IGNITE

sixteen.

੭୧ 𝐩𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐫 ੭୧

My legs trembled with such intensity that they threatened to give way beneath the weight of the ridiculously heavy helmet firmly secured on my head just moments before. The room plunged into darkness, and the deafening cheers of the crowd hushed in anticipation.

As the cold metal bars of the cage sealed behind me, a shiver coursed through me, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end as goosebumps raced down my arms. A hot, bright spotlight shone down from above me as the music seemed to shake the floor and a light fog seeped in from the sides of the room. With the entire cage bathed in blue light, I jumped, nearly slipping on the uneven metal bars beneath me before my gaze shifted, and a gasp escaped my parted lips at the sight in front of me.

My ears stung from the deafening cheers of the crowd, their chants of Greyson's name echoing relentlessly as he came into sight on the opposite end of the warehouse. His bike shone in the light, the sleek black reflecting the spotlight as its roar seemed to harmonize with the screams of the crowd. Revving his engine, Greyson skillfully weaved his way through the throngs of people, and I took the opportunity to study him.

His usual leather jacket strained against his arms, shifting to reveal the tight, white t-shirt he wore beneath it. He looked like a dark angel, his brown hair pushed back, his hazel eyes gleaming as they landed on me, studying me.

A subtle gentleness shone in his eyes, as if a silent promise that I was safe. It was then that I realized, with my helmet on and my hair tucked inside of it, he had no idea it was me.

I watched carefully as he manoeuvred his bike into the cage, his gaze lingering on my helmet for a long moment before he leaned down, bringing his face beside mine.

"Do as I say, got it?" He shouted over the crowd. His lips twitched ever so slightly, as if amused by the idea of what was about to happen. "Stand still. The only time you move is to raise your hands. When that timer goes off, move to your left, I'll stop on your right. Cool?" He pulled back slightly, revealing a dusting of freckles on his nose and cheeks and the impulse to tell him who I was, to beg for him to let me out, to let me run consumed me.

But then our eyes met, his dark and focused, and all I could muster was a quiet, "okay." His gaze lingered on me for another prolonged moment before he sat up on his bike, fastening his helmet, and revving the engine.

As the countdown from three reverberated throughout the warehouse, my heart raced against my chest. With a deep breath, I focused my gaze on the timer, my eyes trained on the five minutes that began to rapidly countdown as a buzzer sounded, and Greyson took off.

The bike hurtled towards me, and for a split second, the urge to dodge the oncoming Death Trap was nearly unbearable. Yet, I resisted, my feet rooted to their spot on the floor. I watched in awe as Greyson skillfully maneuvered the bike around me, a sly smile barely visible beneath the visor of his helmet.

Greyson's left hand landed on my waist as he circled around me, his calloused fingers gliding along my stomach and back. Involuntarily, my hands lifted, and although my heart continued its aggressive pounding, a smile swept across my features.

It was as if time slowed and the world disappeared—that it was just Greyson and I, and nothing else mattered.

With each turn of the bike, the engine's roar intensified, the machine soaring around the cage. A twinge of bitterness touched me as the timer neared its limit—that soon, this would all be over.

I felt free—liberated in a way I hadn't experienced for years. My mind cleared, the shouts of the crowd fading away, leaving only the cage and the two of us in it in its wake. As Greyson continued to circle me, giggles bubbled up from within me, an ecstatic grin spreading across my face.