Festive Fake

3 - No wonder you didn't want to go.

Nate offered to drive, which was nice, but I wanted to. The sun hadn't risen, I'd already been up for hours, and I needed something new to focus on.

Breakfast sounded good to both of us, so we stopped at the first available drive thru. The smell of below average coffee and greasy sausage made my tummy rumble as I passed Nate the brown paper bag.

"We'll stop for some better coffee when we pass a Dunkin or something, okay?" I asked after taking a sip of the too bitter liquid.

"Sounds great to me." Nate handed me my sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit.

"Thanks." I unwrapped it, took a bite, humming. "These things are so bad for you, but I love them." He shoved half his sandwich in his mouth, and I laughed. "I guess you like them too."

When he finished chewing, he said, "Getting up this early, we deserve the extra calories."

We were quiet for a minute as we ate and I focused on the traffic. Of course, the only slow car on the road had to be in front of me. Flipping the blinker on, I passed them before taking another bite.

"They only gave us one hash brown," Nate said, rummaging in the bag. "Do you want to split it?"

"That's yours. I didn't order one. Did you already finish your sandwich?"

He patted what I could only assume were six-pack abs and pulled a container of pancakes from the bag. "That thing is long gone. Now, for a breakfast taco."

There weren't any on the menu, so my attention split between driving and what Nate was doing. He broke the hash brown in half and folded a piece inside a pancake, shaping it like a hard taco shell.

"Gross."

"Have you tried it?" He wagged the food at me.

"No thanks, that's all yours."

It was gone in a matter of seconds, and he was making another one. I shook my head. "It's deeply unfair that you eat that and look like this." I waved my fingers indicating his entire body.

"This is vacation food. I don't eat this every day."

His breakfast for two disappeared before I'd finished my biscuit. He wiped his hands and collected the trash. "That was tasty. Oh! There's a Sprinkles coming up on the next exit." He pointed at the glowing sign.

"Awesome! I need caffeine, but I'd rather not drink this." I set the still full cup down before switching lanes and merging onto the off ramp just as my phone rang through the car's speakers and Laurel's name popped up on the screen. Pressing the button, Nate and I both said hello.

"Two of my favorite people!" Laurel's chipper voice filled the car. "I'm so glad this worked out."

"Me too." Nate smiled at me.

"I was sure Liv would revolt." Laurel took a loud slurp, and I pictured her sitting on the window seat in her breakfast nook with her morning coffee. "I love you, girl. But doing something rash isn't really your style, and even I know this is wild. When I woke up without a text from Nate saying you left him, I was shocked."

My shoulders drooped because she was right. I'd always do whatever was expected of me. When did I get so boring?

As I turned into the Sprinkles parking lot, I took a deep breath preparing to confess my minor breakdown, but Nate spoke first. "Not today. When I got there, Livy-poo was packed and ready to go."

Pulling into a spot, I mouthed thank you as Laurel cracked up. "Livy-poo? Maybe spend some time working on the pet names while you're driving."

"I'll work on it." Nate grinned. "You chat, I'll run in and get the coffee. What do you want?"