Alex:
My mind is racing, my heart pouncing, I feel like I'm about to explode. I hop on my bike without another word and speed off into the night. The air slices colder than it should for August, a wet bite that sneaks beneath my jacket as I rip through the empty streets.
Throttle wide.
Mind wider.
Luke’s voice rides the wind behind me—Call me if anything happens—but it’s a ghost I can’t catch. Kandi’s cries are louder. Karl’s grin, burning in my mind.
If I’d been ten minutes later tonight, Kandi might be a body bag.
That thought gnaws until my stomach twists, until the world is nothing but a smear of neon and shadow.
I lean into the curve, let the engine scream. Maybe if I go fast enough the images will shake loose.
They don’t.
I need space. I need air that isn’t thick with cries
