This is a sequel to my story, Girl Crush. Eddie did it! '86 was indeed his year! He graduated and now him and Dani are headed off on their grand adventure for the summer. They are heading west in his van and hitting all kinds of stops along the way...
The strong, harsh, chemical smell of spray paint hit Dani's nose long before the day-glo Cadillacs came into view. She looked out the window, waiting for her first glimpse of the half-buried cars that had become pieces of art. This was another Route 66 spot, an abandoned field where some hippies built this tribute to the Cadillac tailfin.
Eddie's hand slid along the seat, his fingers finding hers, dancing across them lightly as if asking for permission. She wrapped her own around his. Dani had noticed how touchy he'd been. Eddie was always touchy, but never more so than when he needed assurance that everything was okay.
Everything was not okay, but Dani was choosing to put it to the side for now. They obviously couldn't have the conversation they needed to in front of Kevin and Missy. So, it would have to wait, and there was no point in ruining the entire day with tension and anger. But she hoped he knew he wasn't getting out of it. He was going to tell her what the hell was going on as soon as they were alone again.
"I was thinking tonight might be a good night to sleep outside," Eddie said softly, taking her holding his hand as an invitation and scooching closer across the seat. "It's perfect weather for it. We could find some place under the stars, just you and me."
"Yeah, we'll see," Dani murmured, nodding. She knew he was needy right now but she didn't have the emotional capacity to baby him at the moment. It was taking every ounce of self-control she had to ignore the gnawing feeling that was churning in her gut.
"Oh, there's this great K.O.A. campground not too far from here," Kevin offered. "We stayed there last night. It's only ten bucks a night and then you don't have to worry about anyone hassling you about parking somewhere you shouldn't."
"That's a good idea," Eddie agreed, turning to Dani with a smile. "What do you think?"
"Sure. Whatever," she mumbled, laying her head back against the seat and turning to the window again to watch for the Cadillacs, anything that meant she didn't have to engage in small talk with him.
"There they are," Missy squealed, pointing out the windshield to where you could make out ten cars sticking straight out of the dirt.
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Kevin pulled alongside the road and parked. He hustled around the side of the truck to offer Missy his hand as she hopped down and out. Eddie attempted to do the same but Dani jumped down quickly, heading straight for the Cadillacs. She reminded herself that she had to act normal if she didn't want some strangers asking her what was going on.
Eddie hurried up next to her, offering her that boyish smile that always caused her to come undone. He held his hand out to her, those doe eyes as pleading and sweet as they could be, and she sighed, taking it. She could do this, just a few hours and then she could interrogate the shit out of him and find out what he was hiding from her.
Kevin had his arm around Missy's waist, playfully burying his nose against her hair and she was giggling. They were clearly head over heels for one another, but Dani could not imagine getting married right now. She loved Eddie completely, and she knew she wanted him to be the one. He was the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life, to have babies with, to walk down the aisle with, but not yet.
