Chapter 36 36.Crazy hobbies
Tabitha’s POV
I stare at him like he’s grown a second head. “You’ve done this before? With someone blindfolded?”
“Technically, yeah. Except I was the one wearing it that time.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
Reed laughs again, louder this time. His hand comes up to hold out the blindfold in front of me. “Come on, princess. Trust me. You just hold the throttle. I’ve got the rest.”
I stare at the black blindfold he is dangling in front of me. It’s crazy, it’s deadly. And yet the damn thing looks like a delicious forbidden fruit—tempting me to take a bite. I’ve never done something like this before but somehow, Reed has a way of making me do reckless things that I don’t usually do. Like sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night for a motorcycle ride, breaking into public property, and vandalizing.
He’s totally a bad influence. And here I am participating in his impulsive whims.
“This better work,” I say, reluctantly reaching for it. “Because if it doesn’t, we’re going to show up at the wedding in wheelchairs.”
“I’ll push you down the aisle myself.” He winks. “But that won’t really be necessary because this will work. And you’ll enjoy it.”
He ties the blindfold around my eyes before I can respond. The darkness settles in fast, the fabric pressing across my face. Reed adjusts my position on the motorcycle as he hops back in. He guides my hands to grip the throttle, securing my fist around them. My heart thudding in my ears.
I can’t believe I’m actually doing this.
“You ready?” Reed’s voice is close to my helmet, calm and cocky as ever.
“Not even a little.”
“Perfect.” I can hear the smile in his voice.
The engine rumbles as we pull back onto the road. I feel Reed’s hands settle over mine, guiding them while his knees lock against the frame of the bike. He leans into the turns, and I feel the subtle shifts in his weight as he takes control of the steering.
“Holy hell—!”
I feel us whip through a narrow turn, and I sway hard to the side, yelling as the wind slams into me.
“Reed!”
“What?” He laughs. “You’re doing great.”
“You’re steering like we’re being chased by the cops!”
“Would that make it more exciting?”
Another curve comes out of nowhere, and I jolt in my seat.
“God, I hate you!”
His shoulders shake with laughter behind me. “No, you don’t.”
“Don’t get cocky just because I haven’t puked yet!”
“Yet,” he echoes, amused. “I’ll take that as a challenge.”
The wind tears against my clothes. It’s sharp and cold and exhilarating. I can’t see anything. I have no idea what’s coming next. But I feel everything. The vibrations beneath me. The weight of Reed pressed close. The tight grip of his hands over mine. His breath shifts against my neck.
Then he leans in, closer than before, until his mouth almost touches my skin.
“Stop thinking,” he murmurs. “Let go. Surrender to the moment. Just… feel.”
Something about the way he says it is strangely reassuring. Slowly, I begin to relax my muscles. I stop flinching every time the wind hits harder. I let myself fall into the ride, eyes covered, heart racing. It’s insane. It’s like jumping off a cliff and loving it. It’s like ripping off the harness in the middle of a rollercoaster and daring gravity to take you. It’s thrilling and terrifying all the same.
And somehow liberating.
I know Reed’s the one keeping us from falling apart. He’s the one holding the line, steering through the chaos. My cocky bastard of a stepbrother is the only reason I haven’t flown off this death machine. And there’s that quiet, stubborn faith in me that believes if I do fall, he’ll be there to catch me.
“Get ready, we’re approaching a cliff.” Reed’s voice cuts through the wind.
“A WHAT?” My stomach knots. “Reed, I swear to God—”
Before I can finish, he jerks the bike into a tight turn. I hear the tires skimming the edge of the rocky road. Gravel kicks out beneath us. I yelp and clutch the throttle harder, but his voice stays maddeningly steady.
“Easy. We’re circling a clearing,” he says like we’re out for a Sunday stroll and not about to plunge to our deaths.
The curve evens out, and I feel the road widen beneath us. The sound of the wind shifts — less of it whipping past us now, like we’ve moved into an open space. The engine hums ominously and I catch the faint scent of earth and sun-warmed stone, something wild and dry brushing against my legs like low shrub.
Reed slows the bike just enough to keep it gliding, then leans in behind me. His chest presses to my back.
“Let go,” he says into my ear.
“What?”
“Let go of the handles. Just hold on to me.”
I hesitate.
“Trust me,” he says, and there’s something quieter in his voice this time. He sounds less smug and more comforting.
I slowly release the throttle and twist around to slide my hands around his waist. The moment I do, the bike surges forward again. I feel him shift, taking full control as we weave through the clearing.
“OH MY GOD!” My screams are muffled by his leather jacket.
The wind rushes past. The blindfold blocks out everything, but it doesn’t matter. I can feel the curve of the road, the dip of the slope, the way Reed leans to guide us. It chokes the air out of me but my heart pumps vigorously—not because of fear but because of a new brand of thrill.
After a few more minutes, the bike begins to slow and the hum of the engine dies down until it settles into a soft idle. I feel Reed planting his boots on the ground to steady us. He reaches up and unties the blindfold from my face.
Darkness greets me again but this time, it’s just the night, not the fabric. I blink a few times, adjusting. Reed’s already staring at me with that insufferable smirk plastered on his face.
“Was it everything you dreamed of and more?” he asks smugly.
I don’t answer. Instead, I rip off the helmet and shove it into his chest. His laugh is loud, like he finds my reaction amusing.
“You and your crazy hobbies…” I mutter under my breath.
“That you also apparently enjoy,” he retorts, smirking.
Reed holds my helmet while I run my fingers through my hair, trying to fix the mess the wind made of it. Once I’m done, he gently places the helmet back on me. His hands are surprisingly careful.
“Fun time’s over, princess,” he says. “Let’s head back.”
Before I can react, his arm snakes around my waist. I let out a small yelp as he tugs me back onto the bike, pulling me into the passenger seat. His body smoothly surges forward, and just like that, he’s in control again.
The engine roars back to life. I wrap my arms around his torso and rest my cheek lightly against his back, letting the hum of the bike and the night air settle into my skin. It’s quieter this time. Just the two of us heading back to the estate, the wind brushing past as the stars trail above.
By the time we reach the driveway my limbs are loose. My head is foggy in the best way.
He parks in the outdoor garage, cuts the engine, and helps me off.
“Well,” he says, unstrapping my helmet. “Hope that was enough to get you all nice and sleepy.”
“Oh, I’ll sleep like a baby tonight.” I smirk.
Reed smiles at that, not a smug one this time, but a real one. Almost fond.
He doesn’t say anything else. Just watches as I walk back toward the house, his eyes on me the whole way.