay. If you want to go, I know you grew up around it. I’ll check it out with you.”
And then he kisses my forehead and leaves. Just like that. Totally bizarre, right?
What the hell is happening?
Once I’m in the shower, reality begins to hit me as the warm water washes the dried blood from the cuts on my elbows. Reminders of last night surface. Roan’s face, his words, his lies, it’s all I think about.
“I didn’t fuck that girl in Athens.”
How could he have possibly let me believe that? Had he wanted me to be hurt? I don’t understand it and though I want answers from him, I don’t. It goes back to the way my parents told me that Carl wasn’t my biological father. With their confession, the life I thought I knew became a lie. I remember thinking to myself, if my parents had lied to me, how can I trust anyone? Now Roan had just proven to me that I couldn’t.
The drive to Long Beach is filled with Camila talking. Constantly. She never shuts up. While Agustin can go hours without saying a word, his sister is quite the opposite. Friendly, outspoken and incredibly cultured, I get along with her, but maybe it’s just my mood today because I struggle to even maintain any sort of conversation with anyone.
We pull up to the event shortly after noon while they’re blocking off the streets. Though I see various freestyle riders roaming the streets, I don’t see Roan or his brothers yet. I’m relieved because I know the moment I spot him, he’ll be impossible to ignore.
Freestyle motocross guys, I’ve been around them enough, they thrive on shock value and that’s exactly what jump shows are about. They’re outside arenas, usually at night and it’s like one big party set up in the streets.
Believe it or not, I know a lot about motocross and freestyle events. I went every chance I could and loved every aspect of it from the sights, smells, and of course, the competition. The moment we exit the car, it hits me. The bikes warming up, 2-stroke racing fuel, loud music, it’s heaven and everything I remember about my childhood. I love the sounds, the vibration of the engines deep in your bones… it’s everything.
Agustin tugs on my hand, drawing me gently to his side. It’s not forceful or abrupt, and so unlike the touch of the one who infects my mind. I fight my thoughts, constantly having to redirect myself and activelynotthink about Roan, and I hate that. For me. For Agustin.
We walk on the beach for hours, but little is said. He’s quiet, lost in the beauty of the ocean beaches, and I welcome the lack of conversation. Still, with the white sand between my toes and the heat licking my shoulders, I stare up at a cloudless sky and pray for strength. I look at the one next to me, wondering if he’s the right one. I shouldn’t have any doubts, but they pry their way into my every decision.
By the time the sun begins to set, it’s clear the show is well underway. Loud rock music pumps through the city and women flock to the gates. Agustin tilts his head toward the street, his brow furrowing as a woman struts by him, smiling, with Monster Energy pasties on her nipples. No shirt, black high heels, and skimpy bikini bottoms with her ass cheeks hanging out.
His eyes widen, he swallows, and his shoulders visibly stiffen. I can’t tell if he’s curious or frightened of her. “Should we check it out?”
Fighting off a smile, I shrug. “If you want.”
Oh, Agustin, you have no idea what you’re about to experience.
He leads me through the crowd. Part of me doesn’t want to follow because I know what’s going to happen. If Roan sees me there, or Agustin, his reaction will be unpredictable. And what will my dad say? I still haven’t talked to him since I left the house last night.
Ugh, this sucks.
My heart thumps wildly in my chest and with each footstep, I fight back the urge to vomit. It’s literally like my stomach is twisting and turning, telling me to run in the other direction.
“There’s a lot of people here,” Agustin notes, keeping a firm grip on my hand. The night’s sweaty and sticky, the heat of the summer damn near suffocating. “I had no idea this was a thing to watch.”
He really doesn’t have any idea. Agustin thinks motorcycles are death traps. No way would he own one so the idea that he’d watch them fly through the air with a rider attempting to do stunts on them is just crazy to me. Are you as weirded out by all this as me?
We find a spot along the fence at the center of the ramps, tight against other patrons half-dressed, covered in tattoos and smoking weed.