Grand Adventure

Chapter 10

 Dani quietly slipped out from the sleeping bag the next morning. Standing up, she stretched out all of her muscles, a bit sore from sleeping on the ground. Glancing down, she looked at the still sleeping form of her boyfriend, who had spent a good deal of the night whining and holding his stomach.

After dinner, Kevin and Missy had driven them back to the van. Eddie had held it together for a bit, trying to play like he wasn't regretting his choices in front of the others, but he was clearly uncomfortable. Dani had taken pity on him and grabbed the keys. He hadn't been keen on her driving but had no desire to drive either so he'd given in.

They had stopped at a drugstore to grab some tums and then Eddie had meandered further down, grabbing something else that he kept hidden from her. Dani had laughed, pretty sure she knew what it was. It was sweet that he didn't want her to think about him and his bodily functions but she was well aware he had them and that it was going to be an issue for him after eating almost five pounds of steak.

Dani hadn't brought up the secret he was keeping again. Eddie was in no condition to try to have the kind of conversation she needed from him. So, she'd given him the tums and pretended like she didn't see him take the laxative he'd bought. They'd lain in the sleeping bag and she'd gently rubbed his stomach until he fell asleep. At some point in the night, she'd felt him hurry out of the sleeping bag and he disappeared for a while but she'd ignored it and fallen back asleep.

She wandered a bit away from the van, climbing up on a boulder and pulling her knees into her chest. They had nixed the idea of a campground, it having been pretty late by the time they were ready to park. Eddie had found a pretty spot, a bit away from the road so hopefully they wouldn't be noticed. It was a sea of reddish soil, dotted with bits of green here and there. There were trees, but it looked nothing like Indiana.

Dani found that this was one of her favorite things about traveling. She loved watching as the landscape changed, the soil changed colors, the trees looked different, there were mountains or hills. She looked forward to what else they were going to see. She just had to get him to talk to her first so she could truly enjoy the trip without this cloud of concern floating over her.

Dani had been relieved to hear him say that it had nothing to do with them, but something was obviously going on and for the life of her, she couldn't think what it could be. They were on the trip of a lifetime, the one they'd talked about for years. They were together. They were having a good time, at least she thought they were. So, what could cause those chocolate eyes to be so anxious right now? What could be so bad that he didn't want to tell her?

"There you are," Eddie said, sliding up onto the boulder next to her her. He wound his arms around her, pulling her against him. "I woke up and you were gone. I was worried about you. I thought a coyote got you or something."

Dani laughed, leaning into him, "I don't think coyotes generally just attack humans. I think I'm good."

"You never know," he murmured, "I mean, you are pretty delicious. They might not be able to resist." He attacked her then, nibbling her ear and her neck and she squealed in laughter. His hand slid under her shirt and she shoved it right back out, hopping down from the rock.

"Nope. You don't get to do that," she stated, turning to him with her hands on her hips, plastering the most serious look she could manage on her face. This was harder than it sounded when Eddie was sitting right in front of her.

"I don't get to do what? Kiss you? Touch you? You love it when I do that."

"Yeah, I do, but you're not distracting me right now," Dani insisted. "You told me once we were alone that we could talk about whatever shit you're obviously hiding from me. Well..." She held her arms in the air and spun in a circle. "We could not be more alone right now. Nobody and nothing around for miles, probably. So, what in the hell is going on?"