The Lies We Tell (The Four 1)

West: He’s a bit drunk.

Me: ???

The three dots appeared as I sat on my bed, impatiently waiting for Weston’s reply. After about five minutes had passed, maybe longer, I suddenly got a long message from him.

West: Cass told him you phoned earlier & you were upset. Said you were trying to get hold of him. He’s worried about you. I can’t remember him ever stressing about a girl before. I know he’s drunk but he’s been talking about you nonstop for the past 10 mins. Not just in a friends kind of way either. Can’t explain it properly but if you were here you’d see.

Right. He’d barely admitted that he wanted to sleep with me; I highly doubted that he had actual feelings for me all of a sudden.

Me: Um. I don’t know what to say to that.

West: He really likes you. I can tell.

Me: He’s drunk. Don’t read too much into it. He’s worried because he’s a good person underneath his asshole exterior. You can tell him I’m OK.

West: Are you OK though? I’m worried too after what Cass told me.

Me: Yes. Mostly. Just more shit with my mother. Talk about it tomorrow?

West: OK. Come for pizza? Z can pick you up. Your car will be ready too.

Me: Finally! No more relying on people for lifts. Sounds good. What time?

West: I’ll check with Z and let you know.

Me: OK.

West: See ya tomorrow.

Me: *thumbs up emoji*

Me: Thanks for checking up on me BTW.

West: I care about you.

West: NOT in the same way as Cade.

Me: Haha. Love you too.

TWENTY-SIX

“Ever been on one of these before?” Zayde raised a brow at me.

“Nope. But it can’t be too hard, right?” I eyed the bike doubtfully. I pulled the straps of my small backpack tighter and stepped closer to the huge beast of a machine. Taking in my expression, Zayde gave me an amused smile and handed me a shiny red helmet.

“Wear that. Hold on to me, and lean with me. Okay?”

“I guess so.” He straddled the bike, all dark, lethal male, with ripped jeans and black boots and his leather jacket stretched

over his biceps. Yeah. Not that I was interested, but he was insanely hot.

And he still scared me, to be completely honest.

Pulling the helmet on, I climbed onto the bike behind him. He reached back and pulled my arms around his waist, then snapped his visor down. The engine came to life with a powerful roar that I felt through my entire body, and I screamed, mostly with excitement but partly from fear as we shot away from the campus and onto the main roads. I hung on to Zayde with a death grip to begin with, but once I got used to the feel of the bike, I loosened my grip slightly, leaning into the turns with him. By the time we came to a halt outside the Four’s house, I had a huge smile across my face.

“That was amazing,” I told him as I climbed off the bike on slightly shaky legs and handed him the helmet I’d been wearing.

“Give me a bike over a car any day.” He jogged up the steps to the house, leaving me next to the bike.