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“DANCE WITH ME.” Johnnywhispers in my hair.
“There’s no dancing.” I turn and our faces almost collide.
“I know a spot.”
I laugh. “You know a lot of spots.”
“Come on.” He slips his hand in mine and I let him drag me away from the party.
We circle the house and end up on the other side. It’s quieter away from the music.
He gathers me in his arms and presses the side of his against mine. He slowly rocks us to the heavy metal music. “I’ve been waiting all day to touch you. To hold you.”
My fingers fist the material of his shirt between us. “It’s been a long day.”
I don’t know how many songs we dance to. They start to blend together. The only thing I know is that I want to go home with Johnny tonight. And the night after that. And the next.
“Want to get out of here?” he whispers in my ear.
For the first time in a long time I know the answer. “Yes.”
“I left my bike keys in my jacket.” We stop by the shop apartment first. “I’ll be right back.” Johnny kisses my head and skips up the stairs.
I lean against the wall and wait for him. Voices creep around the corner.
“What did you bet?” I recognize the woman’s voice from earlier. I’d been chatting with her and a couple of her friends by the potluck table. I generally know most of the Creed’s aquantances. I’ve been around forever. But every once in a while, a biker crowd shows up with a new batch of women. This is one of those batches.
“I lost. I bet week one, but he’s still here,” another woman says.
“Blue bet next week.” This sentence spikes my interest. “Alyx bet three weeks tops.”
“Rock thinks he’ll stay. For the girl.”
My heart plummets. Embarassment rushes through me. Every single person at this party is betting on when Johnny leaves. And they’re betting on whether he stays because of me.
“Ready?” I jump when Johnny wraps his arm around me and guides me around the corner to the group of women talking about him and me. “Ladies.”
Nothing fizzes on him. Not their conversation of his brother’s bets. But everything is crystal clear to me. Johnny Creed will leave again and Rock and I are the only two fools who think otherwise.
Johnny parks outside my apartment and takes off his helmet. When he begins to climb off, and I stop him.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“You hungry? Want to get something to eat first?”
I shake my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea either.” I unhook my helmet and pass it to him.
He climbs off the bike and hangs the helmet on the handlebar. “What’s going on?”
“This weekend was fun, but that’s all it was, the weekend. We both knew that. We both agreed.” My words are breaking my heart all over again.
“What happened between dancing and here that’s changed your mind.” I expect a snarl, but he’s genuinely asking.
I step back. “I can’t, Johnny. You left. For over ten years.”
“I came back for you.”
“You should’ve come back for yourself. If you haven’t made that commitment to you, how do you expect to stay? If you’re not in this life change for yourself, then I bet you don’t make it past week two.”
