Chapter 74

Chapter 74
ADRIEN

I pulled up outside Kaia's dorm and let the bike idle beneath me. The engine thrummed low, matching the buzz under my skin. 

Not from the ride—though hell yeah, it was smooth—but from the fact that she'd finally said yes to getting on the back of my bike. 

I wasn't sure what got her to change her mind. Maybe the fact that it's our last night together before we head home for summer break. 

Maybe she just wanted a little thrill.

I leaned back against the seat, one arm resting over the spare helmet I brought for her, when the doors to her building opened.

And damn.

There she was. Hoodie half-zipped, jeans hugging her legs, and that soft, calm look in her eyes that always messed with my head. Like she didn't even know how dangerous she looked.

"Wow," I said, straightening up as she reached me. "Didn't know I was picking up a heartbreaker tonight."

She rolled her eyes and smiled. 

"You say that like you're not already broken."

"Touché," I smirked, leaning down and kissing her slow and soft. She tasted like mint and confidence.

She pulled away with a tiny laugh. 

"You always this dramatic before a bike ride?"

"Only when I'm riding with a girl who could ruin me."

"Too late," she muttered under her breath.

I raised a brow. "What was that?"

"Nothing," she smirked, and I stepped in, sliding the helmet over her head gently.

She never looked away while I tightened the strap under her chin. Her eyes were locked on mine, and the heat there made something twist low in my stomach. I had to remind myself not to kiss her again just yet. We had a road to conquer.

Once we were both geared up, she slid behind me on the bike, arms wrapping tightly around my waist. And just like that—fuck—it felt like everything clicked into place.

"You good?" I called over my shoulder.

"Better than good," she replied.

"Alright then," I said. "Hold on tight babe."

I eased us onto the road, keeping the speed tame. Nothing too crazy—not yet. The city lights blurred around us as we coasted through the streets. 

Her body pressed against mine, her laughter carried in the wind. The feeling of her arms around me wasn't just thrilling—it was addictive.

At a red light, I turned slightly. 

"You okay back there?"

"I thought this would be scarier."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah," she said, leaning in closer, voice a little lower. "I think you oversold the danger."

I smirked. "You saying you can handle more?"

She leaned up near my ear. 

"I'm saying you're going soft on me."

Oh, hell no.

"Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you," I said, grabbing her hand and pulling it tighter around my stomach. 

The light turned green, and I hit the throttle, weaving past the slow cars with a grin on my face and her squeals of laughter echoing behind me.

Then I felt it—her hand moving lower, playful fingers gliding over my stomach like she owned it.

I nearly missed a beat.

I reached for her wrist, chuckling. 

"Kaia..."

"Eyes on the road!" she called, laughing.

"Fuck, are you trying to kill me—or make me hard in traffic?"

"Maybe both," she teased, pressing closer against my back.

I groaned and shook my head, heart thundering with adrenaline and something deeper. God, I loved this girl.

And I wasn't ready to let her go tomorrow.

The city lights blurred past us like shooting stars, the wind howling in my ears and Kaia's arms locked tight around me. Her body was warm against my back, her laughter still echoing in my head. I couldn't stop smiling.

I reached down and brushed her arm, gave it a little squeeze.

"Hey!" I called over my shoulder. "I fucking love you!"

She giggled behind me, her helmet tilting slightly. 

"I love you t—"

A loud BANG.

Something slammed hard into the side of us.

Everything went weightless.

Time cracked open like glass.

We flew—literally—my grip on the handlebars gone, Kaia's scream torn from behind me as we hit the road. My back smacked the pavement, and I tumbled, sliding and spinning, until everything around me stilled in a haze of light and sound.

I couldn't breathe.

Everything around me was a blur. Asphalt scraped across my skin like sandpaper. My body rolled, bounced, slammed. My helmet saved me from the worst of it, I think—I don't know. I didn't know anything.

I came to lying on my back, blinking up at a sky that suddenly looked way too far away. There were people. Faces. Too many voices. Questions I couldn't process. My chest ached, my legs burned, my ears were ringing. Everything sounded like it was underwater.

I pushed up with a groan, vision spinning. Someone tried to hold me down. I shoved them off.

Then I remembered her.

Kaia

Panic ripped through me like a lightning strike.

I yanked my helmet off, stumbled to my feet, ignoring the shooting pain up my ribs. 

"Where is she?" I gasped, voice hoarse. "KAIA!"

People looked at me like I was losing it. Maybe I was. I spun in circles, eyes darting, searching—

Then someone yelled, "Over here!"

I ran.

My feet were barely touching the ground as I sprinted toward the voice, slipping down the slope of the ditch before I even realized what was happening. And there she was.

Crumbled. Still.

Like a fucking doll someone had tossed aside.

"No—no no no—Kaia!" I dropped to my knees, the impact sending pain shooting through my bones, but I didn't care. I was crawling to her, hands trembling as I reached for her body.

Blood. On her face. Her nose, her temple. Her hoodie was ripped. One of her shoes was gone.

She wasn't moving.

I grabbed her. 

"Hey—hey, baby, come on. Look at me. Wake up, okay?" My voice cracked. "You're okay, you're okay—you're gonna be okay."

I pressed two fingers to her neck. Her pulse was there. Faint.

Fucking faint.

My whole chest collapsed in relief—only for panic to slam right back into me.

I started CPR. My hands were slipping, trembling. 

"C'mon, c'mon, just breathe," I whispered, my voice barely making it out past the tightness in my throat.

"Kaia—please. Stay with me. You're gonna be fine. You're okay."

I didn't know if I was saying it for her or for me.

She wasn't breathing.

"Come on," I growled to myself. "Don't fucking do this to me."

People surrounded us, but I didn't see them. I just saw her.

Her blood. Her lips. Her stillness.

And the terrifying possibility that she might not wake up.

"She's not breathing!" I screamed at the people nearby. "Where the fuck is the ambulance?!"

A guy behind me shouted that an ambulance was coming, but it wasn't fast enough. I couldn't wait. I tilted her head again, started mouth-to-mouth, counted compressions like they taught us in health class but never thought I'd actually use.

Tears burned down my face as I kept going. I don't even remember when I started crying.

I just kept whispering, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Her hand never moved. Her chest never rose.

"Please," I begged.

And then—sirens.

Flashing red and blue. A blur of uniforms. Voices barking orders. I didn't want to stop. I couldn't stop.

But they pulled me back.

One paramedic took over as the others lifted her carefully onto a stretcher. She looked so small. So still. Her head lolled slightly as they adjusted the oxygen mask. My heart dropped to my fucking stomach.

I tried to follow, legs barely working, but another medic stepped in front of me. 

"You need to sit. You're hurt too—"

"I don't care," I rasped. "I need to be with her. I need to know—"

And that's when it hit me.

The adrenaline drained. The pain came crashing back.

My knees buckled and the edges of the world started to blur again. My blood rushed to my ears and everything faded to black.