Dust

Fuel City

Grayson POV

People think they know everything. They think they know what life is, when they are literally just starting theirs. They rush into adulthood thinking it's all fun and games. Auburn did the same thing. So now I am driving to pick her up considering she thought it'd be a good idea to run away. She said she was at a gas station. Fuel City. As I pull into the parking lot, I glance around for her, yet I don't see her. Putting the car in park and turning it off, I open the door and get out. I know her like the back of my hand, and if she isn't out here, she's inside in the snack aisle. And sure enough, she is. And as soon as she sees me, she comes to me and hugs me.
"What happened?"

"It doesn't matter."
"It does matter. It matters that my ex from 5 years ago called me in the middle of the night, had me drive across states to pick her up, after I hadn't heard from her since she fucking ghosted me after she took my goddamn virginity!"
She flinches from me raising my voice, then turns to look me in my eyes and begins to speak. "The guy that I was with! He's abusive! That's why I called! God."

"That doesn't explain how the hell you made it across the state lines."

"I stopped someone around 23, maybe 24, and asked them to give me a ride, I paid them."

"Smart. But also, pretty fucking stupid"

"Why?"

"They could have killed you, hurt you, kidnapped you, anything could have happened."
She nods and sniffles. Reckless she is.

"Come on, let's go." I say to her, It's a little after midnight, and I am not driving all the way back home this late. I'm already tired. She gets in the car and fiddles with the class ring she has on her necklace. I don't know why she wears it on a chain instead of her hand but whatever. I turn the car on and back up, pulling out of the parking lot and heading towards the direction I saw a hotel at. She stares out the window and I know it's different for her, being back in her hometown, our memories together in every place you can possibly see. She was so young when she left this place. Using one hand to drive, I use the other to reach over and put it on her upper thigh, swiping my thumb back and forth.

"Gray." She says, pushing my hand away. Playing hard-to-get.

"Auburn." I say right back to her and she smirks. She pushes herself all the way over as far from me as she can go and uses her hand to put her fingertips over her mouth, hiding her smile. Though she is pretty far away, she forgets I have long arms, and I reach back over, putting my hand on her thigh again, only this time, it's further up. She crosses her legs. I pull my hand away until we reach Aloft Austin Downtown Hotel.