I slipped on a pair of leggings and a comfy shirt.
“I love you too, Mom. Let’s get out of here,” I said.
She led me out to the truck, and the two of us set upon the road. We didn’t travel extremely far, and we continued to chat like we had when I was still living at home. She grilled me on my situation with Mark and discussed what a creep he was. I assured her that his chance was over and I had no interested in returning. I was glad my mom always had my back when it came to matters of the heart.
Once we arrived at the small bridal shop in town our conversation changed, partially because a lot of the details of the wedding were still a secret to me and partially because Duke and Axel had arrived as well.
“Hello,” I said, looking at Axel. I felt myself blush slightly.
He shot me an awkward smile as he pulled himself off his motorcycle. His bike was matte black; it looked old, but incredibly well maintained for its age.
“That’s a nice chopper,” I noted.
“It’s my favorite,” he replied.
“I’ve never ridden on one before. Is it dangerous?”
“Only if your driver is an idiot,” he replied.
I looked at him with the intention of asking the obvious question.
“I’m not an idiot,” he said plainly.
My mother ended the conversation by tugging me inside the store. I rolled my eyes and followed her in.
After twenty minutes of shopping around the store and trying on a couple of dresses, she settled on one that looked fine enough. I wasn’t incredibly impressed, but I knew I only had to wear it once. Granted, this would be the third time I’d have to wear a dress to one of her weddings.
I caught up with Axel as we were leaving the store. He was already throwing a leg over his bike.
“So, when are you going to take me for a ride?” I asked playfully.
He plucked a helmet from the back of the bike and offered it to me. I turned to my mom, waiting for a sign of approval. She just shrugged, letting me decide for myself. New experiences were always hard to turn down.
I grabbed the helmet and stuffed my hair inside. My mind was full of giddy anticipation. At the same time, being a nurse, I knew all the injuries that could come about. I wrapped my arms in a death grip around Axel as he pulled us away from the store.
I was scared to death as the wind rushed through my jacket, the cold biting my skin. Axel wasn’t wearing a coat and didn’t even seem to be shivering.
I lifted my head from Axel’s back and looked around. The landscape was open. Barely a single house could be seen. It was just rolling hills crashing into each other, with spotted fields of seasonal crops jutting from neatly trimmed rows.
I looked to the sky and saw the clouds making fun shapes, reminding me of the days I’d lain in the tall grass with my mother and given them all names as they’d passed by.
I inhaled what I would quickly consider my first free breath of air. There were no patients needing to be watched, nor doctors ordering me about; there was only the road and the wind, and the roar of the engine.
My apartment seemed like a refuge in my memory, something I entered to escape the outside world. But now I saw it as a prison cell that I tucked myself into to lock myself away from the rest of the world.
Time passed. I didn’t know how much of it, but I could see the sun beginning to make its way toward the distant horizon. Axel pulled us off the road and into a strip mall parking lot. I wondered where we were heading, but it became clear when I saw the shop.
He stopped the bike just outside the door and unlocked the shutter, letting us both inside before locking it again.
“This is where I work,” he said.
5.
“So why did you bring me here?” I asked.
He reached over and pulled a length of cloth off another motorcycle sitting nearby. The motorcycle was a sight to behold, its chrome and glossy new paint gleaming in the light.
“I’m building it as a wedding present for my dad,” he said.
I reached out and ran a hand along the length of it.
“This is a gorgeous bike; I’m sure he’ll love it,” I said.
He smiled. It was the first time I’d really seen him smile. The tense look I’d seen him wear the previous night seemed to disappear.
“Okay, there’s nobody else here. Are you able to talk now?” I asked.
He let out a sigh.
“I’ll take that as a no,” I said.
“I just don’t have much to say,” he said.
“You don’t have to say a lot. I just want to know why I feel like you’re giving me the cold shoulder,” I said.
“I didn’t think I was being cold,” he replied.
“Well, you were.”
“I have my reasons,” he said.
“So you admit that you were being cold,” I said, slipping him up.
“I have to be,” he said.
“And why is that?” I wondered.
“I can’t tell you,” he replied.
“I won’t stop pushing until you do. It’s what siblings are for,” I said.
He leaned against a nearby work bench and crossed his arms.