In A Perfect World | Novella

Chapter Seven

The morning came about, of course, quicker since we fell asleep at the wee hours of dawn. We woke to the sound of loud knocking on our window, I jumped up only to realise that I couldn't. Well, that's what happens when you're being held down by what feels like a metal arm that actually — was just an actual arm. But that issue can be dealt with later.

"Good Morning ma'am," the police officer standing outside our window waved and I squinted just enough to let my eyes adjust to the bright sunlight.

I shook James awake and after a few groans and moans, I finally got him to sit up.

After that the rest of the hour was kind of a blur. I was still half asleep through most of it but what I know was I ate a handful of minutes and spoke to the officers who were kind enough to help us out through our tire problems. Lucky for us they were in the early hours of patrol and found us. They had a spare tire and offered to replace it for us. But that's about all I know, James did most of the talking.

"Where were you two headed?" The tall, lean officer asked, hanging his hands on his vest.

"Malibu, sir," I answered as we leaned against the metal rail, watching as his partner and James replaced the tire.

"Still about an hour drive away, this road is rarely taken there,"

"Scenic route I guess." I looked around.

It is scenic alright. Definitely a core memory made.

That was most of the conversation. I don't really know what I expected talking to an officer. At some points he made me think I did something illegal with his leading questions and rather basic questioning tactics. Lucky for him we learn all about police questioning tactics in psychology. Couldn't have fooled me.

When the hour ran to a close, the officers let us off knowing that we did nothing wrong and had only been stranded for a few hours.

Leaving that little ridge after spending the night felt like leaving a summer house. As short of a stay we had, written along with the skid marks were a night filled with memories. I never thought that the most memorable moments of my life would be in some isolated ridge in California with a guy I've practically only known for a little over a month. So, on our drive down to our actual destination while the radio played the soft lulls of Lana Del Rey, I replied the night in my head. From the moment we stopped for the sunset to the moment I woke up in tangles in his arms with no way of knowing how we got there in the first place.

Wind blowing intensely through the windows kept my hair flying around enough that it made me feel like a main character. The girl next door who dreamt of love and hope living in fleeting moments of that chance.

It might be superficial but right now, it's the one reality I know.

There he sat, one hand on the steering wheel and an elbow out the window. Looking over at me now and again and we laugh — we got no reason to but we did anyway.

This is one helluva fever dream.

***

"If I ever implied that your sister's apartment was anything but aesthetically pleasing..." I spun around, my jaw stuck to the floor, "I take it all back."

This place looks magnificent. It might be small, sure, but it's cosy. The bed is lofted up, the only way to get to it was this storage staircase. Then above the bed was this cool french window — you know the kind that's slanted and opens up like a sunroof of some sort. That's the first thing that caught my eye. Then under it was the living room and kitchen just about five steps from the front door and the bathroom is right by the door. But the centre of the whole place wasn't the Boho aesthetic or the sunroof or the cute little throw pillows. It was the big sliding door that opened to this beautiful view of the blue-green ocean. If anything, these studio apartments are separate units — cottages almost — which makes it so much prettier.