The next day after school, I go to the field back at the academy to see Tytas. Since the next big game is coming up, he has to focus on training himself and his teammates. He keeps driving me back home and here, so I think it's a bad idea for him to do all that, and I don't mind going home by myself because it's always been this way for a long time. I decide to come down here to tell him because he insists on doing that gesture, and he ignores everything I say, so here I am on the field, full of horses.
Tytas on his black horse is the best view.
He notices me, quickly gets off his horse, and runs to me. The other team members see their captain behave this way, which stuns them and creates a chorus of cheering from behind. And I see Vik on his shiny horse, which is elegant, unlike the rider.
"Hey, I'll go change," Tytas says.
He's about to run back inside, but I hold his hand.
"No, I don't want you to drive me home today," I say.
His expression holds for a second, and he walks toward me. "I can take you home. It's okay."
"You have to practice, Tytas. I don't want you driving around and wasting your time."
"No, I'm not wasting time... I can take you." He insists like a stubborn kid. "It's not even five minutes, Zia," he says, his eyes dazzling, those little green fairies fluttering their wings at me.
"I know... but your team needs you... I don't want to be the girl who makes the team lose," I say with a tease. His facial expression still doesn't ease. "I have to go somewhere as well."
"Where?" he asks.
"The garage, to check on my car," I say, but my answer makes him even more upset. "It's okay, really. You should go back to practice." I glance over his body. He turns his head to look, then quickly looks back at me.
I smile and pull my hand back.
I'm about to leave, walking away from the field. I hear footsteps behind me so fast, and my hand is pulled back.
"Zia..." Tytas calls my name lightly, but his face doesn't look good.
Then he leans forward, pulls me into him, and kisses me. He kisses me harder, and his right hand grips my waist against his body. His top is so tight that I can feel his hard abs.
"Ha..." I gasp for air, then his lips press against mine again, with his left hand holding my face so I can't lean away from him.
"HEYY!! Are you guys making a porn!?" Vik shouts, and people cheer.
Tytas's tongue is still on mine, and his lips are still sucking my lipstick away.
"Are you gonna practice or not, for fuck's sake!" Vik shouts again.
He pulls back a little.
"Ha—I'm sorry," Tytas says softly. "I... I know you said you want to take it slow," he says, ignoring the guys behind him.
I look at him, and his lips have turned slightly pink. I never thought Tytas had this side to him. Then I hold his face and pull him down for another kiss.
I kiss his lips gently as I slip my tongue into his mouth. I never thought I had this side to me, either.
"Ha... umm." He lets out a little sound, holds me tighter, and then I pause. "Fuck..." he says. I smile at him and am ready to leave. "I'll call you," he says.
The open zone for the staff to rest is inside the garage. I sit on the couch after checking my father's car, which is parked magnificently in front of me, drawing my eyes. Kay is doing his thing with another vehicle. I came here not just to check up on the car, but because I wanted to ask him a question that might clear up my doubts if he knew the answer.
I replay exactly what happened to me.
My head absolutely is not playing tricks on me.
That guy with the helmet and his expensive huge motorcycle is real. He keeps appearing wherever I go, making me feel crazy inside, like he knows my weakness, my secret. I hope he won't come back after the first conversation we had. I couldn't call it an actual conversation because I was the only one talking.
"Hey, what are you thinking?" Kay asks and sits on the same couch.
"Life in general," I say.
"Like what? College and stuff?" he says. "Or a boy?" he asks.
I glance at him. Words travel fast in this particular town.
"Hehe, no," I say.
"Okay—if you say so," he says, looking at my father's car. "What's your plan after school? College, I mean... have you thought about that yet?" I smile. "Of course, you have... I would be surprised if you said you haven't," he says with a bit of a chuckle. "Which college?"
"Harvard," I say.
He smiles widely. "What major?"
"Pre-med," I say.
He opens his mouth. He's shocked. "Wow, Zia... you want to be a doctor?" he asks in genuine surprise.
"Why do you sound so surprised?"
"Well... you didn't seem interested in... well, how would I know? Hahaha. I mean... you haven't shown that side... the one that relates to becoming a doctor." He tries to explain. "I thought you would choose to become a lawyer and study pre-law. You're good at stating the facts and very honest," he adds.
"Is that a good thing? ... It sounds... bad." I look at him and give him a slight curl at the corner of my mouth.
"It's a good thing! For sure!" he shouts.
I laugh. "But sometimes it's bad, right? Not all people can handle the truth... I get that," I say and smile at him.
"Yeah, true," he says and laughs. "But without the truth, we will live with the illusion of our own lies... I think it's worse," he says.
"Yeah... Hey, Kay... do you remember when I came here... the day you put in the new custom engine?"
"Ah-ha, yeah,"
"Do you remember that a customer was riding a bike, waiting outside your garage?" I look at him, but he seems confused. "The black bike, wearing black, hot, big body?"
"Ha—hot and big body," he repeats. "Ahem... I think, yeah, I remember... why?"
"Does he come around?" I ask.
He pauses and leans back against the backrest. "No... hey, a few days ago, he came back."
"Is he a regular customer?" I ask.
"No, I haven't seen him before," Kay says.
"How could we have seen him before? He always wears a helmet," the manager says, joining the conversation.
Seriously? Even here?
"Can I ask? What did he come here for? Fixing?"
"No, he came here to buy some tools and stuff for his bike," the manager says.
"Why did you ask?" Kay asks. "Do you know him?"
"No..." I say.
"Don't tell me you're interested in him?" Kay asks.
Interested? Probably.
Because he fucking terrifies me, creeps me the fuck out, and is a complete mystery. If he's a thief, he might be planning and watching me and the house before breaking in. At this point, I think he already knows that I live by myself, but why hasn't he done anything yet? If he's not a thief, there's a chance he's just a stalker.
What does he want from me anyway? Or does he just do it for fun?
"Zia," Kay calls me.
"Yeah... a bit, heh," I say. It's not completely a lie.