An Ace Of Hearts (Book #1) (Completed)

Chapter 10: Escapism? Escapism.

JACE HYDE

I inhaled deeply once as I leaned forward, grabbing onto the handles of my bike. Pulling the brakes with one hand, I accelerated with the other, getting ready to take off. The other bikers were lined up beside me, the sound of the engines roaring music to my ears.

I focused on the road ahead, the dim lights illuminating the concrete. I grinned under my helmet as I glanced at the biker next to me. She winked at me and my grin widened. I guess I was getting laid tonight, too.

It had been a hot minute since I had participated in these bike races but tonight I had decided to come out. It was a way to distract myself from the shitshow my life had become. A woman walked to the front of the lined-up bikers, a flag in her hand. Her heels clicked against the concrete as the engines slowed to a purr.

"Ready." Her eyes twinkled as her red-painted lips stretched into a huge smile. "Set." I saluted the biker next to me as I closed the shield of my helmet, turning to the road. "Race." She leaned back, her hands pointing toward the road ahead.

I released the brake and my bike flew forward, taking me with it. I cut through the wind as I rode, the world fading before my eyes. It was just me and the wind whistling in my ears and the path ahead of me.

I started riding when I was sixteen. One of my cousins, Kyle, had a motorcycle and I would always ask him to take me on rides. He was a jolly fellow and he humored me so he would take me out on long drives. I remembered those rides being the highlight of my early childhood and teenage years.

When I was tall enough to learn to ride one, Kyle let me borrow his motorcycle to practice. I got good at it and the feeling of being the one in control of the vehicle was even more exciting than riding behind someone else.

Now as I focused on the winding roads, the sound of the other bikers behind me, I let myself go back to being that teenager who forgot his demons when he was astride this hell ride. My worries faded before my eyes and I felt much more myself than I had in days. My heart beat steadily in my chest as I felt the beauty roaring underneath me.

I got my first motorcycle when I became a part of Encore Ltd. The guys were the ones who gifted it to me, this sleek beauty I was riding right now. I was attached to it and even though there were more impressive models in the showrooms now, I held onto it. I didn't want to let it go. It held sentimental value to me. Perhaps it was the only thing of sentimental value I had.

A biker cut to the front and I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts. The red streaks on the body of the motorcycle told me it was the woman from earlier, the one who winked at me. I smirked as I accelerated, feeling a tug as I raced after her.

I didn't want to win but she didn't know that. I never came to these races to win them. I came for the adrenaline. I came for the thrill they provided, a chance to kiss death and then laugh in its face as I raced past it.

The biker tilted her head to glance at me briefly before revving up the engine even more. I chuckled, shaking my head. I sped past her, teasing her, baiting her. The rest of the night looked promising to me. I liked how competitive she was.

She tried to cut past me again but I didn't let her. I could see her building frustration, indicated by the way her bike swerved and she tried to take the lead again. The rest of the bikers were behind us, far behind us and I felt on top of the world. Even though I didn't want to win, I loved the feeling of leading the race. I loved the way my heart kicked into overdrive as someone tried to take over.

A tunnel came into view and I braced myself. This was the fun part of these races. I accelerated and the engine roared as I sped into the darkness. The dim lights in the tunnel illuminated my path, reflecting off my helmet. The biker behind me tried to fight me for the lead once more but I still had a few more miles of fun.

I agitated her as she tried to overtake me. The tunnel echoed with the sound of the engines and I lost myself in it. I felt the adrenaline drowning out the voices in my head. The nightmares I had experienced for the past few nights disappeared, losing their control on me. I was free. I was Jace Hyde. And I had escaped my thoughts. Once again.

As the red led lights of the finishing line came into view, I slowed down. The biker raced forward, shooting me a look. I blew her a kiss as I saw her speed past the finishing line. By the time I came to a stop, she had gotten off the bike and was taking her helmet off, pushing her blonde hair out of her face. Her chest heaved as she looked at me from across the road.

I winked at her but she just tilted her head to the side, a questioning look in her eyes. I shook my head at myself, smiling a little. A weight had lifted off my chest and I was glad of it. Even if I didn't take this beauty home tonight, I would sleep peacefully.

>.<

I was wrong. I couldn't sleep. I had been staring at the ceiling of my room for the past few hours. The first rays of the sun washed into my room and I knew I had stayed up another night.

As I got out of bed, deciding to go for a run to burn off some of the tension I was feeling, I sighed. This couldn't go on for long. I needed to get my stuff straight and things wouldn't straighten themselves out if all I did was sit on my ass.

I reached for my phone and before I could talk myself out of it, dialed Kiara. The call went through and a few rings later, she picked up.

"Yes?" Her sleepy voice came through the speaker and I realized that I was the only one wide awake at this hour. Other people could actually sleep.

"Meet me today. My house," I said and I heard shuffling on her end.

"Jace?" She asked, her voice dripping with surprise. She sounded much more awake when she spoke this time.

"Yes. Meet me at my house this evening. Don't be late." I replied and hung up before she could answer. It had been a few days since I met up with her at the cafe. It was about time we had another discussion.

As I was about to leave my bed to head to the bathroom, my phone rang. I picked it up expecting to find Kiara calling again since I had hung up on her but it was Ahvi. I answered and brought the device to my ear.

"Yes, Harley?" I said half-heartedly. My shoulders sagged and it felt good to not pretend to be happy and cheerful for a moment. With Ahvi, I could act like the fuck up I was.

"You're awake so early?" She questioned as if she couldn't believe her ears. I rolled my eyes.

"I never slept." I confessed, not finding a reason to lie to her. She already knew what I was going through. She would understand.

"Oh." It was her only response. A beat later, she spoke again. "I was wondering if you could drop me off to uni today. It will give us a chance to talk."

"Talk about what?" I frowned.

"About your whole baby, dumbass." She snapped. Ah, I see. "So, will you be able to drop me off?" She added.

"Yes, I will be there but I don't have my car today. It's my bike or nothing." I answered and grinned when I heard her groan on the other end.

"Where's your car?" She asked.

"At the mechanics'." Another groan. Then a sigh.

"Alright, fine. But be here on time," She finally said.

"As you wish." I was smiling now and it was not forced. It was fun to piss Ahvi off. "By the way, Harley. What are you doing up so early?" I asked when I realized that she still had four hours until she had to be at her college.

"I never slept." She responded before the line went dead.