Page 32

“ D ev.” I shake him awake when I realize how late it is. “Dev, we fell asleep,” I whisper, wishing I had longer to watch him. He looks so peaceful, almost cute, when he’s asleep.

He opens his eyes, taking a little time to adjust, and suddenly, I panic that he’s going to regret what happened. I don’t think I could handle him going back on everything he said.

“What time is it, darlin’?” He reaches around my neck and drags me closer to him, making my stomach flip, and the excitement inside me hard to hold in.

“It’s two pm, my shift at the diner will have finished by now. I should go home.” I hate to ruin the moment, but with the way my parents are being right now, I really need to keep them happy.

“Home?” He croaks a laugh.

“Yeah.” I pull away from him and drag myself out of bed before I fall back to sleep in his arms.

“You know I’m heading back to the club, don’t you wanna come with me?” He frowns suspiciously at me as I start trying to locate my clothes.

“Dev, I’d love to, but right now my parents are?—”

“I was gonna let you ride on the back of the bike and everything.” He shrugs, with a playful grin on his face that I’ve never seen before.

“You and me, on your bike?” I check if I'm hearing him right.

“You remember how I told you it was gonna be, right?” He frowns.

“Yeah, I–” Of course, I remember. How could I forget? I’m still wondering if I dreamed it…Maybe I’m still in the dream.

“Old ladies ride the saddle, it’s club rules.” He reaches his arms up and tucks them under his head, watching me scurry around trying to get dressed.

“I just don’t want to piss off my folks, they’re already talking about making me change colleges,” I admit.

“You're studying here in Long Beach, right?” he checks, sitting up and looking a little more concerned.

“Well, that's the plan, but they seem to want me to go to New York instead.”

“ New York? ” Dev’s eyes stretch open, and I chew on my nail nervously.

“Hey, don’t get like that, come here.” He reaches out for my hand and pulls me back onto the bed.

“You ain’t goin’ to New York, okay? Leave it to me, I’ll speak to your father.”

“Speak to my—Dev, my parents can’t know about us!” I shriek.

“What are you talking about? The whole of Long Beach is gonna know about us, you're my old lady. You come with a warnin’ label now.” He grabs the back of my head, fisting my hair so he can pull me onto his lips.

“Well, we’re just gonna have to hold off on that a little while longer; my parents are gonna need to become adjusted to the situation.

” I did not take this into consideration, and I can already see it being a huge problem.

Dev wasn’t lying when he said this was an all-in situation.

Any reservations he had about us seem to have been obliterated, along with my virginity.

“Look, if you're scared, we can go there together right now and explain.”

“No.” I shake my head frantically. That would cause Mom to have a heart attack.

“Dev, let’s just get used to us before we involve them. It won’t be forever, I promise.”

“And what about New York? You know I ain’t gonna let that happen now, don’t ya?” He cocks his brow at me, and I smile at the reassurance.

“I can win them over, I just have to behave.”

“Guess that means you can save all your bad for me.” He tugs at the bottom of my waitress dress while I attempt to button it up.

“You can count on it.” I flash him a smile, loving this new playful side to him.

“So you’re leavin’ to go home?” he checks, looking disappointed.

“How about I go home, get changed, and meet you at the club later?” I kiss him again, enjoying the warm tingle it gives me when his hands gather in my hair again.

“Or, how about I drop you home, then come back to pick you up when you're ready?” he proposes.

“My parents would kill me if they caught me on the back of your bike.” I feel so silly and immature saying that, but I can’t shy away from the truth if we’re gonna make this work.

“Then we best make sure we don’t get caught.” He leans forward and kisses me again, dragging me back on top of him, and ensuring that I’m another half an hour late getting home.

“Here.” Dev passes me a helmet when we eventually make it outside.

“You never wear these.” I take it from his hand and stare at it.

“No, but you do. It’s California state law, sweetheart.” He smiles at me, and I'm still getting used to how it feels.

“So you're above the law and I’m not?” I laugh.

“Oh, I don’t give a shit about the law, but this is my rule.” He takes the helmet and places it on my head, fixing the strap under my chin.

“Happy now?” I ask him, certain that I look stupid.

“I’d be happier if I wasn’t taking you home.” He kisses me and swings his leg over the saddle. “Afternoon, Jean.” He holds up his hand to the old lady on her porch next door, before kick-starting his engine and helping me onto the back.

“Hold tight, baby girl.” He steadily steps us back out onto the street, before revving the hell out of the engine and taking off so loudly it makes the old lady watching spill her drink all down her front.

I keep a firm hold of Dev’s cut as he rides us toward my place, enjoying how it feels to be close to him and taking in the scent of his leather, mixed with the Long Beach sea air.

For the first time in so long, I feel content.

Dev is a different person from who he was yesterday.

He’s accepting of the situation, and dare I say it… happy.

He comes to a stop at the end of my street and waits for me to climb off. I take the helmet off my head and hand it back to him, ruffling up my hair and trying not to look windswept while he hangs it over his bars.

“Call me when you need picking up. I’ll pick you up from here and text when I get here; don’t leave the house until then, okay?”

“I don’t have your number,” I remind him of how distant he’s been with me up until now.

“Give me your cell.” He holds out his hand, and I watch him type it in.

“You want me to call so you have mine?” I check as he hands it back.

“I already got it.” Taking out his phone, he calls me, and when I see the name he stored himself under, I can’t help but smile.

“The Big Bad Boyfriend?” I turn the screen around to face him.

“Just in case you needed a reminder.” He leans forward like he’s gonna kiss me, and I quickly pull away.

“Not here, prying eyes are everywhere, and they report straight back to my mother,” I remind him, taking his hand and squeezing it instead.

“I’ll see you later.” I resist the temptation to kiss his cheek and rush off down my street, looking back and seeing him still waiting when I get to my gates.

I make sure I’m not in view of the camera when I blow him a quick kiss and wave before I head inside.

The gates open when I key in the code, and I practically skip up the path, still unable to believe that things have changed.

I’m his old lady. He called me it, himself, and he seemed really happy about it too.

The smile quickly drains from my face when I open the door and see three big suitcases lined up at the bottom of the stairs.

“What’s this?” I ask Gregg as he comes down the stairs carrying a fourth one.

“Your father managed to get you on a flight this evening,” Mom calls out from the top of the stairs before following after him.

“Daddy.” I look at his office door, but he’s not there. It's closed, and when I barge through it and stand in front of his desk, he looks down sadly.

“You really want to send me away?” I feel so betrayed, despite Mother's rash behavior over the years, I’ve always felt as if he had my back.

“I think it’s for the best, darling,” he whispers.

“How is me being away from my home best for me?” I question him.

“You've been through a lot; you need some time away. Trust me when I say this is what’s best for you.” He sounds robotic.

“I’m not going.” I shake my head defiantly. “I’m eighteen, you can’t make me do anything.” I back away, and when I turn around, Mom is already at the door with her arms crossed.

“Come on, darling, let's not leave things on bad terms, you can visit during the break–”

“ I’m not fucking going! ” I scream at her, racing past her and through the kitchen so I can use the back door, knowing that the front gate will be locked.

I sprint across the lawn toward the back gate I use to sneak out, and once I’m through it, my hands fumble to get my phone so I can call Dev.

I need him to come and get me. I don’t care anymore if my parents find out about us. It’s time for me to be an adult now.

Dev doesn’t answer. I figure it’s because he’s riding, so I keep running till I get to the bottom of the walkway and out onto the street. Then I call the number of someone else who can help me, and thankfully, she answers on the second ring.