Crimson Summer || Book Two

78| Under Your Control

~Casper~

"Of course it's a ten mil,"

I huff as I pull the 3/8ths socket from my ratchet while installing the automatic brakes on the first of six nitrocycles in the detached garage.

Galen sits on a stool beside the bike with a tiny solder iron as he melts the speed limiting governor switch to the circuit board. The only way Tora would allow us to give the babies the bikes for their birthday is if we brought the max speed down from 130 mph to 40 mph. Which involved some thinking and rearranging, but was doable.

"Well, what were you expecting?" Galen asks as he focuses his large hands on the small piece with a flash light. His fluffy black hair was left naturally messy for once with his one dark blue eye and hazel brown eye fluttering between the small wires and the motherboard. He bites his lip as if that will help him focus better while he works with a tiny bit of soot on his cheek that he must have just brushed there.

It's the combination of all those things that has me dropping my own wrench with an atrocious clatter. Hardly able to focus as I put the first magnetic brake on inside out, which isn't possible, but somehow being distracted by this pain in the ass made it possible.

Galen doesn't look at me and for that, I'm glad since it's embarrassing enough to be this heavily attracted to someone other than Tora. But I keep glancing over at him every chance I get, his music playing on the speaker taking a backseat to the sound of my heart pounding in my ears.

"If I spontaneously combust from your heavy glares Tora's going to have to make you explain to the babies as to why they're fatherless," Galen says and I feel my face burn up as I fiddle with the ratchet in my hands to hear the satisfying click.

"I'm not glaring at you," I quietly mention as I finish installing the magnetic brake the right way this time.

"It feels like it from the heat- oh," Galen finally looks at me and I just want to crawl right back into my own skin as I quickly turn away from him.

"Baby, we're on bike one of six and we're already behind as it is. If you start this now, we'll never finish." Galen warns and the way he calls me baby hits different as I spin the wheel and move on to the next bike.

"Sorry if I find you semi-attractive on a good day, god damn," I huff as I try to stop my heart from beating this fucking fast. Suddenly his fingertips just trace over the top of my left ear, making me lose all my other senses as I drop the magnetic brake pad once again.

"Did you know the tips of your ears get really red when you're attracted to someone? I used to see it all the time when you looked at Tora, but I never looked when you were watching me," Gael gently whispers as I hold my breath to his wandering fingertips before he pulls them back again. Cracking into the main controls on the second bike.

"I saw you, but I thought I just admired you. I never knew I-"

I pause, clearing my throat as I avoid the words that I haven't said correctly yet. Galen leaves it be while he goes back to soldering. But this time we sit on the same side. I'm on the floor while he sits on the stool and his leg purposely presses against the side of my arm.

"I've always been jealous of you," Galen admits and goes on as if he hadn't said anything out of the ordinary while I pause my own work.

"What? Why? I'm just a himbo," I mention Tora's favorite word to describe me and Galen shakes his head.

"I hate when he says that, but that's you between two. You know you're not stupid right?" Galen sighs and my heart skips a beat.

"Well, I think it depends on the situation," I mention and Galen's foot suddenly starts tapping against the concrete floor.