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“Oh, oh…Oh, I have no idea what it’s like to live life on the edge? Is that what you just said to me? I want to be real clear about the fact that that’s what you just said to me.”
I paused, glaring at him for emphasis before continuing.
“I’ve lost everything in life, Dyson. You still have a family - a mother, a father, a sister, and brother who all love you.”
The thoughts and words came to me quickly, but almost as fast came the emotion behind it. I felt the sickening swell of sadness build in my throat. But, I was determined to see it through.
“I don’t have anything. The only thing I have is Simon. My family? They’re all gone, killed or dead, and as far as my job with the team goes? Well, here’s a newsflash for you, I lost that as well. So don’t talk to me about living life on the edge, I know exactly what that’s like, you selfish prick.”
I finished speaking, crossed my arms at my chest and took several steps away from him. Fighting back the onslaught of tears, I did my best to stay calm. The garage was completely silent for a few seconds. At last, I heard Dyson get to his feet and begin to walk in my direction. I could sense his presence behind me, but I didn’t turn around to look at him.
“Ava,” he said, pausing and touching my lower back with his fingertips. “I didn’t mean…”
I pulled away from Dyson, spinning around and glaring in his direction.
“Don’t touch me.”
Dyson lifted both of his hands in mock surrender. “Don’t worry, I won’t.”
Biting my lip, I shook my head but didn’t speak.
“So now what?” he asked. “Look, I feel bad for you, okay? You haven’t deserved the way I’ve been acting. But this has nothing to do with you.”
I raised my hand, signaling for him to stop.
“First of all, I don’t want your pity, Dyson. That’s not why I’m here.”
He shook his head, “That’s not what I…”
“No!” I exclaimed. “Let me finish.”
“I took the job with the team for one reason and one reason only—Simon. You know that. You, more than anyone.”
Dyson looked at me and nodded.
“I never had any intention of…” I stopped myself, turning away from him. I’d come so close to telling him I had to cover my mouth with my hand.
“Any intention of what? Ava, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I swallowed hard, closed my eyes and turned around to face him.
“It doesn’t matter, Dyson. The only thing that matters is that you do what you were born to do. Get out there and win.”
Dyson moved a couple of feet away and leaned against the chassis of the motorcycle one last time. “It’s time for you to go, Ava. There’s nothing for us to discuss.”
I clenched my jaw, gritting my teeth as hard as possible.
“You’re unbelievable, Dyson.” I turned and started to walk away, throwing an unconscious thought behind me. “I don’t know how I could have ever thought I was in love with you.”
I only managed to take a couple of more steps.
“What the hell did you just say, Ava?”
I continued looking down, quickening my pace.
“Ava!” Dyson yelled. “Stop!”
I froze in place. From behind, I heard Dyson make his way across the garage towards me. I turned and our eyes met. Dyson closed the distance between us until he stood less than a foot away.
Wordless, he reached up towards my cheek.
When he touched it, I closed my eyes and turned my face in the direction of his caress. The feel of his skin against mine sent a shock through my body. I was powerless to resist the urge it stirred within me. After a moment or two, I opened my eyes once again to see him looking straight into them.
“Dyson, I shouldn’t have…”
Before I could get the words out of my mouth, Dyson crashed his lips into mine. The force of the impact sent my momentum backwards and before I realized it he’d pinned me against the wall.
For several seconds we kissed, his tongue exploring.
I moaned, wrapping my hands around his sweaty, chiseled torso. Soon, I lost all will to do anything but be with him. The intensity of our kissing increased with each second that passed. At last, he broke free from me and dragged his hand across his mouth, wiping away the remnants of our affection.
“You’re better off without me, Ava,” he began, taking a couple of steps back. “You should go.”
I stood there, my mouth hanging open. Dyson turned and began to walk away from me. Disbelief turned to disgust.
“Never contact me again.” I snapped. “Never again.”
Without turning back to face me, Dyson bent over and picked up the same wrench he’d been using a few minutes earlier.
“Don’t worry.”
My mouth filled with a sickening taste, like I might be ill. I turned, tears flowing beyond my ability to stop them. I ran out of the garage. While I crossed the property, Chance emerged from the back of the house.
“Ava!” he called out.
I never stopped.
“Ava!”
DYSON
Ava had been gone for a few hours. Hell, it could’ve been ten for all I knew.
I’d finished working on my bike. I walked over to my tool cabinet and grabbed what remained of my vodka. Tilting the bottle up to my mouth, I hammered the last few swigs back. After wiping my mouth with my rag, I walked back over to my bike and got on.
Before I could fire it up, a voice caught my attention.
“What are you doing, bro?”
I turned and looked at Chance. He stood there with my mom, the both of them scowling at me.
“What’s it look like? I’m going for a ride.”
My brother scoffed and walked towards me. “Like hell you are. You’ve been drinking all God damn day.”
He stopped a few feet away from me and pointed at the empty bottle of alcohol. By that time, my mother stood next to him.
“Dyson,” she began, wrapping her arm around my brother’s torso. “Don’t be ridiculous. Come inside and sleep it off.”
I looked at both of them, scoffing and shaking my head.
“Get out of my way.”
Just then, my father came around the side of the garage, appearing in the entrance.
“Jesus Christ,” I groaned. “What is this—a fucking family intervention?”
Wordless, my dad walked over and joined my brother and my mother.
“Get off the bike, son. You’re gonna hurt yourself. Is that what you want?”
I leaned over the front of it, crossing my arms and propping them up on the grips. “What I want is to be left alone, so I can go for a ride and think.”
No sooner had I finished saying that than my brother stepped in front of the motorcycle.
“You aren’t going anywhere, Dyson.”
I chuckled, sat up and started the engine. When I gunned the throttle, a high-pitched whine filled the interior of the garage. Mom and Dad raised their hands to their head, covering their ears.
Chance never moved.
“Get out of the way, Chance! So help me, I’ll run you over.”
Chance shrugged and shook his head. “If you want to get out of this garage, that’s exactly what you’re going to have to do!”
I nodded, revving the throttle one more time as a final warning. “Get out of the way, Chance! I’m not telling you again!”
My brother raised his chin, crossed his arms and shook his head.
He left me with no choice.
I started the bike and headed straight for him. At the last instant, he jumped out of the way. I skidded out of the garage, nearly losing control before standing it up and revving the throttle.
“Asshole!” I heard my brother yell from behind.
At the same time, I heard the voices of my parents. As a group, they all yelled at me to come back, pleading with me not to take off. But that’s the only thing I wanted to do.
I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve been down the streets near my home. Hundreds. Thousands? I knew them like I knew my own name - every groove in the road, every turn and dip. That was my gift. No one could remember a surface like me.
It was my edge.
I weaved in and out of traffic, not caring about traffic lights or stop signs along the way. About halfway through town, I noticed a cop sitting in the parking lot of a strip mall. I gunned it, going from fifty to eighty in a matter of a few seconds. Like I hoped, he saw me. The next time I looked in my rear view mirror, I saw the telltale blue and red flashing behind me.
I smiled, and leaned down over my bike, becoming one with it. The streetlights and restaurants streaked by like urban lightning in my peripheral vision. Shifting again, I gunned the throttle, escaping the bright lights of the city. Within a matter of minutes the lights on the police car disappeared into the night.
I sat up, savoring the victory for a minute or so.
The bike hummed beneath me, beckoning me to push it once again. This was what it felt like to be free. Nothing standing in the way of me and my need for speed. This was what I lived for, and while I ripped across the open highway, I realized what the team was doing to me.
I felt like I was dying.
Just then, my cell phone vibrated inside the pocket of my jeans. I slowed the bike, eventually bringing it to a stop. I’d said what I had to say to her. I meant it. She was better off without me. No matter what she had to tell me in this text, I had no doubt about my feelings.
