Emilio’s POV

Actually laughed. A deep, warm sound that rolled through his chest and into my hands.

It wasn’t teasing.It wasn’t mocking.It was soft, like he liked that I grabbed him. Like he expected it.

Inside the helmet, my face heated up so bad I was sure I was glowing. I buried my cheek against his back for a second, hoping the wind would cool me down, hoping he couldn’t feel how embarrassed I was.

But somehow, the way he laughed made my chest feel light too. Like he wasn’t making fun of me at all—like he found it… cute. Or maybe just human.

We sped farther down the quiet...