Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Chapter 16

"Shit, did you see that, man?" Samuel jerked towards him, his childish eyes wide.

Rivers blinked away bolt that had turned the evening white. "Jesus." The sky exploded. "It's getting closer."

Samuel leaned forward to check through the windshield, his gaze jumping left and right. "Yeah. It's gonna hit us good."

"At least we're covered." Rivers shifted deeper into the driver's seat. "I only wish we brought more snacks." He glanced at the back of the pickup cab; a desolate landscape of a rucksack and a white plastic bag they'd used as trash.

"I've got a Mars bar. Wanna share?" Samuel handed the treat over the gearbox.

"No, thanks, man. I'm fine."

Samuel shrugged. "Suits yourself."

The car in front rolled forward, sending River's heart fluttering, only to shatter it when the brake light flashed red an instant later. What the hell was that guy doing? They hadn't moved an inch in nearly two hours.

A waft of fuel invaded his nose, so Rivers closed the window and abandoned his head against it. Across from him, Samuel's face illuminate green with the screen of his Nokia that he killed right away.

"Nothing?"

"No." Samuel ripped a chunk of the Mars, the caramel oozing from the nougat. "Not a single bar."

"Try mine."

Samuel reached inside the glove box for Rivers' Motorola and sighed. "Nothing. And your battery is almost dead, man."

"Oh, really?" Rivers stretched his neck as Samuel tilted the phone to show the blinking icon. "I always forget I have to nurture the damn thing."

A chuckle filled the cab. "I hope you won't say that about your kids." With another bite, Samuel finished the Mars that disappeared behind his caramel lips.

Rivers folded his arms over his chest, simpering. His legs open wider as he settled lower into the seat and his knees brushed Samuel's fidgeting leg that didn't pull away. The twitching continued against his jeans.

"I'm sorry I got you into this, man." Samuel glanced at him, his thumb wiping a smear of caramel from the corner of his mouth. "You would have left tomorrow if I hadn't dragged you away right after the graduation ceremony."

"Nah, don't be silly. I'm sure the traffic will clear up as soon as we pass Irwin." Another bolt of lightning illuminated the green road sign. "It should only be a couple of hours after that." He smirked. "I'll make it in one and a half for you. I can tell you're impatient." He hinted at Samuel's leg. The fidgeting halted.

"Yeah." Samuel leaned back on the seat and, as if it had never stopped, the twitching resumed with a vengeance. It tapped in synchrony with the fine rain that had started to fall. "How long to Cedar City from Vegas?"

"Uh, another couple of hours. I don't expect much traffic at night."

Samuel nodded. "You should let her know you'll be late."

Rivers frowned. Who?

"Your friend."

"Right!" Of course, Samuel would assume. "Eddie and I don't stress it. I'll get there when I'll get there."

"Oh." Samuel let out a nervous chuckle. "I wish my life worked like that."

"Well, my buddy and your fiance aren't exactly the same thing."

Samuel's mouth opened, but nothing followed the scoff the escaped it. He bit his lip and rolled his neck. "Have you known each other long?"

"A few years. We were stationed in Okinawa together." The most dangerous time of his career. "He left the corps when we came back to the US." Or at least that was a nice way of putting it. "I suppose he's much happier now, anyway. He always wanted to pursue teaching or some bullshit like that." Rivers's affection shone through a bitter smile.