her.
“How’s the view from up there?” I ask her, leaning back against the cooler, her leg resting next to my shoulder.
I want to touch her, but I don’t. Since this afternoon, everything feels different.
“Parking lot’s beautiful,” she answers wistfully, her voice soft and distant.
“Yeah, it is.” I agree.
I don’t want to stay away from her. I always find myself looking for her in a room, my body always gravitating towards her whenever she’s close. I look for her at stoplights when I drive through town. I hope to run into her at my parents’ place. At the gas station, I look for her car when I’m pumping gas, hoping she’ll pull in. At friend’s houses, I hope like hell she shows. She’s all I ever think about now that she’s back.
We stay in companionable silence for a while. Em is humming quietly to herself while I stand here, enjoying the sound of her voice.
“You wrote that.” It’s not really a question. The melody sounds like Emerson. Low, slow, and sexy. Blues and R&B were always her thing.
“Mmm,” she hums back while keeping the tune, never letting the song fall away.
This is what happiness is. It’s been a long time, but I remember it now that I’ve got it within my grasp again.
The sun is just starting to set, falling behind the never-ending expanse of blacktop in front of us. We’re having an Indian summer, the heat still holding on late into the year.
“Zac, would you do something for me?” Hell, I’d do anything for her.
“Yeah.”
Hopping down, she lands gracefully on her feet next to me. Wearing a long black skirt and a tiny crop top, she’s the picture of sexy.
Holding a multicolored nail painted hand out to me, she waits patiently for me to give in to what we both already know. “Come with me.”
“Where?” I ask, even as I take her hand, ready to follow her to the ends of the earth.
Pulling me towards the parking lot, she smiles. “Anywhere.”
I follow her, crossing that line.
We’re chasing the sunset. Racing the clouds. Following the Pacific.
“We’re gonna miss it,” I tell Zac, looking out the window of his truck.
“Babe, if I go any faster, we’re gonna get pulled over and really miss it.”
Babe .
My heart doubles it’s unsteady pace. Babe , a word I haven’t heard in years. Such an easy thing to say, but with such a huge impact. Was it on purpose? Probably not, but I’ll take it and keep it.
“Do you care?” I ask, lifting a challenging brow at the handsome man driving like mad down the two-lane highway.
He chuckles softly, shaking his head. “Nah. Not really.” It wouldn’t be his first go-round with the police.
Twisting in my seat, I look at him and I don’t care if he sees me doing it. Zac is so handsome. Not in the classical sense. He’s more real—more raw. Hard where he needs to be and soft where it counts.
“Starin’ at me isn’t gonna get us there faster,” he says, shooting me a sideways glance. I can’t help myself. It’s been far too many years since I’ve gotten the privilege of staring at him. So much more than an unhurried look or stolen glance.
“You watch the road and I’ll watch you.”
Zac barks out a laugh, a sound I hadn’t realized I missed so much until hearing it again. It’s a sound that reminds me of us, our youth.
“You’re gonna get us killed.”
“Don’t wreck, and we’ll be good.”
“That’s not what I’m talkin’ about,” he says quietly. Nadia . She’s going to kill him when—if she hasn’t already—figured out he’s left with me.
~~~~~~
“Looks different up here.”
Everything is overgrown. The grass hits about mid-thigh, and the trees are full of blooms. The old workshop down the road is rusted out and caving in.
“It’s been ten years,” I tell him over my shoulder. What’d he expect?
Sucking in a lungful of air, I’m overwhelmed with the smell of the salty air, the crisp bite of evergreens, and the spice of Zac behind me.
I sigh like a
“How’s the view from up there?” I ask her, leaning back against the cooler, her leg resting next to my shoulder.
I want to touch her, but I don’t. Since this afternoon, everything feels different.
“Parking lot’s beautiful,” she answers wistfully, her voice soft and distant.
“Yeah, it is.” I agree.
I don’t want to stay away from her. I always find myself looking for her in a room, my body always gravitating towards her whenever she’s close. I look for her at stoplights when I drive through town. I hope to run into her at my parents’ place. At the gas station, I look for her car when I’m pumping gas, hoping she’ll pull in. At friend’s houses, I hope like hell she shows. She’s all I ever think about now that she’s back.
We stay in companionable silence for a while. Em is humming quietly to herself while I stand here, enjoying the sound of her voice.
“You wrote that.” It’s not really a question. The melody sounds like Emerson. Low, slow, and sexy. Blues and R&B were always her thing.
“Mmm,” she hums back while keeping the tune, never letting the song fall away.
This is what happiness is. It’s been a long time, but I remember it now that I’ve got it within my grasp again.
The sun is just starting to set, falling behind the never-ending expanse of blacktop in front of us. We’re having an Indian summer, the heat still holding on late into the year.
“Zac, would you do something for me?” Hell, I’d do anything for her.
“Yeah.”
Hopping down, she lands gracefully on her feet next to me. Wearing a long black skirt and a tiny crop top, she’s the picture of sexy.
Holding a multicolored nail painted hand out to me, she waits patiently for me to give in to what we both already know. “Come with me.”
“Where?” I ask, even as I take her hand, ready to follow her to the ends of the earth.
Pulling me towards the parking lot, she smiles. “Anywhere.”
I follow her, crossing that line.
We’re chasing the sunset. Racing the clouds. Following the Pacific.
“We’re gonna miss it,” I tell Zac, looking out the window of his truck.
“Babe, if I go any faster, we’re gonna get pulled over and really miss it.”
Babe .
My heart doubles it’s unsteady pace. Babe , a word I haven’t heard in years. Such an easy thing to say, but with such a huge impact. Was it on purpose? Probably not, but I’ll take it and keep it.
“Do you care?” I ask, lifting a challenging brow at the handsome man driving like mad down the two-lane highway.
He chuckles softly, shaking his head. “Nah. Not really.” It wouldn’t be his first go-round with the police.
Twisting in my seat, I look at him and I don’t care if he sees me doing it. Zac is so handsome. Not in the classical sense. He’s more real—more raw. Hard where he needs to be and soft where it counts.
“Starin’ at me isn’t gonna get us there faster,” he says, shooting me a sideways glance. I can’t help myself. It’s been far too many years since I’ve gotten the privilege of staring at him. So much more than an unhurried look or stolen glance.
“You watch the road and I’ll watch you.”
Zac barks out a laugh, a sound I hadn’t realized I missed so much until hearing it again. It’s a sound that reminds me of us, our youth.
“You’re gonna get us killed.”
“Don’t wreck, and we’ll be good.”
“That’s not what I’m talkin’ about,” he says quietly. Nadia . She’s going to kill him when—if she hasn’t already—figured out he’s left with me.
~~~~~~
“Looks different up here.”
Everything is overgrown. The grass hits about mid-thigh, and the trees are full of blooms. The old workshop down the road is rusted out and caving in.
“It’s been ten years,” I tell him over my shoulder. What’d he expect?
Sucking in a lungful of air, I’m overwhelmed with the smell of the salty air, the crisp bite of evergreens, and the spice of Zac behind me.
I sigh like a
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