Page 183 of Fighting the Forbidden

“Not a lot of DoorDash options around but we can do that too,” he suggests.

Food’s the last thing on my mind.

At the bike, we put our helmets on.

Thunder crashes and a zigzag of lightning splits the sky.

“Hurry.” Griff straddles the bike and I climb on behind him as quick as I can, which isn’t fast at all. But he waits until I’m situated to fire up the bike. More bolts of lightning and earth-shaking thunder follow us to Griff’s place, but no rain.

Not until Griff makes the turn into his parking lot.

The sky unloads. What feels like buckets of water splash over us. Griff mutters a string of curses and guides the bike to a stop by the sidewalk.

“Go on!” Griff shouts.

My foot slips as I dismount. For a second, I wobble, thrown by the weight of my backpack. Griff’s arm shoots out and he catches me around the waist, steadying me.

My wet clothes cling to my skin in the most uncomfortable way as we make a run for the front door of Griff’s apartment building.

“Sorry!” he shouts as we tumble into the entrance. “I thought we’d make it home in time.” Drops of water glisten on the tips of his hair, and I reach up to brush the wet strands off his forehead.

“It’s okay.” My nose wrinkles. “I feel gross though.”

He holds out his keys to me. “Go on upstairs and get dry. I want to cover my bike and move it to a different spot. You can borrow one of my T-shirts to change into.”

“Don’t leave me waiting too long.” I plan to change but into something with a whole lot less material than a T-shirt.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Griff

Now that the sky’s let loose, the storm rages like a living thing, trying to keep me from Molly. The wind and rain batter my back as I race into my apartment building, splashing through puddles.

Finally, I’m inside, and I slam the door shut behind me.

My phone buzzes and I pull it out of my pocket.

Remy: Is Molly with you?

Me: Yes.

Remy: OK.

He doesn’t need more detail than that.

The building’s quiet. A sense of relief slides through me as I pass my mother’s now empty apartment. I’ve only heard from her once since she left for Jersey. No news is usually good news where she’s concerned.

I stop outside the door to my apartment to unlace my boots and leave them to dry in the hallway. Inside, I find a towel folded on the back of the couch. Assuming Molly left it for me, I grab it and swipe it over my head and face.

“Where you at, Muffin?” I peel my jacket off as I cross the living room into the kitchen. I toss my phone on the counter. The whir of the dryer spinning draws my attention. I open it, strip off my clothes, and toss them in. A bolt of lightning illuminates the kitchen. I take the towel and wrap it around my waist.

I cock my head. No sounds above the wind and rain outside. Where’d Molly go?

Another bolt of lightning brightens everything, blinding in its intensity.

The lights blink out and darkness blankets everything.

“Shit,” I grumble, feeling around for the drawer where I keep odds and ends. “Molly, you okay? Give me a second. I’ll grab a flashlight or some candles.”

---