Page 45 of Exile and Embrace

Ava smirks and straightens up, buckling up the helmet. “I told you I was going to look goofy.”

“Pretty, too.” I grab my own helmet from the handlebars and put it on.

“Why did Dawson bring it over this morning?”

I swing my leg over the seat and push up the kickstand. “Needed a little bit of engine work. He finished it up last night. Wasn’t going to pick it up until this weekend but figured you could use a little excitement in your life.”

She snorts as she climbs on the motorcycle behind me. “Like I don’t have enough of that already. Do you even know how to drive one of these things?”

“Yes.” I rev the engine to life as she leans forward and wraps her arms around my waist.

I’m grateful for the leather jacket separating us so I can’t feel her body pressed against mine more than I already do.

Ava holds on tight as we leave our house behind and head for one of the trails that leads deep into the forest.

I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she catches sight of the giant trees for the first time.

It’s a short drive along a winding road.

When we arrive at the trailhead, Ava sits up a little taller. She shifts behind me on the motorcycle as I park. Her thighs squeeze me a little tighter before she gets off and slips off her helmet.

“Wow!”

That soft whisper is more than enough to make taking a day off worth it.

The helmet dangles from her fingers as she tilts her head back. “This is amazing.”

Massive redwoods stretch toward the sky, their green leaves blowing in the wind. The sun shines bright overhead as I take both our helmets and store them in the saddlebags.

I take her hand, lacing my fingers through hers as if it’s natural.

She looks down at our joined hands before turning her attention back to the forest and doesn’t pull away.

Mulch crunches and shifts beneath our feet as we walk onto the trail.

Our hands swing between us while birds chirp all around us.

Ava keeps looking up at the trees. “I can’t believe that redwoods get this big. How many people do you think it would take to wrap around that one over there?”

I glance over to the tree she nods at.

The trunk is massive, and the roots sprawl on the right side of the trail. “At least twenty people. Maybe more.”

She stops at the base of another one and lets go of my hand. She stretches her arms wide, trying to wrap them around a tree that would take at least ten people. I laugh and pull out my phone, snapping a quick picture of her.

This is something that I’m never going to want to forget. Even when our fake engagement comes to an end.

When she turns back to me, the smile falls from her face. “I never would have been out here to see these trees if I didn’t have to hunt down whatever it is my bastard father was hiding from the family.”

I take her hand and spin her around under my arm before pulling her to me.

She laughs as I loop one arm over her shoulder. “We’re not going to talk about the drama with your family right now. You need a moment to yourself.”

“I don’t know if that’s going to be possible. There’s too much going on, and I have a lot that I still need to find out. I’ve been looking for information for over a week, and I still can’t seem to get anywhere.”

Other people pass us as I pull her to the side of the trail and cup her face in my hands. “I’m serious, Ava. No more talking about the family drama. Not today. We’re going to try to have a good time.”

“Finn, I appreciate you getting me out of the house, but I don’t know how not to think about everything going on. It feels like I can’t shut my brain off.”

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