Blasted

Chapter 2

Five minutes earlier than Liam was supposed to pick me up, my phone rang. “What's your apartment number? I'm in front of the building, I'll come up and get you.”

“No it's okay, I'm ready. I'll be down in a sec.”

“O-okay-” He sounded like he had something else to say, something he was hiding. But I hung up before he could tell me. I locked the door to my apartment and ran down stairs and out onto the sidewalk. There were no cars in sight. I picked up my phone and called Liam back. “Hello?” “Hey, are you sure you're at the right building? I don't see any cars anywhere.”

“Yeah, I'm here. I...I don't have a car.” I looked around confused before I saw Liam about 20 feet away from me, standing beside a shiny black motorcycle. The confused look didn't leave my face as I walked toward Liam.

”You drive a motorcycle?” I said, which came off a little harsher than I expected.

“Yeah, I was about to tell you but you hung up before I could say anything. Are you okay with that?” He spoke quickly and nervously which made me feel bad about my harsh tone.

“I don't know...I've never ridden on one of these before, maybe we should just take my car.”

He looked a little hurt. “Are you sure? I...got you a helmet,” he opened a compartment on the back of the bike and pulled out what looked like a brand new shiny black helmet with gold studs in the shape of a skull on the back. I was stunned- it was probably one of the sweetest things anyone's done for me.

“Y-you went out and bought that? For me?” I said with wide eyes and my mouth open slightly.

“Yeah, well I've never taken anyone else on this thing, so...” He paused and shrugged his shoulders. “What do you say?”

He gave me puppy dog eyes, which was the last thing I expected from him, given his bad-boy aura. I stood there thinking, eyes wide. I looked at the helmet, then back at him. “Alright, let's go. Before I change my mind.” He smiled and handed me the helmet. “This one will be yours from now on, okay?”

His words made my heart flutter, but he carried on putting his own helmet on, not acknowledging that he had said something so sweet. It was like he didn't know how romantic he was being, and it was cute. I put on my helmet and Liam walked around the bike and toward me, slipping off his the same leather jacket from last night and handing it to me. Underneath he revealed a dark red t-shirt with a little pocket above his chest.

“Here, you might want this, you'll be cold.” Another sweet gesture, I thought. And he acted like it was the most normal thing in the world. I put on his jacket and instinctively breathed in. It smelled like cologne, something sweet, and a hint of cigarette smoke. It was a smell I wouldn't mind getting used to. I turned to see Liam already sitting on the motorcycle.

“Well? You haven't changed your mind have you?” I smiled and he helped me climb on behind him.

“Okay- you're gonna have to wrap your arms around my stomach and hold really tight. We don't want you flying off the back.”

I was happy to oblige- it was pretty much the first physical contact I'd had with him. I did as he told me, snaking my arms around his front and grabbing each of my wrists with the opposite hand, for safe measure. I could feel his the warmth and slight definition of his abs under the thin material of his t-shirt and for a second I wanted nothing more than to slip my hands under it and feel it skin to skin...I quickly pushed the thought out of my head. This was the first date, for christ's sake. And the very beginning of it, at that. I grasped his waist a little tighter as he started up his bike. He turned his body back toward me before we got going.