A Part of My Memory

Zara

Serena just wasn't shutting up.

I waited for her by the door after packing our snacks and all, but when I saw that her conversation with Reed wasn't ending anytime soon I decided to go to the car before Elliot finished paying for his snacks and decided to speak to me while waiting for Reed.

I was halfway to the truck when the plastic with the drinks suddenly gave in and all the drinks fell to the ground, rolling across the gravel.

Perfect.

I stuffed the useless plastic bag into the plastic with the snacks and began stuffing the drinks into that same plastic with the snacks.

"It'll just rip again," a voice said behind me, and I looked back to see Elliot approaching with two empty plastic bags. He bent down before me and started filling the plastics with the drinks that had fallen, and I honestly couldn't help but note his masculine scent as he moved past me.

"There," he said and stood.

"Thanks," I made to take the plastics from him but he moved them out of my reach.

"I got it."

"Oh," I cleared my throat. "Thanks."

He carried the plastics to the pickup truck and placed them in the trunk with the suitcases.

"Na-ah!" I heard Ally shout from inside the truck. She didn't look back but opened her door only to say, "Bring them in the back with us. Knowing you and Serena, you'll finish them all."

I heard Elliot's soft chuckle, but he opened the door for me and placed the plastics inside.

"I bet ya'll have already snagged a chocolate or two or—" Ally looked back and immediately paused.

Knowing what was coming, I quickly thanked Elliot and shut the car door, but before we could leave Ally was out of the car and making her way around toward us.

"Whoa, who's your friend, Zara?" Ally asked, but I only looked at her, shaking my head and urging her to stop talking. "Don't tell me he's the convertible dude." I only shook my head in answer, praying she didn't say anything forward. But then again, this was Ally, she was definitely going to say something forward.

She didn't bother waiting for an answer but looked around and when she spotted the red convertible she exclaimed, "he is! And he's hot!"

"Ally!"

"What?! I'm pretty sure he already knows he's hot."

"Ally," I groaned, cringing further when I heard Elliot's uncomfortable chuckle.

"And he helped you carry the bags to the car?" Ally noticed. "Hmm, I guess not all nice guys are ugly."

"Oh my gosh, okay," I grabbed her shoulders and spun her around, glancing back at Elliot before saying a quick thank you and forcing Ally forward.

"Wait!" Ally spun out of my hold and opened Faizah's door before declaring, "see Faizah, this is what a hot guy looks like."

Faizah shot Ally a look but said goodbye to whoever she had been talking to on her phone and stuck her head out the door. Her mouth opened but she quickly clamped it shut.

"Ally," she said, but I could tell she was trying not to stare at Elliot. "Can't you see you're torturing the poor guy?"

"Exactly," I agreed, but when Ally opened her mouth to speak I covered it with my hand.

"This is your cue to leave," Faizah said to Elliot. "Trust me."

He glanced at me and offered me a small smile before retreating to his car.