Page 63 of Promise Me Nothing
She’s in her Bennie’s uniform. A maroon polo shirt and tight black pants. Her hair is down and loose around her shoulders, a slight kink lining the middle from where she’d likely had it up when she was working.
She just got off work, a fact I knew before I got here. Something Lucas told me when we planned out the fact that I would be here right now.
“Hannah’s bike got stolen,” I hear from Lucas, but I keep my eyes on her, since I already knew that was going to happen as well.
She crosses her arms and looks like she’s on the verge of tears. Part of me feels like shit, knowing that she feels so guilty about it.
“It happens all the time. It’s probably those guys that go around with bolt cutters in a backpack.”
Hannah looks at me. “Really?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“Let’s just head back to the house and get another bike.”
Hannah looks to Lucas.
“I have a few more. Don’t worry about this one. It isn’t a big deal. Really.”
Then Lucas looks to me. “Wyatt, would you give Hannah a ride back to the house? I was meeting her here so we could ride home together after her shift, but now…”
“No, I can walk,” she says, and her cute face purses.
Lucas laughs. “Come on, Hannah. No reason to punish yourself when you didn’t do anything wrong. If you ride with Wyatt, it’ll just take a few minutes.” Then he looks at me. “If you have a few minutes, of course.”
“Yeah, no problem. I’d be happy to give you a ride.” It’s the whole reason I’m here.
Hannah looks at me and seems to consider it for a minute, nibbling at the inside of her cheek before nodding.
“Awesome. See you back at the house, Hannah.”
And then Lucas takes off down towards The Strand and back to his house, moving quickly, before Hannah can change her mind.
“I’m sorry if I’m ruining any of your plans,” she says as she walks towards me, swinging her backpack onto her shoulders.
“Not at all,” I say, heading over to my bike and swinging over a leg.
“Wait. You’re taking me home on that?” Her eyes are massive and it makes me want to laugh.
But then I realize it’s real fear that I’m seeing take over her face.
“Have you never ridden a motorcycle before?”
She shakes her head. “I just learned to ride a bicycle last year. OfcourseI’ve never ridden a motorcycle.”
“Well the good news is that you have a helmet,” I point to the bike helmet in her hands. “Plus, it only takes a few minutes to get to Lucas’ house. And you won’t be steering, so really, it’s just like sitting on your bike, but with someone else in charge.”
She eyes it warily for a minute before finally putting her helmet on her head. The look of determination when she clips the two straps together has me fighting to hide my grin.
Then she looks at me. “If you fall over on this and smoosh me into the ground, I will be incredibly unhappy.”
I laugh and instead take her hand in mine as she prepares to get on behind me. It’s an awkward shuffle as she figures it out, but once she’s sitting snug against my back, and her arms come around my middle, I realize it’s never felt more right to have someone on a bike with me.
“Hold on, sweetheart.”
And then I take off, down the alley and out to Hermosa Ave. Hannah squeals a little bit, a cute noise that conveys her surprise, and then she giggles and holds on to me tighter.
I’d give anything to see her face right now, but I’ll gladly settle for her arms wrapped around me.
