The engine roared between Iris's thighs as she leaned into the curve, the world blurring at the edges. Out here, on these empty backroads beyond the city limits, she could almost pretend there was no illness, no countdown, just the wind and the speed and Luke's bike keeping pace beside hers.
"Last one to the overlook buys dinner!" she shouted over the engines' growl.
Luke's answering grin was wild and free, his dark hair whipping in the wind. "You're on, Evans!"
They took off like twin bullets, the asphalt humming beneath them. Iris reveled in the way the bike responded to her slightest movement, an extension of her body. The late afternoon sun painted everything in gold, glinting off Luke's chrome handlebars ahead of her.
She pushed harder, leaning so low her knee nearly brushed the pavement. The rush of adrenaline drowned out the ever-present ache in her bones, the fatigue that had been creeping up on her more frequently these days. Out here, she wasn't dying. She was alive.
Luke glanced back at her, his expression shifting when he saw how close she'd gotten. For a heart-stopping moment, their eyes locked - his wide with something like awe - before he refocused on the road.
The overlook came into view, a scenic pull-off perched above the Han River. Iris skidded to a stop just half a bike length behind Luke, both of them breathing hard.
"Cheater," she gasped, pulling off her helmet. Her curls tumbled free, damp with sweat.
Luke was already off his bike, striding toward her. "You almost had me," he admitted, his voice rough. He reached out, tucking a wild strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered, tracing the curve of her cheek. "You're incredible."
The look in his eyes stole her breath. The golden hour light caught the flecks of amber in his dark eyes, the stubble along his jaw. His thumb brushed her bottom lip, and for a wild moment, Iris thought he might kiss her.
Then his phone buzzed loudly from his pocket, shattering the moment. Luke cursed under his breath, stepping back to check it. "It's the guys. We've got that meeting about the tour."
Iris swallowed her disappointment, forcing a smile. "Better not keep them waiting."
Luke hesitated, his gaze searching hers. "Come with me."
"What?"
"To the meeting. Then after... we could grab that dinner I owe you." His voice dropped, taking on that playful tone that always made her stomach flip. "Unless you're scared."
Iris rolled her eyes, but her heart wasn't in it. The truth was, she wanted nothing more than to spend every possible moment with him. Even if it was just sitting through boring band meetings. "You're buying me the most expensive steak in Seoul."
Luke's grin could have powered the sun. "Deal."
As they rode back toward the city, Iris tried to ignore the way her hands shook slightly on the handlebars, or how her vision blurred at the edges if she turned her head too quickly. She focused instead on the solid line of Luke's back ahead of her, the way he kept glancing back to make sure she was still there.
She wouldn't tell him about the new symptoms. Not yet. Not when he looked at her like that - like she was his entire world. She'd steal a few more days of that look before the truth came crashing down.