Chapter 6

　　Nyelle

　　"Come meet me at the usual spot."

　　The moment Nico said those words through the video call, my chest tightened unexpectedly.

　　It had been five years since I stepped anywhere near the racing station. Five whole years since I touched a bike, smelled gasoline in the air, or felt the kind of adrenaline that once made me feel invincible. Back then, before Vincent, before marriage swallowed me whole, racing had been my entire world. And now I was finally going back.

　　By the time I arrived at the racing station, my palms were already sweating slightly against the steering wheel. Loud music echoed faintly through the area while groups of bikers stood around laughing, arguing, and working on their machines. The familiar smell of smoke, metal, gasoline, and burning tires instantly crashed into me the second

　　I stepped out of the car. I missed this place so much it physically hurt.

　　Before I could even gather myself properly, Nico spotted me immediately.

　　"Nyelle!"

　　He rushed toward me quickly, dressed completely in black riding gear while holding a helmet beneath his arm. The huge smile on his face almost made me emotional because unlike everyone else lately, Nico looked genuinely happy to see me.

　　"Welcome back," he said warmly the moment he reached me. "I missed you around here."

　　Then his expression softened slightly. "How's your husband?"

　　The question instantly made the tiny warmth inside my chest dim a little.

　　I looked away instead of answering while raising my hands slowly. "I don't want to talk about him."

　　Nico immediately noticed the shift in my expression. The concern on his face deepened for a brief second, but thankfully, he didn't push further. He knew me well enough to understand when something hurt too much to discuss.

　　"Alright," he said softly. "I won't ask."

　　Relief quietly settled inside me. For years, Nico had always been like this. Patient and understanding. He never once made me feel difficult because I communicated differently. While other people got frustrated waiting for me to type, Nico simply learned sign language without complaining.

　　Vincent never even tried. The thought hurt more than I expected.

　　Nico quickly clapped his hands together before forcing excitement back into his voice.

　　"So," he said while motioning for me to follow him, "we'll have to test your skills again before you officially return to racing."

　　I nodded immediately while signing back.

　　"That's okay."

　　As we walked deeper into the station together, several people slowly started noticing me.

　　Whispers immediately spread around the area while curious eyes followed me openly.

　　"Wait… is that really her?"

　　"No way."

　　"The mute legend actually came back?"

　　I ignored the attention the best I could, but before Nico and I could move farther, someone suddenly stepped directly into our path.

　　A tall woman with a dangerously confident aura folded her arms across her chest while staring directly at me. She wore a cropped racing jacket over a fitted top and ripped jeans that showed off her figure boldly. Her sharp eyeliner and smirk somehow made her look both beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

　　"The mute legend is really back," she said slowly while stepping closer toward us.

　　I remained calm.

　　"I've honestly always wanted to see what you looked like," she continued with a scoff while looking me over from head to toe. "So it's really just you."

　　Wow. How welcoming.

　　Nico sighed beside me immediately. "Soreya, can you not start already?"

　　She ignored him completely. "Anyway," she continued while stretching her hand toward me confidently, "I'm Soreya. I don't go easy on people around here."

　　I stared at her hand briefly before finally shaking it.

　　"Nyelle, right?" she asked.

　　I nodded once.

　　A slow grin spread across her lips afterward.

　　"Good," she replied before leaning slightly closer toward my ear. "I can't wait to crush you someday."

　　Then she walked away casually like she hadn't just threatened me with a smile on her face.

　　I blinked slowly while watching her leave.

　　Nico rolled his eyes dramatically beside me.

　　"Don't mind her," he said. "She's always looking for someone to compete with."

　　I signed calmly back at him. "It's fine."

　　A few moments later, Nico finally stopped walking in front of a large object hidden beneath a black covering.

　　The second I saw it, my heartbeat changed immediately.

　　No way.

　　Nico grabbed the cloth slowly before pulling it away completely. And the moment my eyes landed on the bike underneath, my breath caught painfully in my chest.

　　My bike. My actual bike.

　　Even when covered in dust after five years, I recognized it instantly. Memories slammed into me so hard I almost lost balance emotionally, the late-night races, roaring crowd, wind against my face and most importantly freedom.

　　Nico immediately grabbed a cloth before starting to dust the bike carefully.

　　"She's old now," he joked lightly, "but she still looks beautiful."

　　My eyes burned unexpectedly. Slowly, I stepped closer before reaching out carefully to touch it.

　　The cold metal beneath my fingers instantly sent memories flooding through me again. My hand moved gently across the handles, engine, and body of the bike while emotions clogged painfully inside my throat.

　　I missed this version of myself so much. For a second, tears nearly escaped my eyes.

　　"You helmet," Nico said softly while handing one toward me.

　　I collected it carefully before slowly climbing onto the bike.

　　The moment I sat down, my chest tightened so hard it almost hurt. It still fit perfectly. Like my body remembered something my heart forgot years ago.

　　I gripped the handles tightly before finally starting the engine.

　　The loud roar instantly echoed through the station.

　　And for the first time in what felt like forever…I felt alive again.

　　But suddenly, my vision blurred immediately, a painful wave rushed through my body so fast that I grabbed my forehead tightly while trying to steady myself.

　　The bike nearly tilted.

　　"Nyelle!"

　　Nico rushed toward me immediately, panic flashing across his face.

　　"Are you okay?" he asked quickly while grabbing my arm carefully. "If you don't want to do this, please don't force yourself."

　　I immediately shook my head before gently pulling away from his grip.

　　"I'm fine," I signed quickly, even though my hands trembled badly.

　　Honestly, I wasn't fine, not even close. But I couldn't tell him the truth.

　　Nico's expression remained worried while he stared at me carefully.

　　"Should I take you to the hospital?" he asked softly. "You really don't look okay. You're honestly starting to scare me."

　　The concern in his voice almost broke me emotionally because after years with Vincent, I had forgotten what genuine care sounded like.

　　I forced a small smile before signing slowly.

　　"I'm really okay. It just feels nice seeing my bike again and sitting on it after so long."

　　Nico still looked unconvinced.

　　"It felt a little heavy maybe because it's been years since I rode," I continued signing calmly.

　　He sighed eventually before nodding. "Alright. Don't worry, I'll teach you everything again if you need it."

　　Then suddenly his expression brightened.

　　"But not today," he added quickly. "Today we celebrate your return first. Let's go get drinks."

　　My eyes widened slightly. Alcohol.

　　For five years, I barely touched anything alcoholic because Vincent hated the smell of alcohol on women.

　　Actually, Vincent hated a lot of things, like short dresses, late nights, and biking.

　　And like an idiot, I spent years turning myself into whatever version of a woman he preferred. But not anymore.

　　Tonight, I didn't want to be Vincent's quiet obedient wife.

　　Tonight, I wanted to feel reckless and free.

　　A slow smile spread across my face before I raised my hands toward Nico again.

　　"Alright," I signed back confidently. "Let's do it."

　　Because tonight…I was going to do everything my husband hated.