Nameless // Van McCann

14. Gone

We spent a few hours at the top before deciding to go back down. Going back down was a lot quicker as it was all downhill. It surprised me that a steady stream of people were still making their way up. Liv unlocked the car and we put our backpacks in the boot of the car. She changed back into more comfortable shoes and I offered to drive us back but she refused, saying she was fine. The hike made me warm so I took off my jacket once we were in the car and I felt the need to shower but we still had a half hour drive until we got home.

On the ride back, we talked about our plan for the rest of the day. We both agreed we didn't want to eat in a restaurant after a hike so we decided on takeaway from a Mexican restaurant and taking it back to my place. Liv parked in the loading zone in front of the restaurant and I quickly got out to pick up our takeaway. As soon as I closed the door, the aroma of our food filled the car, making us hungry. Luckily I didn't live too far from the restaurant. Liv parked the car and opened the boot so I could grab my stuff and head up.

Bondy was out with his mates so it was just Cookie who was home. Bondy had taken him out before leaving which was an hour ago so I figured Cookie was fine until we were done eating. I set my backpack against the wall to unpack later while Liv brought the food to the table. She set her purse and coat on the couch and excused herself to use the bathroom.

As soon as she closed the door, I ran over to the couch. It felt wrong to look through her purse without her permission but I had to know. I managed to find her wallet and opened it in search of her ID. It didn't take long to find it so I took my phone out to snap a photo of the front and back of her ID to look at later. Going through her wallet quickly, I didn't find anything strange. Just her credit card, debit card, insurance cards, and cash. Figuring she was going to finish soon, I put everything away, careful to leave things how she left it.

Even though I got what I wanted, I was afraid she'd come back and know that I looked through her purse. In the meantime, I made myself busy, setting the table and heading over to the fridge to grab some drinks. Liv later emerged from the bathroom, taking a seat at the table. She had fixed her hair and makeup. Despite having just come back from a hike, she was still beautiful. Now I wondered what I looked like. My hair was probably a mess from sweating and pushing my hair back one too many times.

"Do ya want anything to drink? I've got beer, wine, fizzy drinks, and water," I told her, looking at what we had.

"What kind of beer do you have?" she questioned.

"I've got lager and IPA."

"I'll take IPA."

I grabbed two bottles and brought them over to the table. She wasted no time in tucking into her food as she was already eating the tacos she ordered. A piece of chicken fell out of her taco as she took a bite and she laughed, licking her fingers.

"I'm starving. Quit looking at me eat!" she scolded, holding up a napkin to cover her face. I laughed at how daft she was being so I opened my takeaway.

"Okay, I'm not looking anymore. Do you want some of my burrito?" I offered. I keep forgetting how massive the portions at this place are.

"Sure. I'll trade you a taco," she answered.

I stood up to get a knife and cut my burrito, giving her a portion. She gave me a taco in return and we just sat there eating. Cookie took turns going back and forth between the both of us begging for scraps of food. We were ignoring him so he'd whine and paw at our legs to get our attention. He had moved onto Liv and she looked down, smiling at Cookie.

"You can't eat this, sorry," she said sweetly.

The tiredness was settling in. All I wanted to do was lay down and never get up. The hike exhausted me and the food I just ate wasn't helping. After eating, I boiled some water in the kettle for tea and I had to tell Liv to not wash the dishes but she didn't listen. After downing my tea, I excused myself to the bathroom. I was craving a cigarette and was surprised I went this long without smoking but some part of me didn't want Liv to know that I smoke even though I'm sure she suspects it.