Page 34 of Ride or Die
The cars come racing up, and it’s clear Colt is going to win. The cars speed past us in the blink of an eye, and I throw up the checkered flag.
Axel stands up and approaches the other guy named Drai to exchange their videos and confirm the winner. When he nods at me, I run to Colt, who finally stops, getting out of his car with a huge grin.
I run to him, and he scoops me into his arms, twirling me as we kiss again. My body buzzes with excitement, that now familiar heat settling low in my belly. I am so turned on by him at the moment.
“You won, baby.”
“I know.” He smirks at me, the cocky bastard.
He puts me down, and people walk up to congratulate him. Axel hands him an envelope, giving us another smile.
“Let’s go.” Colt gestures to the car. I give him a puzzled look, and he smiles, raising his eyebrows and motioning to the car again. We both get in, and he puts the envelope in the center console before we drive away.
“Well, that was quick,” I comment.
He shrugs. “There are other races tonight, but I only agreed to the one. So I don’t wanna stay. Just made a cool five grand on that race. People love to bet on anything.”
“Five grand? Holy shit, Colt!”
He chuckles. “I know. It’s good money. There was a lot of speculation about friction between him and I, but really, we’re friends. It’s so fucking stupid, and these kids buy into it, bet on anything," he says, hand resting lazily on the wheel. “You can understand why it’s hard to get out, right?”
I reach over and grab his hand on the stick shift. “I understand why it’s hard. But at least you’re doing it for the right reasons. It’s survival. Isn’t that what we’re all doing? Trying to survive.” I give his hand a squeeze, the passing streetlights illuminating his soft smile.
I always knew there was more behind Colt’s dark, cold exterior. He’s not just a bad boy. It’s a mask. A protective mechanism for survival in this cruel neighborhood we live in. I’m just thankful that I’m the one he's finally chosen to let inside.
CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN
THE STACKS
LAYLA
We have gotten into this groove where we’ve spent every single night together, either at my place or his. I am floored at how much my life has changed in the past few weeks.
Colton is a bad boy who treats me like a queen, opening up this whole world I never knew I was missing. Companionship and friendship.
Simone hasn't talked to me since our fight, but I am more than okay with that. Other than the fact she is immature, I have no idea why she got that dramatic, but I want no part of it. She's my sister, the least she could do is be happy for me.
It's 4:30 a.m. and I'm getting ready to catch the train to head into work. I want to let Colt sleep, so I try to be quiet as I walk around my room, grabbing my clothes and heading to the bathroom to get dressed. When I get back, Colt is awake and sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing his tired face.
“What are you doing up?” I whisper. He looks at me like I have two heads.
“Taking you to work. Speaking of, we don’t have to leave for another forty-five minutes. Let’s snooze until then.”
I shake my head. “No, no, you stay in bed. I want you to sleep in today, and I’ll meet you outside the lecture hall later.”
He just stares at me with tired eyes. “I told you, my girl doesn’t take the train anymore. All those years when I’d see you standing at the bus stop, I just wanted to scoop you up and be your ride every day. I’m going with you. So stop arguing with me about this every time you have to work.”
It’s true. Every single work morning we go through this exact discussion. I just hate putting people out, but I think he likes it.
“Our lecture doesn’t start until one.” I try to reason with him.
“Yeah, so? I’ll go to the gym and the library. It’s admirable as fuck that you hold down a regular job and go to school full-time. I can be productive during that time too, and get shit done while you work. I have every other time.” I shake my head at this amazing man and his hard work and dedication. Such a turn on.
He grins at me and pats the bed, and I can’t help myself. I set an alarm for forty minutes so we can head out on time and snuggle into his arms for a sweet little snooze.
The drive to work is quiet, but that’s expected at this time of day. Colt walks me to the coffee shop and waits out front for a few while we open so he can come in and get a coffee and breakfast.
