Page 26

Chapter 26

I rode my bike back through the deserted streets later that night, high on life (and also cider), buzzing, tanked up with joy, pedalling furiously, the wind in my hair, breathless and giddy with everything that was new, with feelings I’d never had and all the secrets I had to somehow keep.

And it was sweet, but it was also bitter. It felt like I’d fallen for him so hard, and yet I knew whatever we had couldn’t possibly last. I liked the idea of a happy beginning. They’re probably an easier thing. It’s the endings I think are tricky.

But that night was the start. I felt it in my bones. Alive. And it felt good. It felt good to be on the edges for once. Where the danger lurked, where the adrenaline pumped, where the good stuff happened.

Electra rode up alongside me on a ridiculous Raleigh Chopper that was way too small for her. “A night to remember, kiddo!”

I laughed. Damn right. I liked it here. I liked it on the edge. I took my hands off the handlebars. “Look, Electra! No hands!”

And I rode fast, out of control, hurtling, but not scared, free, into the night.