chapter49

Was this really the wild girl who had just come back from the countryside? And she could ride a motorcycle? Chris blinked, certain he must be imagining things.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Lydia rolled up right next to him. "Chris, lead the way," she said, cool and direct.

Chris's mouth dropped open so wide he could probably fit an egg in there. "Wait... you seriously know how to ride?" he blurted out, still in total shock.

Lydia just raised an eyebrow. "What, only guys are allowed to ride motorcycles now?"

Chris could only stare. He honestly couldn't believe it. Lydia... liked motorcycles? All his carefully laid plans to show off and impress her suddenly felt pointless.

"Are you coming or not?" Lydia asked when she saw Chris just staring at her, frozen.

Chris snapped back to his senses. Maybe Lydia was just pretending, trying to get on his good side because, let's be real, he was pretty popular. Plenty of rich girls in the Capital had faked an interest in bikes just to get close to him.

No way. He couldn't let her off that easy. He was going to show her who was boss.

Chris cranked the throttle and shot off without a second thought. He'd just stick to his plan, take a long loop around the city, and see if Lydia could even keep up. If she got lost, that was on her. With practiced moves, he tore out of the Norwood family gates, his motorcycle roaring through the quiet streets like a streak of black lightning.

Lydia watched him go, a little smirk tugging at her lips. She twisted her wrist and took off after him, not just catching up but passing him like it was nothing.

Chris was stunned. Did she just overtake him?

What happened next was honestly humiliating. No matter how hard he pushed, no matter how sharp his turns, Lydia was always right there. Sometimes, she'd even pull ahead, stop somewhere up the road, and wait for him to catch up. It was unreal. He was supposed to be the king of the Capital's motorcycle scene, the troublemaker nobody could beat. Now he was getting shown up by a girl who'd only just come back from the countryside. He could see the look in Lydia's eyes, that hint of a smirk, like she was saying, You really thought you were good at this?

He'd never felt so embarrassed in his life.

By the time they reached the gates of the military hospital, Chris couldn't take it anymore. He yanked off his helmet and stomped over to Lydia, who still looked as cool and calm as ever. "Aren't you from the countryside? How are you this good on a bike?" he asked, honestly confused.

He really couldn't figure it out. How was she better than him?

Lydia took off her own helmet, letting her natural, stunning face catch the sunlight. Her voice was crisp and clear. "Why, got something against people from the countryside?"

Chris waved his hands in a panic. "No, no, that's not what I meant. You're just... not what I expected at all."

All his cockiness and those old assumptions about Lydia had been shattered. There was no way he'd underestimate her again. He was just left wondering, how could someone so young, and a girl at that, totally outclass him?

Lydia didn't bother to answer. Chris could tell she wasn't interested in small talk. He couldn't help but feel a strange sense of admiration. She was definitely something else.

"So... can you really help my brother?" Chris asked, curiosity getting the best of him.