11

Lana’s POV

Paul smirked. “Come on… Let’s go.”

I blinked, snapping out of the state he had put me in before taking a step back when he rose to his feet. He straddled his bike and scooted forward, creating space for me in the back. I licked my lips and adjusted the helmet before slowly climbing and straddling the bike.

My heart skipped a beat at the height I was sitting on. I was scared and confused on where to hold him. Could I hold him on his shoulders or… wrap my arms around his waist.

“Wrap your arms around me, Lana.”

I bit the inside of my cheek and hesitated before doing as he had said. Slowly, my hands brushed the hard planes of his flat stomach, feeling the abs before I wrapped my arms around his waist. I took a deep breath and leaned against his broad back. I could feel his warmth through his thin cotton shirt and mine.

I jumped a little when he touched my knee. I swallowed and rested my head against his back.

“Are you okay?” He asked and I nodded. “Use your words, Lana.”

“Yes. I’m okay,” I replied and he hummed then started the bike.

My body came alive at how loud it sounded. I tightened my hold around his waist and shut my eyes, ready for the adrenaline.

“Where are you two going?”

I opened my eyes at the sound of the voice— Drake!

I hesitated for a few seconds before turning my head in his direction. He was standing, dressed up as if he was heading out and on his face was some type of discomfort.

“What is your business with us?” Paul asked and sat up straight.

I made a move to remove my arms when I noticed the way Drake’s eyes drifted to it but Paul held my wrists in his hand, stopping me. I swallowed and held my breath when Drake made eye contact with me. I held it, not wanting to make myself vulnerable before him and I could have sworn that I saw his eyes soften before they darkened.

“I need to talk to you, Lana,” his tone was stern with no signs of remorse.

“Not happening,” Paul said and revved the bike. “Sorry, bro but I am taking her out.”

I tightened my arms around his waist when he took the bike off its stand. I looked at Drake one last time before Paul sped off, taking us away from him.

“Hold me tighter, love,” he said to my hearing.

I shut my eyes tight and tightened my grip around his waist as the harsh breeze flowed through my body, ruffling my shirt. As he increased his speed, my heart beat raced with joy and energy. It felt as if I was high in the air, levitating… flying. It made me start to smile and lean more into his back.

My worries began to drift away with the wind, making me feel happiness take over my body.

+++

Paul stopped the bike, making me open my eyes and raise my head a bit. I looked around us and saw we were at a food place, which made me remember I was hungry. I blinked when he patted my hands that were tight against his stomach. I felt embarrassed and untangled my arms then pushed my body away for him to get off. He took off his helmet and faced me with a smile.

“You must be hungry,” he said and offered his hand to me.

I held his hand and got down from the bike. The moment my feet touched the ground, my legs gave out and my head felt light. Just as I thought I was going to hit the ground like a sack of potatoes, strong arms held me up, pressing me against an equally strong front with a warm surface.

“Be a strong girl for me now,” he said and chuckled, making me feel the rumble of his chest on mine.

At that, I got alert and took a step back. I cleared my throat and looked to the side and saw that we were at a burger place.

“Stay here and I’ll go get us something to eat,” he said and ruffled my hair then walked off.

I looked at him as he walked on then looked away when my phone vibrated in my pocket. I took it out and saw it was a social media post notification from Drake. Curiously, I unlocked my device and tapped on the notification. My heart sank when I saw what the post was about.

A picture of him and Nina. She was in his arms, looking like the perfect picture couple. My heart shattered into more pieces the more. Why were they acting so lovey-dovey on social media? Were they dating? Drake had over three million followers on the app and had a decent engagement. Fuck, the post had over five hundred thousand likes. What was the reason for the post?

My eyes started to blur up and my heart rate increased the more I eyed every particle of the picture. Their smiles, his hands on her body, the way she fit in his arms— Everything.

“I’m back!”

I hid my phone and looked away from his direction. I heard him stop beside me and from my peripheral, a paper bag of food was put in front of me.

“Here, I got you your favorite burger and shake.”

I nodded my head and made a move to take it from his hand but he moved his hand away and tilted his head. I quickly wiped my eyes and crossed my arms.

“Lana.”

I tensed up when he grabbed my arm and turned my body so I could face him. Hesitantly, I raised my eyes to meet his and in them, were worry. He took a step forward and held my shoulders.

“What happened?”

To not feel too emotional, I unlocked my phone and showed him the screen. I watched him look at it for some seconds before he took it from me and put it in his pocket then handed me the food bag.

“I want you to be honest with me, Lana.”

My heart dropped at the tenseness of his voice and seriousness on his face. I gulped and nodded my head to give him an answer.

“You are in love with my brother, right?”

Everything became frozen.