Page 40 of Captured Love

“Yeah,” I say, though I’m not sure what I’m ready for. But here goes nothing, I guess.

16

SELENE

Why do I have a sense of déjà vu?

Oh it’s probably because the last time I was staring in the mirror, blasting music, and trying to calm my nerves, I was headed over to Knox’s place and I know how that ended up.

Pleasure. And then misery.

And what’s the saying about people who do the same thing but expect a different result? However, this time, we’d be in public with none of the naughty things we did behind closed doors.

But being in public increases the risk of us being seen, and I still have Tessa’s warning sitting in the back of my mind. It is easy to take this “outing” the wrong way depending on who might see us and report back to her.

Or, heck, if we run into her ourselves. And that would be just my luck.

I switch off the music and find something I can meditate to instead. I quickly find a guided meditation that will hopefully soothe every nerve in my body because I swear I can hear my own pulse in my ears right now. The soft voice in the meditationapp urges me to take deep breaths, but my lungs feel like they're on strike. I close my eyes and try to follow along, imagining myself in a serene forest, but all I can see is Knox's stupidly handsome face and think about how this “outing” is going to go.

Damnit.

The meditation isn't working. I kill the app and stare at my phone, at the message he sent an hour ago.

Knox: Still on for this evening?

I quickly answered yes before I could talk myself out of it.

I check my makeup one last time. My lipstick is too bold for a “friendly chat,” but wiping it off now would just smear it across my face, and I don’t have the time or the energy to start over. Besides, this red looks great on me and will give me the confidence I need to get through tonight. Not to mention, I purposely chose to dress down a bit to not give the impression that this was a date date. My sweater, jeans, and boots look great, as do I.

And that’s the story I’m sticking to.

When my phone vibrates on my desk, I nearly jump fifteen feet in the air. I assume it’s a message from Knox.

Knox: I’m downstairs. Make sure you’re dressed warmly.

He’s here with five minutes to spare and thankfully, I am dressed what I assume is appropriately.

I don’t bother to answer, instead choosing to hurry up and put on my coat and grab the bag I’d be using for the night. After giving myself one more look and concluding that I do actual look put together, I make sure I have everything I need before locking my dorm room behind me.

The evening breeze swipes at my hair as I walk out of my dorm, expecting to see Knox leaning against his car like he always does. But instead, I stop dead in my tracks.

He's not by a car.

He’s straddling a black and white motorcycle, helmet tucked under one arm, the other casually resting on the handlebar like he’s posing for some kind of magazine cover. I’m not sure if I’m annoyed or… intrigued.

He looks up as I approach, that familiar cocky grin spreading across his face. “What’s the matter? Never seen a bike before?”

I blink, trying to hide the way my heart just flipped in my chest. “I just wasn’t expecting… this,” I say, waving a hand toward the bike. “Isn’t this a bit much for an ‘outing’?” I add, using my fingers to throw up air quotes.

Knox swings his leg over the seat and steps closer, holding out the extra helmet like it’s no big deal. “I thought we could have a little bit of fun.”

I take the helmet hesitantly, my fingers brushing against his as I do. He doesn’t let go right away.

“Ever been on one before?” he asks, tilting his head slightly, like he’s trying to read my reaction.

I huff, gripping the helmet tighter. “Would it make a difference if I said no?”

His smirk deepens. “Yeah. It would.” He flips the helmet around in his hands, then carefully settles it onto my head like he doesn’t entirely trust me to do it right. His fingers brush along my jaw as he secures the strap under my chin.

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