Chapter 112\u00a0<\/p>\n
32%\u00a0<\/p>\n
The training isited for two andid Hymers, and I\u2019d refused to stop until Id gotten the hang of several basic maneuvers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My body was wore in places I\u2019d never felt before, my hands were cramped from gpping the handlebars so tightly, and there was a thin layer of sweat under\u00a0<\/p>\n
ry badet, but I had never felt more alive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Derek had been genuinely surprised at how quickly I picked things up. By the end of our session, I could start Claire smoothly, navigate simple turns\u00a0<\/p>\n
without wobbling, and even come to controlled stops without stalling the engine\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re a natural, he kept saying, shaking his head in amazement. Most people like weeks to get comfortable with the basics, and\u00a0<\/p>\n
like you\u2019ve been riding for months.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The praise sent warmth flooding through my chest, but it also made me hungry for more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I\u2019m ready to start racing, I announced as I pulled off my helmet, my hair sticking up in every direction.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Derek burst out laughing, a sound so genuine and surprised that it echoed across the empty practice area. \u201cRacing? Athena, you can\u2019t race until you\u2019ve practiced for months. Maybe even a year.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMonths?\u201d The word came out like a protest. The idea of waiting that long when I could feel how right this was, how natural it felt to be on two wheels,\u00a0<\/p>\n
seemed impossible.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t wait months. Not when I\u2019d finally found something that made me feel this free, this powerful, this completely myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think I can wait that long,\u201d I said honestly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Derek studied my face, probably seeing the determination there, and after a moment his expression shifted from amused to thoughtful.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay, how about this,\u201d he said finally. \u201cWhen you\u2019re absolutely certain you\u2019re ready, when you\u2019ve put in enough practice time that I\u2019m confident you won\u2019t get yourself killed, I\u2019ll bring some people to test with you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of people?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe beginners. We call them the babies,\u201d he said with a grin. \u201cNew riders, people just starting out in competitive racing. You\u2019d start from the very bottom\u00a0<\/p>\n
and work your way up.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t mind starting at the bottom. Hell, I\u2019d crawl if it meant I got a chance to race eventually.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018Deal,\u201d I said without hesitation, extending my hand for him to shake.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018Deal,\u201d he agreed, his handshake firm and warm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When it came time to leave, I realized I couldn\u2019t take Claire home with me. The thought of Orion or Tristan seeing her before I was re anxiety shooting through my stomach.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t prepared for those conversations yet, wasn\u2019t ready to defend my choices or listen to lectures about safety and responsibility.\u00a0<\/p>\n
lain sent\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCould you keep her here for me?\u201d I asked Derek, running my hand along Claire\u2019s seat one more time. \u201cJust until I figure out how to handle things at home?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course. She\u2019ll be safe in the garage with the other bikes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
|||\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
2032 Thu, Jan 8 RDV\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 112\u00a0<\/p>\n
32%\u00a0<\/p>\n
The ride home in Derek\u2019s car was comfortable in a way that surprised me. He did\u2019t push for conversation, seemed content to let me process the evening in my own time, But when we got to my apartment building, he insisted on walking me to my door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s late, he said when I tried to protest. \u201cI want to make sure you get inside safely.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t argue with that logic, especially not after everything he\u2019d done for me day. The least I could do was let him be a gentleman.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Standing in front of my apartment door, fumbling with my keys, I felt awkward about how to end the evening. Derek had given me something incredible today, something that felt like the beginning of a whole new version of myself, and a simple thank you didn\u2019t seem adequate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Memories Drifted Into Soft Silence by Kyx Frost 112 Chapter 112\u00a0 32%\u00a0 The training isited for two andid Hymers, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-second-gear-of-love-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26269"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26269\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}