West [ COMPLETED ]

XVI

" Are we stopping for gas?" I asked, as Weston turned into a somewhat busy highway off the interstate.

"Yeah, and food."

"Yay," I said, not feeling it. Every since this morning I had been feeling slightly nauseous and the thought of food turned my stomach.

"What are you in the mood for?"

"Nothing honestly, I'm not hungry," I said, expecting his next words.

"You played the not hungry card this morning, use a new one. "

"Ummmm...I'm actually feeling kinda nauseous," I said.

"Oh...you pregnant?" He asked, eyes wide with mock surprise.

"Shut up." I rolled my eyes. "I'm like...the highest level of virgin you could get bro. "

"Except for you've been sleeping with me," he said, winking and clicking his teeth.

I gasped and punched his thigh, hoping to give him a dead leg.

"Hey, stop," he protested, laughing.

" I have never even been kis-" I stopped when I realized that wasn't true anymore.

"Yeah?"

"Okay, other than you and your...demonstration for my personal experience kiss, I've never kissed anyone. I've never had a boyfriend in all my eighteen years of living. "
I found myself telling him this when really I didn't want him knowing that I was so inexperienced as all that.

"Really?" He asked.

"...Yeah," I said reluctantly.

"Why not? You're not that ugly."

I glared at him, trying not to smile back at his cheeky grin.

"I wasn't allowed to til I was eighteen, also guys my age suck so I just haven't found anyone impressive enough yet. Gay skater dudes with vapes aren't exactly my type and unfortunately that's the main type that inhabits where my cousins live."

"Ahh...gotcha," he said, nodding his head. "Makes sense. Well I would introduce you to my brothers but I already have, and honestly they're a bunch of asses even if they aren't gay vaping skater dudes."

"Yeah. It's okay, I appreciate it but I'll be fine," I said, giving him a close lipped smile.

"Alright," he said, shrugging and smiling.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

We left the restaurant and headed back to the truck, but I stopped, confused when Weston walked to the passenger side.

"Do - you want me to drive?" I asked him quizzically.

"Ha, get over here Avery I'm opening your door."

I walked towards him with an embarrassed smile on my face.

"Thank you..."

"No problem," he said, shutting the door after I climbed in and going around to the driver's side.

"Hasn't anyone ever opened your door for you before?" He asked me.

"...No," I replied honestly.

" Well it's my pleasure to be the first," He said with a nod. He reached for his keys but then retracted his hand, putting it on the seat next to me and putting his other elbow on the steering wheel.

"Ave, you know..." He seemed to hesitate, as if searching for the right words. " I'm glad you came along Ave, it's been really fun. You're good company. And I wish-" his phone rang, and he glanced down at it, irritation crossing his face. He looked back up at me. " It's been really fun is all," and he chucked my chin with his finger, giving me a wink before he answered his phone and put the truck in reverse.

I wanted to know what he was going to say before his phone rang, what he wished, but I stopped thinking about it the second I heard a high girlish voice on the other end of his phone.

It wasn't on speaker but I could hear every word, even over the rumble of his truck because of the high pitched, clear voice on the other side.

"Wes honey how is your trip going?"

"It's-its going good Ashley..." He glanced at me and I looked away, pretending not to care.

"What time are you getting here tomorrow?"

"Ahh I'm not sure... probably afternoon sometime."

"Okay well I just want to let you know I've got the cabin all fixed up for you and so you don't have to worry about finding a hotel, it's really pretty cute inside and I'm sure you're going to like it. "

"That's awesome Ashley I appreciate it." He buckled himself in with one hand and a knee on the steering wheel as we came to a stop at a red light.

"Yeah, and Casey wants to know if you are bringing your dog because his doesn't get along with others so we don't want to bring him if you have yours."

"Oh naw, I don't have him anymore, it's fine, bring him."

"Okay sounds good...it's been so longgggg I'm so excited to see you Wessss," she crooned.

"Yeah me too...Ashley," Weston said, and I could tell he was looking at me when he said it, but I was looking out the window. Trying to tell myself it was okay, that I didnt care, that maybe this wasn't his girlfriend, that it didn't matter if it was because I knew all along that there was no way Weston would ever see me the way I saw him. But it still hurt. A steady ache was rising in my heart, throbbing more with every word that came out of that girls mouth.

They talked for another good half hour, and Ashley did most of the talking, but Weston didn't seem to be trying to hang up either. I felt even sicker by the minute, and I knew that if Weston tried to talk to me when he hung up I would not be able to hold back my tears, and so I leaned my seat back all the way, kicked my feet up on the dashboard, put my hat over my face, and pretended to sleep.

"Okay, I'll see you later then, love ya!" Ashley said.

"Yeup, see ya, love you too," Weston said quietly, and I heard him toss his phone on the dash.

"Avery." He spoke quietly.

I ignored him. The tears were already burning my eyes as I knew they would.

"Hey Ave, you awake?" He tried again, reaching out to grasp my leg and gently shaking my thigh.

I didn't respond, just clenched my jaw to try to keep the tears in. It was humiliating, to be pitied by the person you loved, especially when they saw you as a kid, whose feelings didn't count, when you knew just how deep those feelings went. So until I was able to get over what I just overheard, I was going to have to ignore Weston, because my pride could not stand to see the pity in his eyes as he tried to comfort me.

He sighed deeply and turned the radio on, and eventually I did drift off to sleep.