Click away, Obsessive girl.

Chapter 3

The first thing Skye noticed when she arrived at the hill climb was the noise. The entire mountain road felt alive.

Engines roared through the night air, headlights cut through the darkness, and hundreds of people gathered along the barriers waiting for one person.

Kai Sturm.

Skye stood near the entrance, holding her camera tightly against her chest as she looked around. Honestly, she had expected a small underground race.

She had not expected this.

There were people wearing jackets with his name printed on them. Fans held up phones, waiting for a glimpse of him. Riders greeted each other like family, but every conversation eventually returned to the same topic.

Kai.

"The legendary Sturm is finally racing again."

"I heard he hasn't lost this route in three years."

"He doesn't just race. He destroys everyone."

Skye listened quietly, and it was strange to her. Yesterday, he had just been the angry man who almost hit her with a motorcycle.

Today, she was realizing that he was someone completely different. Someone people admired, and he was also someone with an entire world built around him.

"Looking for someone?" A voice behind her made her turn.

A man with dark hair and an amused expression stood there, Skye immediately recognized him from Kai's profile.

Axel. it was the man who had messaged her.

"I need to find Kai Sturm," she admitted.

Axel looked at the camera around her neck, then at her as a slow smile appeared. "So you really are the photographer." Skye frowned, but Axel continued anyway, "You're already famous around here."

"I am?" she looked behind her to be really sure he was talking about the right person.

Axel laughed. "No. The girl that was brave enough to ask Kai Sturm to model for her."

Skye felt embarrassed. "That sounds embarrassing when you say it."

"It sounds exactly like something Kai would attract." She looked confused as Axel shook his head.

"Come on. I'll show you where you can get the best view." He led her through the crowd, ignoring the curious looks she received.

The closer they got to the starting point, the more intense the atmosphere became.

The crowd suddenly erupted, making Skye look up. And there he was.

Kai.

The helmet hid most of his face again, but she recognized him immediately. The black motorcycle beneath him looked almost like an extension of his body. He didn't move like someone trying to impress people.

That was the strange part.

Everyone was watching him and wanted his attention, but he acted like none of it mattered. The countdown began.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

The engines exploded, then Kai launched forward. Skye lifted her camera instantly. The motorcycle moved along the mountain road smoothly.

Click. Click, Skye snapped away…

She barely breathed, ‘This is it.’ she thought, ‘I am so acing photography and graduating.’

When he crossed the finish line first, the entire hill erupted as people screamed his name. Kai removed his helmet and looked toward the crowd.

For a brief second, Skye caught his expression and God, it was the perfect photography.

Her finger moved before she could stop herself.

Click.

***

The next morning, Skye was waiting and she wasn't proud of it. Actually, if Lena knew what she was doing, she would probably call her insane.

But she needed these photos.

Actually, her whole calendar team needed those photos. So she waited outside the café Axel had mentioned patiently, with her camera ready.

When Kai finally appeared, Skye immediately lifted her camera.

Click.

The photo captured only his back, so it wasn’t perfect. But, still interesting. He walked into the café, she took another one, still not perfect.

"These are terrible." Skye almost jumped as Lena's voice came from behind her.

"I know." Skye pouted.

"You are literally hiding behind a tree." Lena narrowed her eyes. Skye ignored her and adjusted her camera again. “Whatever, I'm off.” Lena’s voice drifted farther away.

Then a voice behind her made her freeze. "Skye?" Her entire body went cold as she recognized that voice anywhere.

Slowly, she turned and Jonas stood there. For a second, she almost didn't recognize him, but it's not because he looked different, but because now she noticed everything else.

The control. The anger. The entitlement.

"What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.

His expression immediately hardened. "You've been avoiding me."

"I've been busy."

"Busy?" He stepped closer. "After we discussed waiting for a bit more, you just disappeared?"

Skye laughed once, bitterly, "You mean after I found out you had another girlfriend?"

His jaw tightened. "Don't do this."

"Don't do what?" She stared at him with her hands placed on her torso.

"Act like you know everything." He scoffed, but looked around, lacking confidence.

"You lied to me." She gritted out.

"I was going to explain."

"When?" His silence answered. 

Skye looked away. "Just leave me alone."

That was when his expression changed. "You don't mean that."

Her eyebrows pulled together. "Yes. I do."

Jonas grabbed her arm, hard enough to remind her that he could. "You don't get to throw away everything we had because of one misunderstanding."

Skye tried pulling away. "Let go."

"Skye."

"Let. Go." She punctuated each syllable.

The argument caught attention from people nearby.

Then another voice interrupted. "Problem?” Both of them froze.

Kai stood a few meters away. He had been talking with someone outside the café, but his attention was now completely on them, his expression was dark. Kai paused as he looked at Skye, then at Jonas, and somehow, his brain created its own conclusion.

‘He must be jealous’ Kai thought, and looking more closely at them, he thought again, ‘Oh God, does she like me? She is like the other fan girls.’ A strange satisfaction appeared somewhere in Kai’s chest.

Kai stepped forward. "Let go." His eyes flicked briefly to the camera still hanging from her shoulder.

Jonas laughed. "And who are you supposed to be?" Kai frowned but didn’t answer. Jonas fumed and looked Kai up and down, "The new guy?"

Kai frowned, not dignifying Jonas’ words with a response, he stepped forward. "Let. Go." Jonas laughed, but Kai's expression didn't change. "I’m telling you to let go."

Jonas looked him up and down. "You are a biker?"

Kai tilted his head. "And you're a football player?" The sarcasm was obvious and the tension between them sharpened.

Jonas finally released Skye's arm, but his eyes remained cold. "This isn't over." Then he walked away.

Skye watched him leave, only then did she realize her hand was still holding the camera, and shaking.

Kai noticed.

His expression softened slightly… only slightly as he stepped closer then reached out. But, before she could react, he lowered the camera and covered the lens with the cap.

Skye looked up at him. "What are you doing?"

His blue eyes met hers. "Final warning." His voice was calm, but serious. "Stop following me." he looked at her all over and said, “You weird obsessive girl.”

And then Kai Sturm walked away, leaving Skye staring after him with her camera in hands and a surprised expression on her face.

“Obsessive girl? Me?” She muttered, looking at the pictures she had of him, “He’s not even that handsome.” She scoffed.