Derick, His Bike

Cyrus First Person Point Of View

I stared at my phone for a few seconds after Arzhel hung up, trying to process what he said.

“Derick's coming to pick you up.”

The words kept echoing in my head, and I didn’t know how to feel.

Part of me was relieved, but another part was anxious.

Derick… I barely knew him, and now he was coming to get me?

My phone had been taken away, but I sneaked it back when my parents left the house for a bit.

I knew I was grounded—my dad made that clear—but I couldn’t stay locked up in my room any longer.

Everything felt suffocating.

I needed to see Arzhel, talk to him face to face, and get everything off my chest.

I tried to calm myself down, pacing around the room while glancing out the window every so often.

My heartbeat felt like it was racing, and my thoughts kept running wild.

The way my dad had cornered me yesterday, demanding to know who dropped me off… it made me feel smaller than I already did. I just couldn’t stay here.

Now that same person was coming back to pick me up.

Oh no.

I picked out some swimming shorts and threw on some comfortable clothes over them.

I figured it would be easier to move around if things got hectic.

I didn’t know what was going to happen next, but waiting for Derick to show up left me with nothing but the sound of my own thoughts.

And right now, those thoughts were all over the place.

I sat on the edge of my bed, my foot tapping against the floor as I waited. It felt like the minutes were dragging on longer than usual.

I was halfway drifting into sleep when the low, rumbling sound of a motor pierced through my drowsiness.

At first, it felt like part of my dream, but as the sound got louder, I jolted awake, my eyes snapping open.

Derick.

The engine noise was unmistakable, and it grew closer, followed by the loud revving of a bike just outside.

My heart jumped into my throat.

He was here.

And now he was making all that noise.

I shot up from the bed, nearly tripping over my own feet as I scrambled to get downstairs.

My parents could be back any second, and the last thing I needed was for them to see Derick’s bike.

The loud revs from the bike continued, and panic surged through me as I pushed through the front door.

“Stop! Stop!” I yelled, rushing down the steps toward Derick, waving my hands frantically.

He smirked and finally let off the gas, the bike settling into a softer rumble as I approached.

My breathing was uneven, and I could feel my heart racing in my chest.

Derick's eyes met mine, and for a second, the world seemed to slow down.

The smirk softened, and there was something in his gaze—something deeper than the cocky attitude he usually had.

He tilted his head slightly, as if trying to read me.

"Ch'you needed to know I was here," he said, his voice low, playful yet serious.

I stared back at him, unsure of how to respond.

There was something about his look, something unsettling and comforting at the same time.

It made me feel… seen. Like he actually understood how tense I was.

“You good?” Derick asked, the teasing tone gone now.

He leaned in a bit, closer to me, as if he sensed how shaken I was.

“I mean, really. You alright?”

I swallowed, unsure how to answer.

No, I wasn’t alright. Nothing about this was alright.

But I didn’t want to say that.

Not to him.

I didn’t even know why he was really here or why Arzhel had sent him.

But in that moment, with Derick's eyes locked onto mine, I felt a small wave of comfort despite the chaos inside me.

"I—" I started, but the words got stuck in my throat.

"I'm just... It's a lot," I finally managed to say.

Derick nodded, as if he already knew what I meant. He didn't push me to explain.

"Don’t sweat it," he said, his voice softer now. "I’m not here to make things worse. Just to help you get out for a bit."

His words made my chest tighten, but in a strange way, it felt like I could breathe again.

He wasn’t pressuring me, wasn’t judging me, just… being here.

I glanced down, unsure how to handle his gaze.

"Thanks," I mumbled, my voice barely above a whisper.

Derick didn’t say anything right away.

Instead, he reached out and gently nudged my arm with the back of his hand.

“Come on,” he said, nodding toward the bike.

“Let’s get outta here.”

I hesitated for a moment before walking toward him and looking back up.

The way he looked at me now—there was something in his eyes that made me feel like I wasn’t just running away.

I was heading somewhere that maybe, just maybe, would feel better for a while.

Derick reached behind him, unzipping his jacket with smooth ease.

He slipped it off his broad shoulders and held it out to me, the leather soft and worn from use.

The scent of it, a mix of motor oil and something uniquely his, hit me as I stared at it for a moment, unsure.

"Here," he said, a teasing smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

"Don't want you freezing, do we?"

I swallowed hard, glancing at the jacket before hesitantly reaching out to take it from him.

It felt heavy in my hands, way too big for me, but the gesture… the way he handed it over like it was no big deal made something stir inside me.

"Uh, thanks," I muttered, feeling my face heat up as I pulled it on.

It swallowed me whole, the sleeves hanging past my hands. But it was warm, and the weight felt strangely comforting.

Derick's scent surrounded me, and I felt my cheeks grow even hotter.

He watched me with a satisfied grin as I fumbled with the zipper, clearly enjoying my awkwardness.

"Looks good on you," he said, the cockiness in his tone impossible to miss.

I glanced away, embarrassed, but I couldn't help the small smile tugging at my lips.

Derick chuckled, stepping closer, and my heart skipped a beat as I felt the heat of his body near mine.

He reached out, his fingers brushing against my arm as he gently tugged the sleeve back, revealing my hand.

"Come on, get on," he said, nodding toward the bike.

I hesitated for a second, still feeling out of place, but Derick didn't wait.

He took my hand—his grip warm and firm—and guided me toward the bike.

His touch felt casual, but there was something intimate about the way he did it, like he didn’t need to think twice about helping me.

"Put your foot here," he said, positioning my foot on the peg, his hands steadying me as I awkwardly swung my leg over the bike.

"Easy, there you go."

My pulse quickened as I sat down behind him, the leather seat cold against my thighs.

The bike felt massive beneath me, and suddenly, I wasn’t sure how to hold on or where to put my hands.

Before I could ask, Derick reached back, grabbing one of my wrists and pulling my arms around his waist.

“Hold tight,” he said, glancing over his shoulder with that same cocky grin.

"Don't want you flying off."

I could feel my face burning as I rested my hands against his stomach, feeling the hard lines of his abs under my fingers.

His body was so solid and warm, and I had to force myself to breathe evenly.

I couldn't think straight being so close to him.

"You good?" he asked, turning his head slightly, his voice softer now.

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. My heart was racing, and I was sure he could feel it, but he didn’t mention it.

Instead, he revved the engine again, the deep rumble vibrating through me as the bike came to life.

I tightened my grip around him instinctively, pressing my face against his back as the bike started moving.

The cool night air rushed past us, but all I could focus on was the warmth of Derick's body, the steady beat of his heart I could faintly feel through his shirt.

Everything felt slow, like the world outside didn’t matter for a moment. It was just the two of us, the hum of the motor, and how my body fit against his, like I belonged there.

Derick leaned into a turn, and I held on tighter, my cheek pressed against his back.

"You're doing good," he called out over his shoulder, his voice teasing but kind.

I smiled to myself, feeling a strange sense of safety even while speeding down the road on a motorbike.

With Derick, it felt like everything would be okay, even if I didn’t fully understand why.

And for once, I didn’t feel so scared.