Silent Screams (Hollow #1)

CHAPTER 23

Two and A Half Years Ago . . .

The feel of a palm smacks my ass, rendering a soft pained moan out of me.

“Wake up, babe.” Harvey kisses my ass cheek.

“... tired ... ” I mumble into the soft pillowcase. I’m naked, save for my underwear, and from what I can remember, Harvey hasn’t left my breasts alone all night.

I stretch and turn to face him, admiring his beautiful smile.

Once we both graduated from college last month, we moved in together for our one-year anniversary. Our apartment is close enough to Gia and James’s family-oriented neighborhood.

“What?”

“Get ready. It’s beautiful out. We’re going for a ride. Hurry.” He throws himself on the bed and then hugs me from behind. “Or I’ll eat your tits out.”

Shortly after, I’m dressed in spandex and a crop top, with my two-piece black leather motorcycle suit. I put on my riding boots, shaking my head as Harvey puts on a stupid vest to ride.

Jeans and a tee. That’s what he wears—that’s what protects him .

I always tell him to gear up, but he refuses to listen because a full leather suit doesn’t go with his type of bike. The thought is ridiculous—it’s borderline dangerous. I love playing with fire myself, but knowing I want to survive said experience keeps me a tad more cautious than Harv.

It’s the perfect July weather to ride in the middle of nowhere—we love trying out new roads. There’s no such thing as getting lost on a bike.

All there is to it is the beaming sun, the brisk wind.

It’s the very definition of freedom and high.

When we take a break, we end up on a picnic table near the entrance of a forest trail. I’m unzipping every zipper I can find on my calves, my forearms, and the one at the front of my suit.

“I’m boiling; it’s so hot,” I tell him as I unzip the bottom of the suit and pull it down right under my ass covered by spandex shorts.

He smirks. “You’re hot.” Him and his stupid vest. He’s not sweating at all, damn him.

I sit at the top of the picnic table, and he brings his body to tower over me, his fingers touching the hem of my crop top.

“Do you remember when I told you I’d marry you if you rode too?”

I nod. I know I want to get married someday, and I can see myself spending the rest of my life with Harvey. I just don’t need to rush. At almost twenty-two, I figure I have years ahead of me before I make that decision.

“One day I’ll marry you, Gemma.”

I smile. “I know.”

His chuckle vibrates against my neck as he sits down next to me and plants a kiss on my collarbone. “You know?” He asks with a curious edge.

“Yeah...” I look ahead then back at the blue-eyed boy next to me. “We’re good together, Harv. I love spending time with you. And one day. .. I’ll marry you. ”

There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.

“I’ll do right by you, Gem. I’ll always do right by you.” He strokes his thumb on my cheek, and I don’t know why but his words spark a touch of emotion deep in my throat.

I’m a goner as soon as he cups my face and I feel the tingling sensation of his lips against mine. There’s nothing quick or rapid or impatient about his kiss today. No, today he takes his time and lingers and eats me up real slow.

Our foreheads are touching when we break the kiss.

The next thing I know, his boots hit the ground and he’s standing in front of me, pulling my ass to the edge of the picnic table.

“Look around,” he tells me. I do as he says, my body heating up when he pulls my bottom lip with his thumb.

“What?”

Beads of sweat slide down my neck. Nobody knows how hot a warm day is until you wear a leather motorcycle suit during one.

“There’s no one.” He cocks his head to one side, urging me to catch his meaning.

He places his legs between the bench of the picnic table and the top part of it, bringing my body closer to his.

“I don’t know, Harvey... I might turn to ash.” He takes the ice-cold water bottle from my bag and presses it against my neck.

“Chin up,” he orders, and I listen, drinking the miracle water he pours down my throat, then my neck. It wets my top, showcasing my bra, goosebumps leveling up all over my body.

The water then trickles down my navel to my spandex shorts.

He lifts my shirt, freeing my breasts from each cup, giving himself something to suck. Then his hands travel under my shorts, holding my sex, staring at me like the burning fire that will turn me to ashes .

“Don’t worry—this will be the quickest quickie in the history of quickies.”

We end up spending the entire day riding, taking many breaks to move our legs around. Riding for hours feels like you haven’t moved your muscles for weeks. My back posture is worse on my sports bike since I lean forward at times.

On the evening ride back home, the scorching sun rapidly transforms into dark cloudy skies soon replaced by a downpour.

“Harv... I can’t see anything...” I tell him through the connected Bluetooth speakers attached to our helmets.

“We’re almost home, babe. It’s just a little rain.”

It’s not a little rain —at all.

I’m trying to keep up with him, but I don’t want to skid off the road, especially with the steep curves greeting me.

He’s far away, and with the darkness surrounding me and the pouring rain, I can barely make out the slight dim glow of his taillight.

I don’t like this . . . at all.

Anxiety cripples me, fiercer than a lightning bolt. The nerves are multiplying inside of me from losing sight of him.

“We really should stop . . .”

I hear his chuckle through the speaker. “Or... we could hurry the hell up so I can get you home and naked.”

Relief washes through my veins at the sound of his laughter.

“GEMMA! Watch—” The fear and vulnerability are too palpable in his words before the sound of squealing tires overshadows his own voice.

“HARVEY!” I yell, my pulse racing faster than I’ve ever ridden.

What happened? What happened?

The pit of my stomach feels like it’s burning in hell .

It’s as if I died—as if I’m dying. My heart drops, and nausea swarms all through my gut. The sound of his voice holds on to every corner of my brain—ensuring I’ll never forget it.

I see some lights, but the showers are masking my ability to see clearly.

The rain hits my waterproof suit in full force, the wind propelling it against my bare neck, soaking my gloves.

It’s all my brain registers in this moment, the smell of pine trees—and this earth-shattering rain.

I’m going fast—so stupidly fast—because I need to reach him. I need to reach Harv and help him and see why he screamed my name.

“Harv—Harvey,” I repeat through the Bluetooth. “Answer me!”

I’m not thinking straight—and I lose control of the bike. That piece of metal that I thought I could maneuver, forever steer in my way—it betrays me because one second I’m on the road and the next, it feels as if I’m flying off a cliff, going down, down, down. ..

Except this time, I don’t get a high from it. I don’t feel a thrill from it—nothing but dread embodies every fiber of my being.

“Harvey!”

Quickly. Suddenly. Abruptly.

Death is coming, welcoming me, telling me I might enjoy the next life. Telling me to let go, to lose my fears, to push away this fretfulness.

Mom. Help me, Mom.

Rain and pine trees. Rain and burned tires. Rain and pain.

The pain—it overtakes every other thought—it sears through me like a metal blade before I lose consciousness and finally give in to darkness.