Page 54 of What I Should Have Felt

Except I was met with her furiously shaking her head beneath her helmet. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

Her eyes swept frantically across the parking lot once more. “He’s not here yet.”

And I knew exactly what she was getting at.

“All right,” I replied and straightened in my seat again. Scoping out my options, I threw the bike into gear and quickly raced out of the parking lot. Turning left, I pulled up near the same bushes I’d parked by the first time I’d come to pick Azelie up, and then killed the engine.

“From this vantage point, you’ll be able to see into the parking lot and down the road,” I explained and glanced behind me. Azelie pulled the helmet from her head as her cheeks bloomed pink. “As soon as you see his ride, I’ll wait another minute or so, and then we’ll make our entrance.”

She blew air out slowly and tucked the helmet into her lap. “Do you think Mom figured it out, too? I saw the look she gave me,” she muttered, refusing to make eye contact with me.

“Oh, she knows.” I leaned sideways on the seat and studied her face. The longer I stared, the more I knew she was mine. That point one percent chance of doubt that I’d been carrying left with the gentle summer breeze.

“I’m gonna be in so much trouble,” she added, sliding her hand across the top of the black helmet.

“Why? Having a crush is totally normal. It’d be very hypocritical of your mom to be upset at you for liking this kid. Besides, I may only have met him once, but I was pretty impressed.” I gave her a soft smile as she pushed a loose curl from her messy braid behind her ear.

“He did stand up to a couple of nasty dudes, didn’t he,” Azelie continued with a hiccup.

I nodded as an old square-body truck with some rust around the wheel rims turned onto the road and chugged up toward us. “If your mom gives you a hard time, you let me know. I’ll have a chat with her.”

She snickered. “Right. Like you’ll be able to do much.”

“You might be surprised by the amount of influence I have with your mom. Especially since I saved her ass by offering to take you so your grandparents didn’t connect the dots between you and your feelings for this young man.” I patted the side of her helmet as the truck turned into the parking lot. “Is that him?”

She nodded. “Yep. That’s Mark’s truck, and I think Cory is in the passenger seat.”

“All right, put your helmet on,” I answered and straightened the bike, but waited to start the engine. I had to time this right. If I waited too long to start the motorcycle, the lack of a rumble and then the sudden ignition would send red flags that we’d been waiting. But too soon, and Cory might not notice it was Azelie on the bike.

Just as Mark signaled to pull into a parking stall, I kicked the bike on. Twisting the throttle, we roared out from behind the bushes, but at an angle where it looked as if we’d simply been cruising down the road.

As I turned the bike into the parking lot with a bump over the drive, Cory jumped down from the passenger seat and looked toward Azelie and me. Keeping my smile at bay, I drove us around the edge of the parking lot and pulled into a stall near, but not directly next to, where Cory and Mark had parked.

Cory’s older brother looked much like him with the same black hair, except it was cut military short, so I wasn’t sure if itwas curly as well. They had the same rectangular faces with chins that had yet to sprout a single hair. Mark, however, walked with that same situational awareness that had my eyes constantly roaming every inch of my surroundings.

Cory grinned as I offered an arm to Azelie, and she climbed down from the bike. Mark raised a brow but quietly watched. The moment I killed the engine and kicked the stand down, Cory jogged over to us. His deep, brown eyes widened as he scanned the motorcycle.

“Woah, Azelie, this is cool!” he exclaimed as she offered me the helmet.

Her cheeks shifted from pink to red, but Cory had yet to look at her. “I guess I’m pretty lucky Ford offered to give me a ride to the meeting,” she said.

“Yeah, you are. Dang.” Cory walked around the bike as I dismounted and sat the helmet on the seat. He stuffed his hands into his jean pockets and whistled slowly. “Hey, Mark. When are you gonna get a bike?”

“When are you two gonna get up to the meeting?” Mark replied without directly answering Cory’s question.

“Right, come on Azelie,” Cory said and finally looked at her. His smile brightened. “I like your shirt.”

Her eyes widened, and she glanced at me. She wore some new band’s graphic T-shirt with a pair of jean shorts. A band that I had never heard of, but I guess Cory had. I shrugged and nodded toward the track.

“Th-th-thanks,” she stammered as Cory gestured for her to follow. She jogged a couple of steps, closing the distance between the two of them. I said nothing as they walked up the hillside. Azelie smiled and giggled a few times as I noted some other girls strutting across the lawn toward the same entrance from further down the parking lot.

Once the new girls’ backs faced me, I silently wandered up the hillside after the kids. I knew it was overkill to follow, but after last night, I wanted to double-check that Azelie was safe with a crowd of people.

“Where you going?” Mark called out.

I glanced over my shoulder to find him running after me. “To make sure they all get to where they need to be,” I replied and resumed walking.

“They’re teenagers. What are you gonna do when they break the rules?” Mark asked, catching up to me.

---