Falling In Love With You

Chapter3

Kayla

The roar of my bike is the only thing that makes sense after a day of sticking needles into people. I kicked the kickstand up and felt the vibration of the engine travel through the soles of my boots, up my legs, and straight into my chest. It’s a grounding feeling. It reminds me that I’m alive, even on the days when I feel like a ghost haunting my own shop.

I pulled my helmet on, clicking the strap under my chin. My knuckles, the ones that say K-A-Y-L-A in faded black ink, gripped the handles tight. I didn’t have a destination. I never do when I’m in this mood. I just needed the wind to scrub the smell of Diana’s perfume out of my memory.

I’ve been seeing her everywhere lately. Every blonde in a sundress, every girl with a certain sharp laugh—it’s like my brain is playing a cruel loop of our greatest hits. The way she used to sit on the back of this very bike, her arms wrapped so tight around my waist I could barely breathe. I used to think that was love. Now I know it was just her trying to make sure I couldn't move without her permission.

I throttled the engine, weaving through the stagnant traffic of the Lower East Side. The city at night is a different beast; it’s louder, meaner, and way more honest. I like the neon reflected in the puddles. I like the smell of street food and exhaust.

It’s gritty, just like me.

I pulled up to a red light, shifting my weight. To my left, a sleek black town car sat idling. Through the tinted window, I could just barely see the silhouette of someone in the back seat. Probably some suit heading to a gala or a high-priced dinner where they’ll spend more on an appetizer than I make in a week.

I felt a sudden, irrational spike of annoyance. People like that... they look at the city like it’s a museum. They don't see the cracks in the pavement or the people living in them. They just glide over it all in their leather seats.

I looked straight ahead, focusing on the light. I don't belong in that world, and I don't want to. I’m comfortable in the shadows. I’m comfortable being the one people look at with a mix of curiosity and fear.

The light turned green, and I let the clutch out, leaving the town car in a cloud of exhaust. I headed toward Sam’s place. Sam’s the only one who can talk me down when the walls start closing in. He knows about the Diana situation—hell, he’s the one who practically had to drag me out of the apartment the night she finally left for good.

"Don't go looking for trouble, Kay," I whispered to myself inside the helmet.

But as I sped through the intersection, I had this nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach. Like the air was getting heavy. Like the storm I’d been running from for months was finally starting to catch up to me. I just didn't know yet that the storm wasn't Diana. It was something much more dangerous.