Page 74 of Make Me Want it Too

Half of us are a bit wobbly for the first couple miles. Turns out you don’t forget how to ride a bike, but you can forget how to ride one well. But everyone gets the hang of it.

The route around Bainbridge Island is pretty. We follow the coast for a lot of it. Clear blue skies over bright water, views of Seattle in the distance. The sun is high in the sky, and it’s already hot.

Zayne is sweating through his shirt. “I’m not made for the outdoors,” he says, out of breath, as Dane films. “We might be vlogging my death, babe.”

Dane laughs. “That’s dramatic. But it’d be one hell of a vlog.”

“Imagine the views,” Zayne says, a spark in his eyes.

It’s nicer when we get closer to the trees and a little shade.

I glance over to Macy. “Do you need a break? A snack?”

She shakes her head. “I’m okay.” Her smile is forced.

“We’re stopping,” I yell ahead.

“Oh, thank fuck,” Zayne pulls over and collapses on the grass. “Did you get that?”

“Got it,” Dane says.

“I said I was okay,” Macy says as we walk our bikes to a shady spot off to the side.

“It’s been a couple hours since we ate, and we’ve been exercising. You might be okay with your blood sugar getting low for the sake of not inconveniencing others, but I’m not.”

She looks like she’s about to say something, to argue with me. But she promptly shuts her mouth and scowls instead. The cutest scowl that ever scowled.

“Fine,” she finally says.

She unzips her little fanny pack as I do the same, and we both pull out matching packs of honey cinnamon almonds.

Macy grins. “I love these.”

“I know.” I hand her mine. “I brought them for you. And this.” I take out her favorite kind of chocolate chip granola bar and give it to her next.

“You packed me snacks?”

“Of course.”

“Did you pack anything for yourself?”

“Yep.” I take out a couple sticks of beef jerky and gnaw into one. “You want one?”

Macy takes the offered piece of beef jerky and gives me some almonds. Then we drink our water in the shade. I empty my water bottle and when she hears me sucking air, she shares hers with me. We pass her water bottle back and forth and I can’t help but smile at her.

Fuck, just sharing a water bottle, knowing her lips were where mine are a second ago, to know we’re sharing saliva, is turning me on way more than it should.

I want to kiss her again.

But I don’t. Jake yells it’s time for us to get moving so we get back on our bikes and keep riding.

The bike ride isn’t too strenuous, but it is warm. The tops of Macy’s shoulders are pink and now I’m mad I didn’t think to pack sunscreen for her.

Zayne is sweating buckets, slowing down considerably, separating us from the rest of the group. Dane is, of course, capturing Zayne’s harrowing experience on video.

We finally make it back to the Hayes house, where Zayne dramatically collapses in the shade, praising baby Jesus. Dane is sure to capture it from multiple angles.

Everyone else is putting their bikes away as a staff member comes out with refreshments—ice cucumber water and a mimosa for Bex.

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