Journey (3)

Chapter 23

CONNOR'S POV (still):

(author note: i really didn't anticipate that last chapter to be so long but okayy😭)

blind spot- maddie zahm

When I stop my car right outside the bar, I can see Tessa, standing unsteadily out front. I hope that she sees my car and walks over, but she isn't even looking in my direction. Instead, she is starting off into the distance, probably too zoned out to even register that I am here. 

I get out of the car and walk towards her. "Tessa," I say, and she turns her head to face me. "Come on," I say, starting to walk back to my car. Tessa follows me, not saying a word. For someone who had a lot to say on the phone earlier, she is oddly silent. 

I open her car door, and wait for her to step in. She seems a lot more out-of-it than I had anticipated. "Come on," I say, softly, placing a hand on her back to guide her into the seat. "That's it," I say, as she is finally seated. I close her door, and walk over to my side. 

"Are you driving me home?" Tessa asks, seeming a million miles away. She sighs, leaning back against her seat. That's when I notice that she isn't even wearing a seatbelt. If I rolled my eyes right now, Tessa would probably be too spaced out to notice, but I still don't take the risk. 

"Tessa, your seatbelt," I say, gesturing to it. She doesn't seem to move. "Tessa," I say again, tapping her arm. Her eyes seem like they're seconds away from closing. So, now she's tired? 

"What?" Tessa says, groggily. "My seatbelt." She nods, fumbling with the seatbelt. I've known her a long time, and have never seen her act like this. She holds the seatbelt in one of her hands, seeming to momentarily forget how they work. 

"Okay," I say. I can't watch this anymore. I sigh, taking Tessa's seatbelt from her hand. I adjust it and pull it over her. She doesn't move as I stretch the seatbelt over her chest. If anything, she seems to relax into me. "Clip it in there," I tell her. I have no idea why I have to remind Tessa how to use a seatbelt. 

After a few seconds, Tessa finally clips her seatbelt in, and then instantly relaxes back into the seat again. I feel temporarily envious of her. I would love to be back in my apartment, relaxing just as she is, but now it seems I'm going on a late-night car journey.

Tessa's hand reaches out and brushes the buttons on the radio. She clicks the button and within a few seconds, music comes blaring out of the radio. I sigh, deeply. This is only going to add to the migraine that I'm sure that I'm going to wake up with tomorrow morning. 

"Really?" I say, quietly, not even sure if Tessa is going to hear it. She doesn't seem to be responding to anything else that I'm saying or doing. I turn to Tessa. Her eyes are closed, and for a moment I wonder whether somehow she has fallen asleep. 

"It's the radio," Tessa says, opening her eyelids slightly. So she isn't asleep. That answers my question then. Tessa's hand reaches over to the volume button and for a moment, I am wondering whether she is doing all of this to frustrate me on purpose, some kind of weird payback for not telling her about Ava. 

"I know what it is," I say, sighing. "But why are you listening to the radio, now?" Whatever she's doing to get on my nerves, it's working, and it's working well. When Tessa, doesn't respond, I try again. "Tessa? The radio? What are you doing?"

"Can we pull over?" Tessa asks me, out of nowhere. "I feel sick." Her voice wavers at the last part. I know how much Tessa hates being ill. "It's all the...drinks..." she tells me, as if I don't already know all of that.

I point to the plastic water bottle in the glove compartment. "Have some water," I tell her. "And your nausea will pass. Just take a few deep breaths and drink the water." It's a reassurance that I'm not completely sure of, but I want Tessa to stay calm. I really don't have the energy to do anything if she starts worrying.