Spinning Out

Chapter 16

ELIJAH

My lips meet hers and I forget where we are. I've wanted to do this since I first saw her in the elevator. Learning tonight that the boy from her Insta is her friend opened the door to this possibility. My hand moves from her chin to her cheek and then quickly to her hair. She returns each touch of my tongue with her own as we disregard everything around us for each other.

Her hand moves to my chest and I feel the warmth of her touch through my shirt. I pull her closer, sucking her lip gently into my mouth before releasing it softly. This move causes her to grip my shirt, her fingers tangling in the fabric and she tries to tug me closer.

This car is way too small right now, and that might be the first time I've ever had a complaint about it. I release my belt and then hers. We separate long enough to get them off, and then we are back at it, kissing over the console, our hands all over each other. I feel her move towards me and reach beneath her ass as she lifts to help her find her way to my side. I don't know how she manages, but her leg swings over my waist and I guide her gently onto my lap. The car revs as my foot hits the gas in the shuffle. I reach down, laying my seat back slightly so we have room to fit her between my chest and the steering wheel.

My hands slip beneath the bottom of her shirt. Her skin is warm and smooth. She arches in to me, our chests pressed tightly in the small space as I begin to move my hands up. Suddenly blue and red lights bounce off the headliner of my car. I freeze. Shit.

"Time to go," I tell her.

She turns her head and sees what is coming in our direction.

"Shit!" she says, scrambling for her side.

I can't help but chuckle at her urgency. "We're fine. It's not us they are after." They are only here to break up the races. It rarely happens, but someone must have reported it or the cops are bored and want to check out the cars.

We buckle back into our seats and I look for the best way out of the lot and off the property. I've been through this many times in my life and my heart is racing purely for her because we are not at risk of anything right now. I put the Mustang in drive and pull a hard right, driving right past the cops on the way out. I can tell she's holding her breath beside me. The excitement of the night at an all-time peak.

I reach over and put my hand on her leg, squeezing reassuringly. "You're fine. We're fine."

I take it easy on the way home. I abide by the laws, most of them anyway, and pull onto her street less than ten minutes later. She finally laughs. Her cute giggle filling my car and making my own smile grow.

"Thanks for getting me home safe," she says through a laugh.

"Always," I tell her.

"I had fun," she says.

"Me too. You should get inside, it's late and a school night," I say, getting out so I can open her door for her.

"I'm going to the hospital tomorrow, not school," she informs me.

I nod and give her a hug goodnight. I unlock my phone and hand it to her so she can put her number in. I don't want to have to reach out to her through Instagram. She smiles as she enters the information and hands it back. A text of a kissing emoji sent to her phone already so she has my number too.

"Take your time driving home," she scolds.

"Never, " I reply. I watch as she walks up to her door. I make sure she gets there safely.

"Drive safe?" she counters.

"Always," a assure her.

I watch as the door opens and she steps inside. Then I get in my car and make my way home still on cloud nine.

As pull into the driveway, my phone dings with a message.

BRYANT: Relax.

This guy has been ghosting me all day and wants to tell me to relax? Typical Bryant. Lately he's been thinking of no one but himself. I look down to his house and find it dark. I don't like the way this is going. I don't like the fact that he's isolating himself. Jaina can't talk to her best friend because he's in a coma, mine is just choosing not to communicate. He has no idea how lucky we are to have survived the shit we got into when we were younger. We shouldn't be taking any days for granted.

ME: Are you ok?

BRYANT: Yes. Thanks for checking in.

ME: When are you coming home?

BRYANT: I don't know. Soon. You miss me?

I can imagine him laughing as he types that last message. He doesn't take anything seriously.

ME: Nah.

BRYANT: Bullshit.

ME: I met a girl.

I stare at my phone longer than I should. Lately this is the pattern we fall into. He checks in and then ghosts. It's maddening. I tuck my phone into my pocket and head inside to get some rest before I'm back at the shop tomorrow.