Aubery POV

Today is my day off and I don't know what to do with myself. I slept in til about 11am and finally peeled myself out of bed to go downstairs and haphazardly prepare breakfast. 

The day passed relatively slowly, I managed to watch Netflix curled onto the couch and just have a pretty relaxing day. 

"Why don't you go for a walk Aubs, you've been cooped up all day!" my mum asked walking into the lounge room after seeing my curled form wrapped like a burrito in our furry blanket. Pretty sure I haven't moved in like 2 hours. 

Obviously I didn't respond fast enough because mum came around turned off the TV and made piercing eye contact with me "Up you get lazy bum, go on a walk."

"Ugh fine" I say without moving, savouring the last of the warmth the blanket provides.

"Oh actually I need some stuff for dinner tonight, would you mind going to pick it up from the shops?" she asks, well more like demands, not like I really have choice. I hum in response and after a few minutes she brings me a list.

Slowly unravelling myself I grab the list and make my way upstairs to get changed.

~10 minutes later~

"Ok bye mum, bye dad! I'll be back soon" I shout whilst walking out the door. 

Putting in my headphones I make my way to the shops. 

I grabbed the stuff mum needed and then was on my way back, when I started becoming concerned at the black car that had coincidentally been everywhere I was. Weird and uncomfy. There was this weird feeling in my gut, that made me feel- nope it's probably nothing. 

As I walk past Bob's Hardware store the paper bag breaks and all of mum's stuff drops onto the ground. Great! Just freaking fabulous. Clambering on the floor to pick up all groceries the setting sun is suddenly blocked. Weird. Looking up I see a towering figure looking down at me. Squinting I see it is silver eyes. Oh fabulous. Absolutely great, of course he is here. 

Please just walk away. Please just walk away.

"Geez you're a real clutz" Ian says not making any move to help me pick anything up. 

"Huh well, stupid bloody paper bag that the bloody lady overpacked-" I reply rambling and cutting myself off before I can keep talking and just embarrassing myself more. 

Ian smirks and then walks into his shop. Huh ok bye then Ian. Scooping up the last of the stuff and having balanced it precariously in my arms I begin walking home. This is gonna be a long walk, it's usually 20 minutes but having to walk this slow it might be a lot longer. 

Bracing myself for the journey ahead I am suddenly stopped by a large pair of hands on my shoulders that slowly turn me around. And the sight of the silver eyes immediately calms me, thank god it isn't some kidnapper. I mean no one would kidnap you in broad day light. Yet still his eyes look somewhat angry? Why tf is he angry? Who knows. 

 Ian cutting me from my thoughts wordlessly begins taking the groceries from the precarious tower in my arms and putting them into a bag. 

"Oh umm thank you Ia-" scared that I had remembered his name wrong, since I had been mentally referring to him as silver, I cut myself off to avoid a potentially awkward situation. 

Ian grunts in reply and continues to take the last of the groceries. Expecting him to then hand me the new bag, which is a plastic re-useable one (not the kind to break),  I hold out my hand. Yet to my visible surprise he puts his hand in my hand and continues holding onto the bag. 

I feel my face turning bright red and stutter "Um- wait... actually... ha... thank you... you don't have to carry it." My attempts to reach around him for the bag and remove his strong hand from my grip prove unsuccessful. This man has still not spoken. He just looks down at me with a slightly frustrated expression but then once he sees my cheeks his lips turn upwards. 

Ok buddy now I'm getting frustrated. I wish to go home and continue binge watching Netflix but you holding my groceries and your bloody hand holding is stopping this wish.

He begins walking, and pulling me along so I have no choice but to follow. 

"Heyyyy ummm where are we going, ummm I really better be going home" I say getting concerned.

He brings me to in front of this black beast of a motorcycle and looks at me, responding. "And that is where we are going angel" with a cold amused expression. Um ok I am confused, we? And if WE are going to my home then why are we stopped. 

Obviously seeing my confused look he turns to the motorcycle, sets down the groceries and grabs a helmet. Ohh this is his bike, wow 'ding ding ding' I feel like that was obvious. He puts the helmet on my head, and it is way too big for me. Like I'm drowning in it, I doubt it will give me any protection. Wait. He expects me to go on his bike. Hell nah. 

Putting my hands on the side of the helmet I try to lift it up and say "No I-" but I am cut off by his large hands putting pressure on my hands and him pushing the helmet back down onto my head. He brings my hands down to my sides and is doing up the strap when I say. "Ahhh I don't need a ride it's all good. But thank you!"

He shrugs his shoulders and puts my groceries into the back of his bike. I can't help but to think how cliche a 'bad boy' like him has a motorcycle. I am completely stunted by the fact he is just ignoring me and continuing to ensure I take this ride with him. But the simple fact that he is a stranger means there remains that danger of the unknown. I mean yes I have met him a few times but I still don't know Ian and what's going on behind those silver eyes. But I want to. 

He turns around to see my hands on the clip trying to undo it and I hear a low growl escape his lips before he strides over and again encases my hands in his, stopping me. "No" he says.

"I really don't want to inconvenience you! Thank you again but really it's ok" I say.

"No" he grits out with a clenched jaw.

"Ummm-" obviously sensing my growing discomfort he says "Just let me take you home" with a softer tone.

Shit silver is really not giving up on this. Maybe he is just being nice? Ugh well even if I try he will just growl at me and with all that clenching I worry about his teeth. 

"Ok well thank you very much" before I can even finish my sentence he wraps his hand around my waist and guides me towards the bike. He looks down at me endearingly and adjusts the helmet up slightly as it had slipped forward. 

How the sam hell am I meant to get up onto the bike. As if reading my mind Ian grabs my waist and effortlessly lifts me onto the bike. "Heh thank you" I breathe out.

He slips onto the bike and stretches his hands behind him, feeling around for my hands and then grabbing them and bringing them forward to wrap around his stomach. Holy moly he has a hard ass chest. Holy cow, does this guy have any body fat at all? This would really hurt to punch.

"So where to angel?" he says putting on his other helmet. 

Ok so no judgement please but I have the worst memory and cannot remember my street address. Look I know how to get there from looking at the general landscape, well more like to the shops and back. But I have not memorised the street address, yet. I've only lived there for like a week so. 

"Oh umm hang on let me check" I say as I remove one of my hands to pull out my phone and check the notes section where I wrote the address.

He turns his head around and looks at me questioningly "You don't know where you live angel?" he says with a slight chuckle.

"Hah yeah I dooo" I say dragging out the 'do' "but not specifically the address." I say looking up from my phone to see a look of endearment washing his face. 

"Here we go, it's 24 Lakehurst St" I say. Before I put my phone away I quickly send my mum a text to let her know that Ian from Bob's Hardware is driving me home. She is going to freak because she has no idea who he is, but just incase he does kidnap me (which I doubt because for some reason I feel safe around him) mum will know his details. Plus she will follow me on Life360.

I hesitantly wrap my hands back around his waist, he grabs my hands and pulls them tighter around his waist. 

"Here we go angel, hold on" he says revving the engine. Ah shit.

The first few minutes I absolutely hated it. But after a few more minutes the wind blowing in my hair and against my cheek it was the most exhilarating feeling. I felt like I was flying and it was such a surreal experience. 

"You ok angel?" Ian asks with a concerned tone. 

"So much fun!" I giggle. He chuckles in response and takes the corner into my street. He parks outside my house. As I am about to jump down he turns around and grabs me by the waist and pulls me off the bike, softly setting me down. 

He gracefully dismounts his bike and it feels as if the moment was in slow motion. His muscles flexing against his tight white shirt and his hair falling in front of his face as he takes off his helmet. 

Oh shit he caught me, he looks at me, smirks and whilst running his hands through his unruly hair he says "Like what you see"

My cheeks are suddenly flushed with a bright red colour as he caught my staring. "Oh um just your shirt yeah" I say reaching my hand to pull down his shirt which had ridden up slightly. Realising what I had done my cheeks deepen to a darker shade and I look down. Oh shit, why did I do that.

He moves his hand to under my chin and lifts my head up so that his piercing eyes make contact with mine. "Thanks angel" he says with a small smile. And I smile shyly back.

He unbuckles the helmet and carefully lifts it off my head. Tucking it under his arm he then tucks my wild curls behind my ear and smiles adoringly again at me. Feeling as if I am stuck in a trance I wait there until he grabs my hand with the groceries in the other and leads me up to my doorstep. Wait what he's walking me the whole way up. Do I have to invite him in? Oh noo no no.

Fiddling in my pocket for my keys I finally grasp them and and turn to face Ian who is already looking down at me. "Thank you so much for the ride, and the bag!" I say smiling up at him. 

"Of course" he says and I reach my hand out for him to give me the groceries. "You sure angel, I can carry them in for you, they are pretty heavy." Ok Ian I am not completely useless, I think I'll manage. 

"All good thanks" I say with my hand still extended. Oh shit do I offer him like a cold beverage or something, or a tea? I can't make coffee so tea will have to do. "Do you want drink or something before you leave?" I ask.

He looks at me surprised and nods, just as he is about to say something he is cut off by the ringing of his phone. 

"What" he says gruffly into the phone. "Fuck" he says hanging up the phone and looking back down to me. 

"I'm sorry angel I'll have to raincheck" he says rather disappointed and hands me the groceries. He leans down and leaves a lingering kiss on my forehead and then turns to walk back down my path to his bike. "Bye!" I say to his back and he turns around to meet my eyes and says "See you soon angel." To which I smile, confused by his constant use of angel but slowly letting it grow on me.

There it goes again, the circus of butterflies in my stomach.

Opening the door and entering the living room I find my mum sitting on the couch reading. 

"Hey mum, I'm home"

"Oh good, you're home sooner than I thought" she replies looking up from her book with her glasses resting on the end of her nose.

"Yeah I texted you that I got a lift" I respond.

"Oh you did? Sorry Aubs I haven't checked my phone yet!" she replies. Hah typical never checks her phone, so even if I did get kidnapped it would be a few hours before she realised lol. 

"That's all good mum, I'll get started on dinner" I say walking into the kitchen. I set the groceries down and slump onto one of the counter chairs and let out sigh thinking about my hectic journey out of the house. A smile coming to my lips realising I will get to see him again if he ever returns my copy of Jane Eyre. I really hope he does. 

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this is a longer chapter, hopefully you guys enjoyed it!

let me know if you see any need for edits or have suggestions.

ALSO here are my vibes of what the characters sort of look like just to give you an indication. but honestly imagine whatever you wish!

~Aubery Carter~

[with brown eyes]

~Ian Gray~

[@danielillescas on instagram]

thank you so much for reading, it means a lot!

have a great week <3