After a while "Still awake?" He asks suddenly, his voice cutting through the wind. His tone is low, careful, like he doesn't want to startle me.
"Barely," I mumble, already feeling my eyelids grow heavier.
"Lean if you need to. I won't let you fall." He said with a calm voice.
The offer is so casual, so gentle, I don't even think. I shift slightly and let my head rest against his back, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breath. Safe. Steady.
His hoody is warm, and the rhythm of the ride lulls me.
Before I know it, my eyes slip shut.
As I open my eyes.
White walls. A warm bed. A silent room.
Definitely not my apartment.
I sit up quickly, heart leaping in my chest, but everything is still. I'm in a hotel room clean and quiet. My shoes are at the foot of the bed, jacket neatly folded on the side table. Nothing feels threatening, just foreign.
Then it comes back in pieces: the breakup. The drinks. The revenge photo. The biker.
The ride.
I push the blanket aside and stumble to the door, heart racing as I step into the hallway. A soft click behind me lets me know the door locks automatically.
Great. I'm in a hotel in a city I barely know, and my phone…..
Is gone.
Panic raise until I hear a familiar voice behind me.
"Looking for this?"
I turn. Nearer than I expected.
My eyes lock on his face, and for a moment, everything else disappears. His hazel eyes sparkle in the light and I could swear they're looking straight through me.
"It's me, Biker from night. who gave ride and your fake bf." He says with a playful smirk. "Don't tell me you already forget me."
I just shake my head still gazing at him. He is still wearing the black hoodie, still mysterious but without the helmet this time, revealing the eyes I remember. Calm, deep, unreadable.
I swallow. "I remember," I say quietly. "I just didn't expect to see you again."
He holds up my phone.
I let out a slow breath of relief and walk toward him. "Thank you. For… everything. But why is my phone with you."
He nods once, quiet. "You crack your phone yesterday, so I fixed it. And your friend's still out cold. She's in the next room over." He points toward the room.
"Humm.." I mutter, rubbing my hand. "Last night was…"
"A lot," he finishes for me. "I figured you'd both need a safe place to crash. I booked two rooms."
"You didn't have to do that," I say, though my voice lacks confidence. The warmth in the room the clean sheets, it's the first time I've felt genuinely safe in hours.
I hesitate, shifting awkwardly. "Listen… this is going to sound ridiculous, but can we talk? Somewhere private?"
He studies me for a beat. "Sure. But wait a while--I've got some work downstairs. While I'm at it, you can get dressed. Here's the key card to the room."