Rune’s POV
I stared at her.
“I don’t want to go home yet.”
Of all the things I expected Odessa Hopkins to say, that wasn’t one of them.
The motorcycle engine had already gone silent, leaving only the distant chirping of crickets and the occasional honks of passing cars.
She stood in front of me with my leather jacket hanging loosely over her tiny shoulders, clutching the sleeves as though they were the only thing keeping her together.
I raised an eyebrow.
“So?”
She blinked.
“So…?”
“So what do you want me to do about it?”
“I…” She looked away.
“I don’t know.”
I let out a slow breath.
“You’re a nuisance to me pinky.” I liked the nickname, aside from her hair, the color suited her personality too.
She frowned immediately.
“You know, most people would pretend to be nice after helping someone.”
“I’m not most people.”
“I’ve noticed.”
I started the motorcycle again and sighed, I don’t know why im actually listening to her right now, but I just want to be nice to my tutor.
“Get on.”
Her eyes widened.
” Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Where are we going?”
I sighed dramatically.
“I was meant to be home now but apparently, Princess Pinky doesn’t want to go home.”
She crossed her arms.
“You don’t have to sound so annoyed.”
“I am annoyed.”
“I think you also don’t want to go home.”
I looked at her.
“What?”
“If you were really annoyed, you would’ve left already.”
I opened my mouth and then closed it.
She had a point and that was irritating.
“Get on the bike.”
She smiled and it was wide enough to make those ridiculous dimples appear and give her a beautiful cute look like a little puppy, I quickly looked away.
“Where are we going?”
“If I tell you, it’ll ruin the surprise.” I drawled
“You planned a surprise?”
“I absolutely did not.”
“Then how do you know it’s a surprise?”
“You’re asking too many questions.”
She laughed again and I sighed, she was strange.
Five minutes ago she’d looked like she was about to cry now she was smiling because I called her a nuisance.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said as she climbed onto the motorcycle behind me.
“It wasn’t.”
“It definitely was.”
“It definitely wasn’t.”
She wrapped her arms around my waist again.
I froze for half a second, I tried to pretend I couldn’t feel her breast pressed up in my back.
Get your mind of out the gutter Rune
“Comfortable?” I muttered.
“I don’t want to fall.”
“You survived the first ride.”
“I survived because I held onto you.”
I smirked.
“Fair enough.”
The motorcycle rolled away from her house and onto the quiet streets.
Unlike before, she didn’t scream when I accelerated.
She only tightened her grip around my waist.
I pretended not to notice.
The city looked different at night.
The traffic had almost disappeared, leaving the roads strangely peaceful.
For several minutes, neither of us spoke.
“You still haven’t told me where we’re going,” she said over the wind.
“Patience pinky.”
“I don’t have any.”
“I noticed.”
She huffed behind me.
“I liked you better when you were being nice.”
“I was never nice to you.”
“You gave me your jacket.”
“So I wouldn’t have to look at that ruined dress all night.”
“You’re so annoyin.”
“And you took me home.”
“I was heading this way anyway.”
That was a big lie though, she laughed again and I sighed
Why did she laugh so much?
Most people either argued with me or avoided me altogether.
Odessa did both… and somehow still found reasons to smile.
I didn’t understand her.
Ten minutes later, I slowed the motorcycle and pulled into an almost empty parking lot.
She looked around in confusion.
“This doesn’t look very exciting.”
“That’s because you’re looking at the parking lot.”
I switched off the engine and climbed off the bike.
She followed, removing her helmet.
“Then what am I supposed to look at?”
Instead of answering, I nodded toward the staircase leading upward.
“Come on, Princess Pinky.”
She glanced from the stairs back to me.
“What exactly is up there?”
A small grin tugged at the corner of my mouth.
“You’ll see.”
Odessa followed me up the stairs without another question.
That must have been wishful thinking
“Are we climbing a mountain?” she complained after the second flight.
“No.”
“Then why are there so many stairs?”
“Because elevators don’t reach the top.”
She stopped walking.
“There was an elevator?”
I looked back at her.
“No.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“I hate you.”
“You’ve said that three times tonight.”
“I’ll probably say it a fourth.”
“Looking forward to it.”
She rolled her eyes dramatically before catching up with me.
A few seconds later, we reached the rooftop, Odessa stepped through the metal door and stopped.
The entire city stretched out beneath us.
Buildings glittered with thousands of lights, cars looked like tiny streams of gold, and the cool night breeze carried away the noise from the streets below.
Her mouth slowly fell open.
“Oh wow”
I leaned against the railing.
“Told you.”
She walked forward slowly, her eyes sparkling.
“It’s beautiful.”
“I know.”
“I’ve lived here for few days and searched all about this town online but I didn’t even know this place existed.”
“Most people don’t and you won’t find it online too.”
“You’ve lived here for that long?” She asked and I stiffened, I hated taking about my personal life.
She rested her hands on the railing.
“I can see everything from here.”
“I come here when I want people to leave me alone.”
She smiled.
“So you bring girls here often?”
I almost choked.
“What?”
She turned toward me with a teasing grin.
“I mean… this looks like the perfect place.”
“For what?”
“Dates.”
I stared at her.
“You’re the first girl I’ve ever brought here.”
Her smile widened.
“Oh so I am special.”
I sighed.
“Don’t make it weird, it’s the first place that crossed my mind to show you.”
She laughed softly.
“You were the one who made it weird.”
“Fair.”
She looked back at the city.
“I like it.”
“I’m glad princess.”
Another silence settled between us.
She looked so beautiful, staring at the city and the moon casting a glow on her that made her look so perfect.
She rested her chin on her folded arms.
“When I was little,” she said quietly, “my dad used to take me driving at night.”
I looked at her.
“He said cities looked prettier in the dark because nobody could see the ugly parts.”
I didn’t say anything and she smiled sadly.
“I thought he was being dramatic.”
“And now?” I asked
“I think he was right.”
The smile faded from her face.
“I miss them.”
I had heard about her parents, but I didn’t care cause it wasn’t my business, but I understand how it feels like to feel alone.
I looked out over the city again.
“I don’t know what to say.” I said
“You don’t have to say anything.”
“I’m not good at comforting people.”
“I noticed.”
“I usually make things worse.”
She laughed.
“You do.”
“Sorry.”
Her eyes widened.
“Did you just apologize?”
“No.”
“I definitely heard an apology.”
“You imagined it.”
She giggled.
“I’ll treasure this moment forever.”
“I take it back.”
“You can’t.”
“I just did.”
She smiled at me again.
Maybe bringing her here hadn’t been such a terrible idea.
She suddenly looked at me.
“My turn.”
“What?”
“I know something about you now.”
“You know nothing about me.”
“You brought me to your favorite place.”
“It isn’t my favorite.”
“It is.”
“It isn’t.”
“It definitely is.”
“You’re annoying pinky and you talk too much.”
“And yet you still brought me here.”
I looked away.
“Don’t read into it.”
“Oh, I definitely will.”
I scoffed.
“Hopeless.”
She smiled to herself before taking one last look at the city.
After a few more minutes, she let out a content sigh.
“I think I’m ready to go home now.”
“Finally.”
“What?”
“I was starting to think I’d have to sleep up here.”
She nudged my arm.
“You would’ve survived.”
“Barely.”
She laughed again.
We made our way back downstairs, and the ride to her house was much quieter than before.
When we stopped outside, she climbed off the motorcycle and handed me the helmet.
“Thank you… for tonight.”
“It wasn’t a big deal.”
“It was to me.”
I looked at her for a moment before nodding.
“Go inside, Pinky.”
She smiled.
“Goodnight, Landon.”
I waited until she disappeared through the front door only then did I start the motorcycle again.
As I rode away, I found myself shaking my head.
What a strange girl, she talked too much and asked too many questions but she somehow managed to turn a ruined night into one filled with laughter.
“What a nuisance.”
Yet for the first time in a very long while i didn’t mind having someone invade my quiet mind.