Page 120 of Rush
"Nothing."
"Everly."
She sighs. "I'm just tired of all the pressure—my dad, Ciara, everyone watching us."
"Come with me."
I take her hand and lead her through the clubhouse, out the back door to the parking lot.
It's quieter here, cooler. The city noise is distant.
"Talk to me," I say.
"About what?"
"About what's got under your skin."
She leans against my bike. "My dad's flying out here to intimidate you. Ciara's making her moves. The whole club is watching to see if we crash and burn. It's a lot."
"I know it is."
"And I'm trying not to let it get to me but it's hard."
I step into her space, my hands going to her hips.
"Listen to me," I say. "I'm here. I'm not running. We handle this together."
"What if my dad?—"
"I don't care what your dad does. I'm not backing down."
"And Ciara?"
"Ciara's a friend, nothing more. You're the one I want."
She looks up at me and her eyes are searching. "Promise?"
"Yeah, I promise."
I kiss her, and it's supposed to be quick, reassuring.
But it deepens, and suddenly we're pressed against my bike and I can feel her heart pounding.
When I pull back we're both breathing hard.
"Let's get out of here," I say.
"Where?"
"Your place. I need you alone."
The ride back to her flat is torture. She's pressed against my back, her arms around my waist, her breath warm against my neck. Every time I take a turn, she holds tighter and I feel it everywhere—the need to touch her, to ground both of us, to prove that we're real and this matters.
When we pull up outside her building, I kill the engine and help her off. She doesn't say anything, just takes my hand and leads me inside. The stairs feel like they take forever. By the time we get to her door I'm wound tight. She unlocks it and we step inside. The door closes behind us, and the outside world drops away.
It's just us now, just this moment.
She turns to face me and the tension is thick between us.
