Chapter 2
ADAM
“Adam, can you stop tinkering with your bike? Rachel and Chloe are going to be here any minute.”
I huffed in response to my father as I continued to polish the side of my motorcycle. The purple finish sparkled in the sunshine, making the bike look even more beautiful.
Feeling the heat on my back, I shucked off my shirt, tossing it into one of the nearby bushes, much to my father’s disappointment.
He snatched it and folded it neatly. “Really, Adam, I hope you are not going to act this way when the girls get here.”
“I don’t know what the big deal is.” I grabbed my beer, taking a swig of it.
The frown on my father’s face deepened. “I just want you to make a good impression.”
“If I don’t, is that going to stop you from marrying this woman?”
“No.”
“Then, what does it matter?” I turned my back to him and picked up a ratchet, tightening some nuts and bolts that had been rattling near the undercarriage.
“Honestly… Adam…” he mumbled under his breath before heading back inside.
Once he was gone, I sighed, letting my shoulders sag.
I didn’t resent my father for wanting to marry someone. After all, he had divorced my alcoholic mother twenty years ago, raising me all by himself. When I entered middle school, however, he got a promotion at work, and from that point forward, he was barely at home anymore. He would drop me off at my grandmother’s home and it would be months before I saw him again.
Of course, I never told him how much I missed him. That would be lame.
So, instead, I started hanging out with the wrong crowd and getting into trouble, hoping it would catch his attention, but all it did was send my grandmother into an early grave.
So, I guess it’s my fault that I’m all alone.
It doesn’t matter. It’s not like I care or anything.
I hopped onto the back of my bike, gripping the handlebars and closing my eyes. There was nothing better than a good, long ride to soothe the mind. I pulled up the kickstand, about to turn on the engine when a car pulled into the driveway.
Immediately, my father re-emerged, a bright smile on his face. He rushed up to the woman who stepped out of the car, folding her into his embrace before they shared a quick kiss.
I looked away, cringing at the sight of my father kissing someone. Gross.
Thud.
Another door slammed shut.
A beautiful girl with dark red hair and a sprinkling of freckles across her cheek stood there awkwardly before she spotted me, her bright green eyes glittering like a pair of jades. “Hello! You must be Adam! I’m Chloe!” She walked forward, her hand already outstretched toward me.
“Fuck off,” I said, having no intention of being friendly with my soon-to-be stepsister. If I was a jerk to her, then she would probably leave me alone and things would just be better that way.
“Oh… um…” Her arm fell to her side like a deflated balloon. “Sorry…” She looked down, shuffling toward the front door when she tripped on my toolbox. She flew forward, colliding right into me.
Instinctually, my arms wrapped around her body, holding her close so she wouldn’t fall, but her momentum was so great that I couldn’t steady myself. I fell backward, right off my bike.
My foot caught on the drag pipe, causing the bike to come down with me.
I rolled over, protecting her body with mine as the bike crashed on top of me. I grimaced in pain, the heavy vehicle crushing into my back.
With my hands firmly planted on the ground, I pushed myself up and off the girl. “Get out! Now!” I growled, my arms shaking.
She just looked at me with frightened big eyes, not moving an inch like if she was paralyzed.
“Now!” I focused on my breathing, my abs tight in my effort to keep the bike from hurting her.
“Chloe!” a high-pitched voice cried out.
Looks like the adults finally realized what was going on. Took them long enough.
With their combined efforts, they were able to pull the bike off me and into an upright position.
I rolled off the girl and got to my feet, snatching my bike away from my father. I eased it onto the grass before putting down the kickstand, surveying it for damage. I ground my teeth together in frustration as I noticed a scuff mark on the frame.
“Is he okay?” the woman asked my father in a soft whisper.
“It’s best just to leave him alone. He acts like that bike is his first-born child. I regret ever buying it for him,” my father answered, probably thinking I couldn’t hear him.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t bring him to the hospital or something? He just had a bike fall on top of him.”
“He’ll be fine. We couldn’t force him to go to the hospital, even if we tried.” My father towed his fiancé toward the house.
I ignored them as I vigorously rubbed at the scuff mark with my rag. If I had to repaint this…
Soft footsteps sounded behind me.
I didn’t bother to turn around.
“A-Adam…”
“Go away. Can’t you see that you’ve already caused enough damage?” I snapped, my every word dripping with venom. “And, if you know what’s good for you then you’ll stay far, far away from my bike.”
She crept forward despite my words. She was so close at this point that the wind picked up her scent and carried it over to me. It was subtle, not like the perfume most girls wore that just made me want to gag. Vanilla… with a hint of something else.
Before I could figure out what it was, she took another step forward. “Thank you…”
I whipped around, grabbing her wrist tightly. “I thought I told you to scram.”
Her eyes widened, filling with fear. Good. Maybe, if she was afraid of me she would leave me the hell alone.
“I just…”
“You just nothing. Do you know that this is a Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa? It’s going to cost me a fortune to get all this damage fixed.” I shoved her away, my jaw clenched, my fists tightening. “Get lost before I do something I regret…” I growled.
At my threat, she quickly scampered away, disappearing into the house.
I paced around my bike, running my fingers through my hair in exasperation. Great. Just great. Not only would I have to share my home with some annoying girl, but I’d have to do it with a clumsy one who didn’t seem to understand plain English.
Fantastic…