The Tangled Web | Peter Parker

Chapter 19

Eddie and I walked out the front doors of The Bugle and started heading in the direction of his apartment. He was leading us up the street, but to where I had no idea.

"Okay, so where do you live?" I asked, gripping my backpack straps tightly.

Eddie looked back at me over his shoulder, furrowing his eyebrows. "Flatbush," he mumbled, shaking his head.

"Brooklyn?" I exclaimed, rolling my eyes. "That will take us at least an hour and a half to get there at this time of day."

"Yeah, if you take the subway," Eddie grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I am not walking all the way to Flatbush, Eddie," I scoffed, shaking my head. "It'll be dark before we get there."

"Who said anything about walking?" he scoffed, turning around to stare at me. He tilted his head as he examined me with a devious smile.

"Well, I am not paying for a cab if that's what you're implying," I huffed, crossing my arms as I pulled my coat around my body.

"No one said anything about a cab either," he stated, shaking his head. He stopped on the sidewalk, turning around to face me. "Have a little faith, Jay."

"There's no time for faith when we're racing against the daylight," I mumbled, rolling my eyes. "Why did you stop walking?"

"You said you didn't want to walk," he shrugged, squinting from the bright light as he looked around at the people passing by us on the sidewalk. "So," he said slowly, nodding his head toward a motorcycle that was parked on the side of the street.

"Are you kidding?" I scolded, shaking my head as I took hold of his elbow and turned his body away from the motorcycle. "We are not stealing a bike."

"You really think that little of me, huh?" he laughed, pulling his eyebrows together as he looked down at me. "Figures," he scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Come on," he instructed, walking back over to the motorcycle.

I crossed my arms, sighing loudly. "Eddie," I whispered loudly. "We are not- what are you doing?" I exclaimed, my eyes growing wide as I watched him mount the bike.

He reached around the back and unlatched a helmet from the seat. He rolled the black helmet in his hands a few times, watching as it spun in a slow circle. He looked up to meet my horrified stare. "I only have the one," he explained, pressing his lips together. "Here, you take it," he instructed as he held out the helmet for me to grab.

"This is- is this yours?" I asked, shaking my head in disbelief.

"It would appear so," he said quietly, raising his eyebrows.

I took the helmet from his hands, refusing to break my questioning stare. "Thanks," I said slowly, narrowing my gaze. "Since when do you own a bike?"

"You act like you know me so well," he scoffed, pulling his head back. He exhaled a breath from his mouth, gripped the handlebars, and turned his head to face the ground as he started up the bike. "It was my grandpa's. He left it to me after he passed a few years ago."

"Oh," I whispered, raising my eyebrows. "Sorry," I added, softening my stare as I looked down at the glossy hard surface in my hands.

"You just gonna stand there and stare at your reflection all day or are you gonna hop on?" he asked, tilting his head as he smirked at me.

I rolled my eyes and shoved my head inside the helmet, fastening the strap under my chin. "Let's go," I grumbled as I walked over to Eddie's bike. I used his shoulder to steady myself as I swung my leg over the back of the bike and lowered myself onto the seat.