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She turns to me and shakes her head. “We’ve been talking for months. He rode all the way from South Carolina to meet me. He has nothing to do with the Devils or any other MC around here. I wasn’t born yesterday, you know.”
She says it in a soft voice, but there’s a sharpness to her words. It’s saying I should butt out of her business.
“OK, OK, it sounds like you know what you’re doing.”
“Sorry,” she says and interlaces her arm with mine. “It’s just for my whole life, I’ve been told who I can date and who I can’t. Everyone has an opinion. And I’d just like to do my own thing for once.”
I nod. “Oh, believe me, I can understand that.”
“So you and Ruin? It’s on?” she asks.
I nod and can’t help smiling wide. “It’s more than just on.”
She grins at me. “I thought you looked different today. More present, yet more free at the same time. I don’t know how to describe it.”
“Like I’m walking on air?” I ask.
“Yeah, that sounds about right.”
“That’s because I am,” I say. “I finally feel like myself again after all these years. Like the person I’m supposed to be, you know? I never thought I’d get here.”
She looks at me with a mixture of pity and happiness. It sure beats just pity. “I’m happy for you.”
“Now I just wish everyone would stop warning me about Ruin,” I say. “And that he made time for me all the time from now on.”
“I hope he does,” she says. “You won’t hear any more warnings from me, I promise.”
“And I hope you come away walking on air after tonight too,” I say and we both giggle and blush at that.
We’ve reached the mall’s parking lot and it’s as deserted as she hoped it would be. The place is built like one of those old strip malls, except that everything’s new and modern. The bottom level is taken up with fancy salons, yoga studios and such, while the top is one high-end shop next to another. Everything is closed for the night.
We reach the end of the parking lot and there’s nothing but a poorly lit road leading off into the dense forest in front of us. I grew up here and have recently found a new reason to love the forest, but something about this place gives me the creeps.
“What time are you meeting him?” I ask, checking the time on my phone.
“At nine thirty,” she says, glancing at my screen. “He’s still got about five minutes left. And he better not be late this time.”
In the distance, I hear the unmistakable sound of a Harley Davidson motorcycle. It’s like that sound is part of my blood now. I’d know it everywhere.
“Sounds like he’s coming,” I say and turn towards the sound.
A biker appears around the curve in the dark road. He’s going fast like he doesn’t want to be late, and Eden remarks on that. He slows as he reaches the entrance of the parking lot.
“OK, I guess, that’s it,” she says. “Are you OK walking back on your own?”
Main Street is only a couple of yards behind us, but obscured from view by the strip mall and dark parking lot.
“We’ll stay and make sure you reach Main Street,” she adds.
The biker is almost across from us now. But instead of coming to a stop, he makes a U-turn on the dark road and speeds off back into the night.
Eden has a very confused look on her face as she watches him go.
“Must’ve not been him…” she mutters.
The guy was wearing all black and had a helmet with a black visor pulled over his face.
“Yeah, it was probably someone else,” I say and we both stand there in silence, watching the empty road intently.
