The Pyre Starter

Chapter 1-2

With dark storm clouds hanging low over the scenic Pennsylvania campus, Dakota wondered if they shouldn’t try and rent a car or something. Even with the borrowed gear—a full helmet with a chin guard, an old black leather coat, and a back protector in case he fell off, which looked like a piece of sci-fi armor—he couldn’t imagine riding a motorcycle in the freezing rain would be enjoyable.

And when he finally saw Terrell, his concerns only deepened. He was limping more than usual, and pain shadowed his face. When he finally got close, Terrell muttered, “Every time it’s about to rain, I feel like hell.”

“Can you still—?”

“Operate my bike? Umm, yeah. I wouldn’t have it if I couldn’t use it. And I service the thing myself, too, in case you were wondering.”

The sudden snippiness made Dakota immediately feel guilty. “I’m sorry.” He may have despised Terrell for halting his suicide attempt, but he wasn’t, as a rule, a d**k to disabled people. That was low, even for Dakota.

But Terrell’s expression softened almost instantaneously, and he shook his head. “Nahh, I get it.” He raised his right hand and let it hang loosely for effect. “I don’t have much problem with the pedals, but I use a thumb brake. Just a simple button press stops the bike. I actually installed it myself. Couldn’t find anyone in my hometown who would do it for me. They were all afraid I would wreck.” He coughed and looked down at his shoes. “Probably the same reason you’re looking at me funny right now.”

Dammit. He fell back on humor as a defense. “I’m not worried.”

He laughed, but it was tinged with a hint of sadness. Climbing onto the bike, Terrell reached back and patted the seat behind him. “No, I figured you wouldn’t be. I’m still gonna make you wear the helmet, though.”

“You think I’m hoping we’ll crash?”

Terrell shrugged. “I’m just saying, unless you’ve had a sudden change of heart, I doubt you’d be that upset at the idea.”

Without realizing it at first, Dakota’s hand formed a tight fist. “It’s one thing to want to—” He clenched his teeth. “A crash wouldn’t just take me out. I’m not f*****g homicidal.”

Terrell didn’t seem bothered by his outburst. “You still haven’t told me why you’d want to hurt yourself.” He twisted on the bike in order to face Dakota. His dark eyes seemed to pierce through him. “I’m sure you’ve got your reasons and all, but it’d be such a waste.”

Close up, Dakota could see that there were small, silvery scars arching across the right side of Terrell’s head, just barely visible under his short-cropped hair. “Me dying? I doubt it. I haven’t contributed anything to anyone. Ever. I’ve hardly existed as far as anybody else is concerned.”

Terrell raised both eyebrows, and his mouth dropped open a little. After a few moments to study Dakota, he patted the seat behind him once more. “That’s what I mean. Isn’t it a waste to have existed and not yet accomplished anything? Don’t you wanna leave a mark, somehow? Have a purpose? Mean something to someone, anyone? If you quit now, all you got on your record is whatever you’ve done so far.” Changing the subject, he continued, “We should get going. Maybe we can outrun the storm.”

When Terrell donned his helmet, Dakota followed suit, though he took it off again to smooth back his hair before accomplishing the task correctly. He hadn’t cut it since before leaving for college, and it was now long enough to cover his eyes if he didn’t brush it out of the way. Dakota carefully climbed onto the back of the bike, wary not to jostle its driver or make any contact with his damaged leg. He hung onto the vehicle as he talked himself into the obvious next step. Three full hours with his arms wrapped around a strange man. He needed a moment to make himself do it.

No wonder Aiden thought it was a date. Under any other circumstance, that much physical contact would be the kind of thing people might do in bed, after a long bout of s****l exercise. And God, what if he accidentally—?

Best not to think about it.

Terrell came off as reasonably attractive, sure. His warm skin, crooked smile, and general physique could easily be desirable if Dakota wasn’t too depressed to care. Hell, if the rumors Aiden heard could be trusted, the guy was at least bisexual. A no-strings-attached roll in the hay might still be in the cards if this road trip went off without a hitch.

But they knew very little about each other, and Terrell, admittedly, seemed off his rocker. The last thing Dakota needed was to date some unhinged weirdo with a reputation for breaking people’s hearts. He’d rambled about some seriously delusional stuff. And for all Dakota knew, this “cousin” might not even exist.

With an inaudible sigh, he slipped his arms around Terrell’s stomach and held onto him just tight enough to feel secure. Once he did, Terrell started the bike’s engine. The whole thing shook and vibrated. They took off quickly, leaving the school—and hopefully the impending storm—behind them.