He'd never been a praying man, but Xan had a feeling a lot of people could be convinced to start after meeting Carly. Resisting the urge to smack himself in the head, Xan settled for shaking his head and giving up when she knocked on his helmet.
"Alright then. You're on your own," he shrugged, pretending it didn't bother him as much as it did. "Hang on."
With that, he flicked back the kickstand, pulled out down his eye-shield, slid the keys into the ignition and brought his baby to purring life. And then they were pulling out of the parking lot and taking off.
The people on campus and the trees melded into a blur as they slipped past. Meter climbing higher, Xan pressed his foot down on the pedal. Riding his bike was like nothing else; it was an addiction. The cold air, the speed, the blur of the scenery as he left it all behind in the dust. It always made his blood pump, made him forget his problems. Everything just fell away, and there was nothing left but speed and time. He leaned into his bike, hugging it close as the sun dipped beneath the horizon.