The Ties That Bind Us: (The Ties Duet Part One) Danda K. (dark academia books to read TXT) 📖

I check the time, six-fifteen. I have ten minutes to finish up here if I want to make it to the beach on time. I remove my braids and give a quick shake to the hair by my scalp to soften the waves.

As good as it will get, I wrap a red flannel around my waist and tie my boots. Cleaning my glasses and adjusting them on my face, I take a deep breath and head out to meet the first man who’s succeeded in making me care about how I look.

I arrive at the beach about ten minutes early, so I sit on the bench.

I figure it’ll be a nice ice breaker when he shows up. Ahead of me, the sun is slowly descending into the horizon, and I see a few people packing up their chairs and towels to head back to wherever they came from.

It’s mostly quiet now, any excitement probably closer to the other end of the boardwalk where the rides are. A motorcycle roars in the near distance, and the sound of it vibrates in my ears, relaxing me somehow. When the noise is gone, I continue to bask in the scene before me. A cool breeze blows my hair in front of my face, so I grab a handful of it and hold it until the wind passes.

The setting sun is a beautiful orange tonight, and the waves from the ocean are choppy and brush the shoreline in frequent strokes. I feel a dip in my chest and a quick but powerful thump of my heart. And I just know if I turn around, he’ll be there.

“It’s quite the view, huh?” I hear Jaxon’s voice behind me.

I smile, getting a little too used to my body’s knee-jerk reaction to him. I turn around and look up to find him standing there with his hands in his pockets.

I wonder if his hands are as sweaty as mine.

He has his infamous grey beanie on his head paired with a black, short-sleeved Henley and light washed slim-fit jeans. The shirt isn’t overly tight, but it’s snug enough to get a peek at the cuts on his torso and showcase the veins in his long arms. His black Timberlands are intact, and he’s sporting a perfect five o’clock shadow across his handsome face.

“Yeah, I’m definitely starting to understand your fascination with it.” I stand up and turn towards him, fixing my hair and hoping I look somewhat decent.

He stares at me for a bit, unreadable, as he looks me up and down.

Tilting his head towards where he came from, he asks, “You ready to go?”

I look at him, puzzled. “I thought we were staying on the beach?” I point behind me with my thumb. Panicking, I start to look around, trying to muster up some confidence. I didn’t mentally prepare myself to leave the beach with him.

“Oh no, I have something else in mind.” He gives a mischievous grin. “You’re gonna have to really trust me.” His emphasis on the word has me crawling out of my skin.

“What are you up to?” I ask him almost desperately.

“No good, obviously.” He grins, his dimples on full display. He’s playing dirty, damn it.

“C’mon, I wouldn’t make you do anything you can’t handle.” He waves his hand forward, signaling me to follow his lead.

We walk next to each other, in a quiet, but not uncomfortable silence.

Going down the ramp onto the street, I try hard to figure out what he could have planned for us. Focusing on the sound of my boots hitting the ground, I power through my nerves and continue to walk towards our destination, wherever that may be. Coming to my senses, I look next to me and realize he’s no longer there. I quickly look left and right, searching in confusion, when I hear a whistle right behind me and turn towards it.

OH. HELL. NO.

“What the hell is that?!” I practically squeal, pointing to the motorcycle he’s leaning on.

Oh, no, no, no-no. I turn as quickly as possible to make a mad dash, but just as I do, his strong hands grip my shoulders from behind, turning me around, and steering me towards what I assume is his death trap.

“I am NOT getting on that thing!” I refuse, hoping it isn’t his motorcycle that he wants me to get on.

“Listen, I’m a highly experienced rider. I have all the licenses one can get. You’ll be safe. I would never put you at any risk, as long as I could help it. You said it yourself, you’re in the process of trying new things.” He walks over to the bike, giving me the space to weigh my options.

I’m about to turn around and cut my losses when I remember how he makes me feel. What he’s managed to do to me, and the effort he continues to put in. I owe it to him to throw him a damn bone, even though every bone in my body is shaking from fear.

“Dying is not on my wish list, you know,” I tell him seriously.

Jaxon grabs two helmets- one older black one and a bright, shiny red one that seems to be much more protective and durable.

He hands me the safer option.

“I do know.” There’s a pregnant pause before he continues, “But I also want to make sure that you actually live.”

With that, he hangs the black helmet off the handle and removes his beanie, which has caused his shaggy hair to flatten to one side. He shakes his head, releasing the stiff strands and running a hand through to comb them out. Then, he removes my glasses and places them in my Jansport, along with his hat. Securing them in a compartment in the back, Jaxon lifts one leg over his bike and sits down. He reaches a hand out to help me climb on.

I place my shaky hand in his and carefully straddle the bike behind him. I shove the helmet on and immediately wrap my arms around him and hold on for dear life.

Before