Ride or Die
Chapter 11: Off The Road
"We shouldn't be doing this," Aang muttered, gaze focused on the world passing him in a blur.
Katara was silent as she considered his words. In the back of her mind, she knew he was right. They had nothing to gain by retaliating against Jai and Rika. But the thought of sinking her fist into his face, or possibly ripping out her cheap extensions by the root made her feel excited.
The world passed around them in a blur of darkness and streetlights. Silently, Aang stared ahead as they sped down the interstate. This wasn't right. No matter how Rika and the others messed with them, it seemed wrong and entirely baseless to retaliate.
Shifting in his seat, he motioned for her to pull over. "Stop for a minute. Let's just think about this before we do anything stupid."
Katara let out a sigh as she pulled over onto the gravel shoulder of the road, brakes squealing slightly. Putting the SUV into park, Katara's head swam with thoughts as they both exited the vehicle.
"What are we gaining by going after them, Katara? Rika and Jai can be handled through legal channels. I can fix my uncle's car in no time. But this... we don't need to do this."
Crossing her arms over her chest, Katara leaned against the hood of the vehicle. "I've been the victim for far too long. If we don't handle this now, they're going to keep doing stupid shit, Aang."
While he thought going after them was wrong, he did agree with her on the fact that they would keep coming. Previously, the most they had ever done was to digitally stalk Katara and himself. But Rika smashing a cinder block into his uncle's windshield was kicking up the bullshit a notch. He wasn't going to give in to baser instincts by retaliating. It was against his people's principles and the way of life he and his uncle lived.
Approaching her, Aang pulled one of Katara's hands into his own and placed a kiss onto her knuckles. "Let's go back home for now. Let's think this through. Please. There's so much at stake here."
Katara felt her stomach twist as she listened to his pleading words. Aang spoke nothing but reason and rationality. Her initial anger at the situation had dissipated, but the desire for payback hadn't waned. Perhaps he was right, she thought. Perhaps they should just go back to her apartment, then order in some food, and just enjoy each other's company.
Standing on her toes, Katara closed her eyes and placed a kiss onto his lips. The tickle of his facial hair drew a soft laugh from her lips. Smiling into the kiss, Katara wrapped her arms around his broad chest. There wasn't anyone else on the planet who could make her feel this way.
Wordlessly, he flashed a lopsided grin at her before kissing her forehead. As they parted and climbed back onto her car, the thought of making love to him made her warm with desire. Fuck the take out, she thought to herself as she started the car and pulled back onto the roadway. The only thing she had an appetite for at that moment was the man seated next to her.
Eyes focused on the road, Katara let out a squeal at feeling a large hand grip her thigh. The feel of his fingers grasping at the inside of her leg sent a wave of desire over her, heat pooling in the pit of her stomach. Quickly, she looked over at him, her eyes connecting with his. The heat of his gaze seared into her as she turned her focus back to the road.
Licking her lips, she moved her hand to rest on top of his, gripping it tightly. Why did he have to be so incredibly sexy? The little things he did sent her into an internal freefall of desire and longing. It had been a few days since they'd last made love, and the thought of pulling over into a dark parking lot briefly flashed into her mind.
'We're five minutes from the apartment... do even think about it.' She told herself.
Hearing the passenger seatbelt click its release and then ravel into the side panel, Katara looked over to see him moving towards her. "What are you doing?"
Flashing her a smile, Aang eased himself over the center console and pushed her hair back before craning his head to kiss her neck. Letting out a sigh, Katara struggled to keep her focus on the road in front of them. Was he trying to get them both killed?
"Aang..." His name left her lips in a breathy sigh as she felt him kiss his way down her neck.
Pulling back from her, he motioned towards the park. "Pull over, I need to check something."
Confusion formed in her mind as she headed in his direction. Maneuvering the steering wheel, Katara felt herself melt under his touch as she pulled into the park, stopping the SUV into a secluded part of the property. Under the massive Redwood trees, the car was hidden from the floodlights illuminating the area.
Offering him a smile, Katara spoke. "What do you need to check on?"
"Well, I'm just needing to double-check on this..." Aang whispered as he reclined the seat, pulling her with him as he moved. Scooting over the top of the seat, he pulled her into the back seat of the SUV.
"I remember you had one particular spot that just... drove you wild." He pressed a hot kiss into her neck as he positioned himself on top of her.
The feel of his lips on her skin sent tingles over her. The neck. It always had to be her neck. The single most sensitive part of her body outside of... other regions, was her neck. Typically, Aang was a considerate and tender lover. But the way he moved against her, the heat of his kisses, lit something inside of her. She could feel herself melting.
Panting, Katara pushed herself closer to him, wanting nothing else than to be as close to him as humanly possible. She wanted to savor him like a five-course meal.
The radio played low in the background, casting them in dim light as the tones of a Trey Songz ballad leaked from the speakers. There was something about the isolation of the park, the risk of getting caught that made the experience that much more enticing.
Moving beneath him, Katara moved her hands to the button at the top of his jeans, popping it open, she slid the zipper down and slid her hand into his boxer briefs. Aang let out a sharp sound as feeling her hands so near him.
"Not yet..." He groaned, pushing her hands away from him.
Yielding to him, she relaxed into the car seat as she felt his hands run the length of her body, gently pushing and pulling. He pulled at the flimsy material of her top, sliding his hands underneath the constricting fabric of her sports bra. She followed his motions, letting him pull the top off as she shrugged out of the shirt.
She was going to let him set the pace, no matter how much her hunger for him drove her wild. Moving her hips against his, Katara could feel the excitement welling him, even within his jeans. With his free hand, Aang pulled at the material of her leggings, easing them over her hips as she tossed his shirt to the floor.
It was agonizing for her, how he was teasing her. She bucked her hips, pushing herself closer to him.
"You drive me nuts, woman. Slow down..." His words came out low as he moved to place another kiss on her lips.
"Aang..." The sound of his name on her lips left his reeling. He had wanted to savor her, to slowly consume her entirely, but the heat coursing through his veins just about pushed him over the edge.
Yanking at the tight leggings she wore, he pulled the fabric from her legs. At hearing a ripping sound, Katara knew her favorite pair of Lululemon leggings had torn. But at that moment, she didn't care. Even within the narrow confines of her backseat and the seatbelt digging into her back, she wanted nothing more than to be with him, needed him.
When he entered her, she gasped. Even if it had only been a few days since they'd last connected, she hadn't been ready for him. In the deepest recesses of her mind, she felt entirely raw and vulnerable as they moved against each other. Any thoughts of revenge left her as she lost herself to him, the universe unraveling inside of her as they made love.
Warm sunlight poured into the small galley kitchen as she moved, chopping the vegetables in front of her. Pouring the contents of the cutting board into the pan, the onion and peppers crackled against the metal. Katara hummed the lyrics to Nelly's 'Ride Wit Me' as she stirred the contents of the pan, savoring the aroma wafting around her.
Suddenly, things didn't seem so bad, she thought as she pushed at the vegetables with her spoon. In the early hours of the morning, with the food cooking in front of her and the sound of Aang showering in the next room, Katara felt as if she'd found some sort of normalcy.
The previous night they'd set out to Jai's house to confront him. Instead of looking for a fight, Aang had talked some sense into her and they'd found themselves making love in her car at the park. Perhaps what she'd needed was... Aang himself.
Letting out a laugh, Katara dumped the vegetables into a plate before moving to finish the last of the cooking. At that moment, off the road on the interstate, a new future had materialized in front of her. Aang had promised to take care of Jai through his uncle's legal connections. There would be no need for them to deal with it themselves, he'd told her.
After a late-night call to his uncle, Aang had seemed to have fixed all of their problems. Gyatso was a high ranking government official and well-respected within the community, a pillar of honor. With Gyatso's connections, a protection order would be filed against Jai. Aang would of course pay for the damage to his car.
The playlist shuffled to the next song, Katara singing along with Megan Thee Stallion as she topped the vegetables with the tofu she'd been frying. The meal itself was made of all the contents of her refrigerator, the last of her vegetables and tofu. Making a mental note, Katara reminded herself she'd have to go shopping later. There was nothing left.
The previous night they'd made love in the back of her car. Aang had cupped her cheeks between his palms, had stared into her eye with such tenderness and yearning. His gentleness had shifted something inside her as if a tight, hard knot of anger and frustration had released and undone.
"Smells good out here." His voice washed over her.
Turning on her feet, Katara offered him a wide grin as she motioned towards the small table tucked into the wall next to the kitchen. "I thought we could have some breakfast and then maybe do a little shopping? I'm out of... everything."
Aang sunk onto one of the chairs at the table, nodding his head in agreement as Katara set the plates onto the table.
"The farmer's market is open until noon. Maybe we should check that out first?" He offered, between large bites of the food in front of him.
Savoring the food, Katara nodded her head. The fact that he wanted to go shopping with her left her feeling weightless and giddy. Images of them wandering through the open-air market filled her mind. The feeling of domesticity and normalcy would have typically made her gag, but the thought of spending the day alone with him along the rows of fresh produce and locally grown flowers made her yearn for something that scared her.
Commitment, stability. To have a home for them both. As she finished the last few bits of her meal, more images of their future together filled her mind. A home for the two of them, their own house, successful careers in their respective fields.
She knew they were both still young, but the thought of domestic bliss with the man beside her made her unreasonably happy.
As she cleaned up the plates and they both dressed for the day, Katara felt a wave of happiness settle over her. For the first time in a long time, even with the events of the previous night, she felt strange contentment overcome here. As if there wasn't anything more natural in the world than to get ready for the day with him.
Finishing the last of her makeup, Katara drew the mascara wand over her eyelashes as she heard Aang call out from the living room.
"Hey, I'll be right back. I think I left my wallet in the car last night."
"Okay, I'm almost done." The front door latching sent a fresh wave of panic over her. The pictures. The glove box.
Tossing the mascara onto the countertop, Katara pulled the bathroom door open and headed for the stairs. She wanted to show him the pictures herself. Having him discover them on his own would be devasting.
The future she'd seen for herself with him, bursting with possibilities, suddenly deflated as she saw him. Car door open, back turned to her, a stack of glossy pictures in his hands. The delicate house of cards that was her life seemed to crumple around her.
Aang's feet shifted on the gravel as he shut the car door, face hard as he turned to face her. At seeing the confusion and hurt in his eyes, Katara's throat was suddenly dry and her body rigid.
"I meant to show you..."
"When were you gonna tell me he's not only stalking you but doing this?" He questioned, voice cracking as flashed the pictures to her.
The sight of her prone form, arms over her head as she changed clothes, sent a sharp pain through her. Her heart wilted in her chest as she registered the pain in his voice.
Crumpling the pictures, Aang dropped his head and turned from her. They should have been past this, he thought. The hiding information, her trying to handle her problems on her own. He didn't keep anything from her, was wholly and completely open and transparent with his life. The fact that she would hide something so grossly invasive and dangerous from him left him reeling.
"I found them before we met up yesterday. He left them on my car at work." She offered, voice just above a whisper. She had every intention of showing him the pictures, but the chaos of the previous night had derailed her completely.
"I... I'm going for a walk."