𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗡𝗔 ↝︎ ᵍʳᵃʰᵃᵐ ᵈᵘⁿⁿᵉ

𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚, 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙣𝙩

track two: i'll take you there

BLAIRE: Going to California was life-altering, that's for sure. There was a part of my mind that worried about my parents finding me, but after remembering the punch Graham gave my dad, I was sure I was safe.

INTERVIEWER: Is there anything you would have liked your younger self to know?

BLAIRE: I would've liked my younger self to know not to be so naive. Nowhere is safe. Just because my parents were in a completely different state didn't mean I was safe from other dangers.

Sitting in the van with Warren's legs propped on my lap, I scribbled whatever I could think of. Lyrics were practically popping out of nowhere, but I still couldn't find a deeper connection to them. Groaning, I scribbled it out. Dreadfully making the mistake of letting my gaze stray, I made eye contact with Graham. In a single glance, his eyes said more than words ever could, prompting me to look away.

Throughout the entire drive to California, I had been overlooking Graham's concerned gazes. Whenever he wanted to talk about it during pit stops, I altered the conversation with efficiency. If that didn't work, I would simply leave.

"Blaire, we're here." Warren said, moving his legs to hop out of the van. Heading up to Rod Reyes' house felt like we were taking steps closer to our dream. With her boyfriend by her side, Camila rang the buzzer, delighted to see him so enthusiastic about making our dream come true.

In a robe, Rod opened the glass door, befuddled. He examined our faces, trying to match them to where he had seen us before. "Rod, it's Billy Dunne from the Dunne Brothers. We met at the staircase in Pittsburgh. You said I could call."

"But you didn't call. You're just... here," he said with a little hand gesture. His eyes landed on me, sparking a glint of recognition. Behind him, a woman trailed down the stairs, unaware of our presence.

"Can we have ten minutes of your time, please?" I asked, knowing Billy was having a tough time getting the guy to invite us inside. Prominent annoyance displayed in his behavior, he left the door open and strolled away, silently telling us to follow. Not wanting to miss the chance we had been waiting for, we listened and followed close behind.

We settled down around his pool, making it impossible for me not to admire his home. It was everything I expected it to be — extravagant and expensive, something completely foreign to me.

"Can you imagine, living in a place like this?" Graham asked, following my gaze. I shook my head in response. He took a seat next to me, our thighs and shoulders touching.

"I feel like it would get lonely," I admitted.

"Maybe it wouldn't if you had a roommate," he said. In a mere whisper, he added, "One named Graham Dunne maybe?"

"If I don't have a restraining order against you in the near future, perhaps," I replied.

"A maybe is good enough for me." he declared, making me beam involuntarily.

I didn't even notice that the others had listed things they would need until Rod replied, "Are you a bunch of fucking idiots? Do you really think this is how it works? You show up to town and someone hands you a key to the city? A sit down with Teddy Price?"

I wanted to scold them for asking for so much, but I couldn't blame them. They originally assumed that Rod Reyes would take care of everything. They almost had me believing it. Ostensibly, we were wrong.

"But when we were back in Pittsburgh, you said —," Billy trailed off. Sensing his consternation and climbing worry, Camila caressed his arm, not needing words to communicate what she was thinking.