Riding with Desire

Chapter 3

Sophia

All I can think about is how much I want to go home. My head is spinning and aching, and I just want to escape this nightmare. The gunshots have stopped, but I am still terrified. I don't know if the shooter will come back. I don't know what to do or where to go. It is so dark everywhere. Fuck—I don't even have Mia's or Stephen's number.All my frantic thoughts are interrupted when I hear the roar of a bike. I peek out from behind the tree, my eyes widening. The helmet, the same bike—I can't see his eyes in the darkness, but my heart keeps telling me. Wait—is  he the one who was with me earlier?

"Come on," I hear his muffled voice through the helmet. He gets off his bike and walks towards me. I am still sitting on the ground, frozen in fear. He kneels down to my level and places something on my head. It feels heavy.

"What's this?" I ask, even though I know it is a helmet. My ability to act dumb in front of handsome guys kicks in.

"It's a helmet. It will keep you safe," he says, standing up and waiting for me to get to my feet. "Come on, I don't have all night."

I blink, trying to gather my senses. I grab my clutch and walk after him. What am I doing? Who is he? This feels like the start of a serial killer movie, where some random dumb girl trusts a handsome stranger who then takes her home, rapes her, and does God knows what. A chill runs down my spine as we approach his bike.

"Let's go," he says, getting on his bike and starting it.

"I'm not going with you," I protest. Why would I? I could call my mom—no, she would kill me if she found out what happened here. "Look, you have two options. You can stay here all night because you won't find a single fucking Uber around here, and you'll probably encounter wolves or wild animals that will eat your little body in no time. Or you can come with me, and I'll drive you home safely." Wild animals? What the fuck? I thought it is just a forest, not a place where animals lived. Damn, I am the random dumb girl in this scenario.

"Why should I trust you?" I ask as the lights from the DJ station come back on, illuminating the area. I can see his eyes—dark and deep. "You—you're from the highway, right?""Yes," he replies. "I'm impressed you remember me," he smirks. Even with his helmet on, I can tell from his eyes. "I have so many questions," I blurt out. How did he find me? Why is he here? Why did he grab my hand on the highway? And why is he here with me now? Is he stalking me? This is how people get killed by stalkers.

"You can ask them on the way to your home. Okay? Now come on," he pats the back of his bike.Thousands of questions race through my mind. Where is Mia? Stephen? Are they even alive? Should I just go? to save my life? I don't want to stay here any longer, so I hop onto the bike. My dress rises up, revealing all my legs. I feel exposed like I am wearing nothing but panties. A heat wave surges through me as he tilts his head and looks at my legs. I have never been on a bike before, especially not one like this. It is some fancy shit."Hold me tight," he says, grabbing my hands and placing them around his lower torso. I quickly pull them back.

"I'll just hold on from the back," I say, placing my hands on his shoulders. My heart races, and it's not normal."Don't say I didn't warn you," he replies. With a jerk, my body slams into his. Fuck—my breasts press against his back."Told ya, it's safer for you to just hold me like this," he says, taking my hands and wrapping them around his torso. I say nothing as he roars the engine to life and starts the bike. I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I hold him as tightly as I can, hoping he can still breathe. I close my eyes as the bike speeds up. I feel the air on my legs and my skin, my dress flying up and revealing my entire legs. Fuck—wrong choice of wearing a mini dress. I open my eyes; the road is empty, and we are the only ones on it. I look around, seeing only the forest. The moon is above us, illuminating the street with its light. It feels so dreamy. I relax my grip as he lessens the speed. I feel like I am flying, so free, so alive. The wind is cold against my skin, but it feels great. I stretch my hand out, feeling the air pass through my fingers. I want to ride all night, feeling the cold, fresh breeze, and the smell of trees and wet soil. Suddenly, he jerks the bike again, and I slam into him. Fuck—my breasts hurt.