Chapter Eighty-Two: The Ride

[J A M I E]

The cool night air nipped at Jamie's face as he pedaled furiously, his heart pounding in his chest. He'd made this trip all too many times. It had been two days since he'd last spoken to Ava—two days of silence that weighed on him like a boulder strapped to his back. He didn't know why he was doing this. Every rational thought told him to stop, to turn around and head back home before he made things worse. But he couldn't stop. The bike moved beneath him as if it had a mind of its own, carrying him closer and closer to the giant quarters.

The landscape shifted around him as he left the familiar streets of the human quarters. The smooth, uniform pavement gave way to massive, uneven paths that dwarfed the width of his bike tires. Streetlights grew taller, their soft glow casting long, eerie shadows across the empty roads. Everything here was designed for giants—every curb, every lamppost, every crack in the ground. The scale was overwhelming, and yet, Jamie kept going, his legs pumping madly as he pushed himself forward.

It was late—far later than he'd ever dared to sneak out. His parents would kill him if they found out he'd climbed out his bedroom window and disappeared into the night. But they wouldn't notice. He'd made sure of it, waiting until their bedroom light went out and their familiar murmurs faded into silence.

The ache in his thighs was beginning to burn, but Jamie didn't care. The adrenaline coursing through his veins drowned out the pain, his focus entirely on reaching Ava. He wasn't even sure what he was going to say when he got there. All he knew was that he needed to see her, needed to hear her voice and figure out if there was still something left to save between them.

The giant quarters were eerily quiet at night, the wide streets stretching endlessly into the distance. The houses here were enormous, each one a fortress compared to the modest homes of the human sector. Ava's house was no exception. When it finally came into view, Jamie felt his stomach twist. It was massive, its sheer size making him feel impossibly small. The towering windows glowed faintly with warm light, the only indication that someone was still awake inside.

Jamie skidded to a stop at the base of her driveway, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. He dropped his bike against the first step of her porch, staring up at the colossal structure before him. The stairs leading up to the front door were taller than he was, each one a challenge he had no hope of scaling. He stood there for a moment, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"What the hell am I doing?" he muttered under his breath, his voice swallowed by the vast emptiness of the night.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. His fingers trembled slightly as he scrolled to Ava's contact. The screen glowed faintly in the darkness, her name and picture staring back at him. His thumb hovered over the call button, his mind racing.

Was this a mistake? Should I even be here?

Doubt crept in, whispering insidious thoughts into his already conflicted mind. He thought of his parents, of their disapproval, their warnings about how difficult this relationship would be. He thought of Ava's face, the vulnerability in her eyes when she'd come to his window two nights ago. He thought of her apology, her promise to change.

His heart ached. He loved her—there was no denying that. But love wasn't supposed to feel this heavy, was it? It wasn't supposed to make him question everything about himself, about his place in the world. And yet, here he was, standing outside her house in the dead of night, torn between the fear of losing her and the fear of losing himself.

The soft glow of her porch light cast long shadows across the driveway, and for a moment, Jamie felt paralyzed. The weight of his decision pressed down on him, his thumb hovering over the screen. If he called her, there was no turning back. If he left now, she'd never know he was here.

He swallowed hard, his chest tightening as he stared at her name. His legs trembled, both from the long ride and the weight of his uncertainty.

Am I making a mistake?

The thought echoed in his mind, but his hand didn't move. He stood there, frozen at the crossroads of his own doubt, waiting for an answer that might never come.

The low rumble of an approaching car jolted Jamie out of his spiraling thoughts. His head snapped up, heart hammering in his chest as the bright headlights cut through the darkness of the driveway. It was a massive vehicle, the kind that dwarfed anything in the human world, and it was heading straight toward him.

Panic surged through Jamie as the car pulled into the driveway, its tires crunching against the gravel as if the world was falling away around him. He didn't have time to think. Grabbing his bike, he scrambled toward the side of the porch, diving into the tall grass that bordered Ava's yard. His heart pounded in his ears as he crouched low, his body pressed against the ground. The blades of grass were taller than his crouched form, but he still felt exposed.

The car came to a screeching halt, its engine roaring before it sputtered off with an abrupt shudder. The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the creak of the car door opening. Jamie held his breath, peeking through the grass just enough to see the massive figure stepping out of the driver's seat.

It was Ava's dad.

Jamie's stomach twisted into a knot. He'd never met the man, but he'd heard enough from Ava to know that this was not someone he wanted to run into. Ava's dad hated humans—loathed them, really. To him, they were an infestation, a nuisance that had no place in their world. Jamie's presence here would be the equivalent of a death wish.

The giant man slammed the car door shut, the sound echoing through the empty night. He stood there for a moment, his towering frame illuminated by the porch light. Jamie could see the lines of frustration etched into his face, his jaw tight as he raked a hand through his dark hair. Then, his voice boomed, loud and sharp, cutting through the silence.Jamie's hands went to his ears at the loudness of his voice, he was sure that if he knew he was there it wouldn't be any different.

"Ava! Get out of the car!" he barked, his tone laced with irritation.

Jamie shrank further into the grass, his pulse racing. He could hear the shuffle of movement from the other side of the car, followed by a faint hiccup. Then, Ava's voice—slurred and unsteady.

"I'm coming, okay? Just... just give me a second," she mumbled, her words tripping over themselves.

Her dad let out a harsh laugh, the sound devoid of humor. "A second? You've already had too many drinks tonight, Ava."

Jamie's chest tightened as he watched the scene unfold. Ava's dad stormed toward the front door, his heavy footsteps shaking the steps like thunderous earthquakes with each step onto the porch. He threw the door open, his voice carrying as he yelled over his shoulder, "Get inside before you embarrass yourself any more than you already have!"

Ava stumbled out of the car, nearly tripping over her own feet as she tried to follow him. She was a mess—her hair disheveled, her cheeks flushed, and her movements clumsy. She clung to the side of the car for balance, muttering something Jamie couldn't hear.

Her dad didn't wait for her. He disappeared inside, the door slamming shut behind him with a force that made Jamie flinch.

For a moment, the driveway was quiet again, save for the soft rustling of the grass as Jamie shifted slightly to get a better look. Ava leaned against the car, her head bowed and her shoulders slumped. She looked utterly defeated, her earlier bravado replaced with an overwhelming sadness that was impossible to ignore.

Jamie's heart ached at the sight of her. This wasn't the Ava he knew—the confident, larger-than-life girl who always seemed to have everything under control. This was someone else entirely, someone broken and vulnerable.

She let out a shaky breath, her hands gripping the edge of the car as if it were the only thing keeping her upright. Then, she whispered something to herself, her voice too soft for Jamie to catch. Her head tilted back, her eyes fixed on the stars above, and for a moment, she looked so small despite her size.

Jamie's fingers dug into the dirt beneath him, his mind racing. He hadn't expected this—hadn't expected to see her like this. All his anger, his doubt, his frustration with her seemed to melt away, replaced by a deep, aching concern.

He wanted to go to her, to call out her name and let her know he was there. But he couldn't. Not with her dad so close, not with the risk of being caught.

So he stayed hidden, his heart torn between the urge to comfort her and the fear of what might happen if he did.