It seemed like Colby had quickly got more comfortable with sitting on a bike. He was almost relaxed, but still reacted quickly when she motioned for him to hold on tighter. After driving around the block twice, she concluded that it was enough training, and they were ready to go on the highway, so she stopped the bike.

"Ready to go a step further?" she asked Colby after putting up the visor of her helmet.

"Not really," he said, chuckling nervously. "But I trust you, so... I guess I am, even though I don't even know where we're going."

"I'm bringing you somewhere I enjoy going to when I want to be alone," she explained.

"Oh?" he asked. "In that case, I feel honoured to be brought there." He said it as a joke, but there was a hint of sincerity in his tone that made Ashley think that this really was something special.

"It's not like it's sacred or anything," she laughed, rolling her eyes.

She could feel Colby's stiffness because he pulled her even closer as she left the empty street of the neighbourhood, pulling into the bigger streets. She took one hand off the handlebar to lay it on his hand and gently apply pressure. I've got everything under control, the gesture said, and Colby seemed to understand, seeing as he relaxed his grip a little bit. For a moment, Ashley was tempted to pat his thigh twice, just to see his reaction to her using the sign for speeding up, but she didn't want to turn this into a "the boy who cried wolf"-situation. That could only end badly.

On the highway, they drove by several other bikers, one of which tapped their helmet twice as she drove past them. Ashley waved at them and nodded, signing that she had understood. Not even a minute later, they passed a cop car, hidden in the back of some restaurant's parking lot, looking out for speeders.

She, just the responsible biker she was, of course rode underneath the speed limit. Well, at least now that she had Colby as backpack. Riding alone was a different matter. As another biker drove in their direction, she quickly lifted her hand and tapped her helmet twice to warn them.

As they reached a gas station to pick up dinner, she slowly stopped the bike to get gas. Colby immediately got up as they stood still, taking a few wobbly steps.

"How are you holding up?" she snickered, seeing him stretch his arms and back.

"You get used to it," was his reply, "and I actually really enjoy it by now. You could've warned me that we were going to ride your bike today, though, I would've come better prepared."

"And how would you have done that?" she asked, getting her card out of her pocket to pay for the gas.

"Googled stuff," he answered, shrugging. "So that I could impress you with motorbike facts."

"Why would you need to impress me? Especially with something I know all about?"

"I'm sure I could've found something you don't know yet," he insisted, ignoring the first question.

"Whatever you say," she chuckled. "Now hop on, we still have twenty more minutes to go." She patted the back of the bike where Colby should sit.

He groaned, taking a reluctant step toward her. "Twenty more minutes?? How long is this trip taking," he complained.

"Fifty minutes. If you go under speed limit," she replied with a wink.

"And how long if not?" he asked, reciprocating the smirk even though she could only see his eyes.

"I usually get there in thirty."

"Damn, looks like I'm not the only criminal here," Colby chuckled.

"You're just the only one with an actual criminal record," she corrected him with a smirk. "Anyways, I thought you were enjoying this."

"Not if it's taking another twenty minutes," he sighed, climbing back on the bike. "But here we go, I guess. One question, though."

Ashley got ready to start the engine but paused at that last part. "Yeah?"

"Why did you do that helmet-tapping thingy?" Colby asked. "You know, the one the guy did as well before."

"This?" she asked, reaching up to tap her helmet twice. "These are cop taps. If you see someone do this, you know there's a cop ahead."

"Smart," Colby said, nodding slowly. "Is it useful?"

"Totally. It's saved me from getting caught speeding so often, you wouldn't believe it," she chuckled. After one last glance in his direction, to make sure he was ready, she started the engine and drove back on the street.

Next time she stopped, they had left the highway to a a small sideroad parting from it soon after the gas station. She had crossed a few lanes to get there, slowing down the bike because of the gravel which quickly replaced the asphalt. The forest had already been well visible when they'd still been on the highway, and the small road brought them directly to a parking lot behind the first few rows of trees and plants.

As she slowed down the bike and parked it next to a few cars, Colby jumped down from the back and pulled his helmet off.

"Didn't take you for a nature girl," was the first thing he said, before adding, "No, actually, that's not true. Don't know why I said that."

She scoffed and reached out to take the helmet out of his hands. "Judging the place before even reaching it. How very Colby of you."

"Hey," he replied, pretending to be hurt. "I'm not that judgy."

"Usually. Seems like today's different."

He groaned, rolling his eyes. "Okay, fine, my reaction was judgy. I didn't really mean it though. I just had to say something."

"Good save," she chuckled while putting away the helmets. "Now come on. We haven't even reached the lake."

"How romantic," he said, following her as she started walking towards a path leading deeper into the forest. "A lake in the middle of a forest."

She looked over her shoulder to playfully glare at him. "Shut up, I told you already, it's not like it's sacred or anything. I just think you need to see something else than your damn ghost equipment for once, so you're not as narrow-minded anymore."

"What, you say I don't have any other interests than ghost hunting?"

"None that I know of."

They reached the lake after walking for a little over twenty minutes, Colby complaining for the last ten of them, while Ashley determinedly ignored his groans and questions about how long it would take.

"You happy now?" she asked as they finally reached an opening, showing them the view of a surprisingly big lake. The water mirrored the trees around it and reflected the sunlight in small ripples going over the surface. On the other side of the lake, they could see fields stretching until a mountain range far away.

"Wow," Colby breathed, genuinely impressed. "Now this is something I didn't expect to find just over an hour away from where we live."

She smiled, resting her hands on her hips. "You just have to go in the right direction, really."

He walked forward until he reached the thin stony rim surrounding the lake and picked up one of the stones. Concentrating for a moment, he weighed the stone in his hand. Then he flicked his wrist, sending it flying over the water's surface. It jumped, once, twice, three times until the water swallowed it, leaving nothing behind but a few small waves in a circle.

"Not bad," Ashley said while taking out her phone. Colby grinned at her, and she started recording before he picked up another one, doing the same thing. This time it jumped five times before going under, and she cheered loudly. Colby turned around and bowed, making her giggle.

"Come here, I'll teach you," he told her with a confident glint in his eyes.

She let her phone disappear into her jacket's pocket and walked up to him. "Will you show me how to do the glorious stone flick?" she asked, feigning a British accent. "Or need I prove myself worthy of it?"

"I hate you," Colby laughed, nudging her shoulder.

"Would you still if I let you show me how to flick stones?" she asked teasingly.

He crouched down, searching the stones with one hand until he found a good one. "Then I'd maybe change my mind."

"Oh, would you now? Condescend to my level just to teach me?" Ashley asked, chuckling. "What a fine man I've got myself!"

"Jeez, Ashley. Since when do you talk like that?" he asked, shaking his head.

"Honestly, I have no idea where that came from," she snorted, returning to her usual accent. "Admit it, though. You like my British accent."

"I like any accent you do." He returned to look at the lake and began explaining the position she needed to flick the stone in.

She bit her lip, only listening with one ear. Suddenly, it all felt wrong.