Page 26 of What They Say

Kath took her helmet off too, shaking out her hair. “Feels like the only time the world shuts up.” She leaned against the bike, looking out over the river. “Most men have huge egos when it comes to riding behind a girl.”

Chase said quietly, “My sense of self and self-worth isn’t tied to any kind of performance.” He grinned. “Except onstage, but I still think I’m a little different from the average Joe. I’m not most people.”

She glanced at him, searching his face. “No. You’re not.”

They stood there in comfortable silence for a while, the mid-afternoon sun warm on their skin. Chase found himself talking without meaning to—about growing up with stories about a father he didn’t know, about suddenly being dropped into Mason’s world, about how music had become the one place he felt like he could breathe.

Kath listened. Really listened. Then she told him pieces of her own story. She was open and transparent about her mom leaving and how that had hurt her. About her sister Maudie trying to hold everything together, and about how the bike had been the first thing she’d bought just for herself in years.

When she went quiet, Chase stepped a little closer.

“I don’t know what this is yet,” he said honestly. “But I like talking to you. I like riding with you. And I’d really like to do it again.”

Kath looked up at him. For once, the walls behind her eyes seemed a little thinner.

“Yeah,” she said softly. “I’d like that too.”

“Tomorrow?” he pressed.

She nodded. “Same bat-place, same bat-time?”

“Yeah,” he said softly.

They stayed at the overlook until the sun started to dip, talking about music and dreams and the things that scared them. When they finally climbed back on the bike to head home, Chase wrapped his arms around her waist a little more confidently.

Finally, fucking finally, he was looking out ahead of himself, and the future didn’t feel like something he had to survive alone. It felt like something he might actually want to share.

***

Kath

Kath watched Chase’s truck pull out of the employee parking lot behind The Grindhouse, giving him a small wave as he drove off. She waited until his taillights disappeared around the corner before swinging her leg over the bike and restarting the engine. The low rumble vibrated through her, steady and reassuring, as she buckled her helmet.

The ride home felt different already. Every shift of her weight, every gentle curve in the road reminded her of the time they’d just spent together—Chase riding behind her like the manifestation of a beautiful dream. No pressure, just easy company and the open road.

Wind rushed past her helmet, tugging loose strands of hair and carrying away some of the constant weight she carried. For those precious miles, she felt lighter, freer, like the bike was carrying her towards something better instead of just away from the usual mess. The memory of Chase’s quiet laugh when she aggressively accelerated into a smooth curve made her smile beneath the visor.

By the time she pulled into the driveway, the sun had dipped lower, bathing the tired little house in warm oranges and pinks. Kath felt different. Braver. Like maybe she could actually do this—carve out something that was just hers.

Inside, the house was blessedly empty. Maudie was apparently still at work, and there’d been a distinct lack of Tony for a few weeks now. No loss on that one. Kath dropped her helmet on the table, grabbed a glass of water, and flopped onto the couch with her phone. She hit the video call button before she could second-guess herself.

Emy answered on the second ring, her face lighting up the screen with a bright, curious grin. “Kath! You look all flushed. What did you do?”

“First, I want to know if you have time for a proper conversation.” Their last couple of calls had been rushed, each only sharing snippets of information before one or the other had to get off the phone.

“Yes, emphatically, and with a ‘hell yeah’ thrown in. I’m here for the long haul, bestie.”

“In that case,” Kath laughed, pushing her messy hair back, “I went for a real ride. With Chase riding behind me.” She bit her lip, unable to stop smiling. “Emy, it was amazing. The wind, the way the bike felt with him riding with me, working with me instead of against me. I felt so damned free. For the first time in forever.”

Emy’s eyes widened with delight. “Tell me everything! Did he behave? Did you behave? I need details!”

Kath curled her legs under her, settling in as the words spilled out. She told her about riding the back roads, the easy conversation shouted between the two riders, the patient way he’d waited whenever she needed to pull over. Talking to Emy made the joy feel solid. Real. Something she could hold on to when the world pressed back in.

***

Chase

Chase wiped grease from his hands with an old shop rag, the familiar scent of motor oil and Bear’s garage wrapping around him like a second skin. He’d come out here after rehearsal to help Bear finish swapping out the shocks on one of the club’s bikes, but mostly because the quiet clink of tools and the low rumble of the radio helped him think.