fade to black | james hetfield [1]

thirty six

chapter thirty six: going to california

Iris was finally moving away from this shitty town. It was something she fantasized about for years, but now that it was becoming a reality with James in it, she was practically bouncing with excitement.

Of course, it didn't happen overnight. She had to get all her things together and get ready to move out of her own apartment, but James was by her side through most of it.

It would take more than a week to finally empty her apartment and pack the car with her things. It was surreal, Iris had to pinch herself to remind herself that she was really going through with this.

The day they planned to leave, she woke up, went to her job for the last time, took her last paycheck, and quit. She didn't look back, ready to move on with her life and start fresh somewhere else.

Iris stood in her empty apartment, the place that she called "home" over the past couple of years. A place that had seen and put her through her lowest. It was a bit odd to leave it all behind now.

"Ready to go?" James touched her arm lightly, snapping her out of her trance.

Iris jumped a bit and nodded. "Yeah."

Everything seemed to move in slow motion, and something was pulling at Iris like she shouldn't go through with this. But she pushed it to the back of her mind.

"Is there anyone you want to say goodbye to?" James asked as they both climbed into the front seats.

Iris thought it over for a minute as if she had someone else to say goodbye to. There was no one else by her side besides James. To hell with everybody else in this place.

She shook her head and smiled. "No." Iris genuinely felt happiness for the first time in a while. In just a few hours, her life was going to change forever.

James didn't say anything else and put his foot on the gas, driving off. Iris watched as this horrible town passed her by, the dark cloud finally passing over.

They passed by the bar that had brought them together in the first place. Bittersweet memories played in Iris's mind as she thought about how different life had become since that night. Never would she have thought it would bring them here.

While he drove on the highway, Iris sifted through what CDs she was going to play next. He tapped his finger against the wheel while she sat in the passenger seat yelling out lyrics, a testament to how she was feeling.

Later on, when the music had become calmer, Iris began to tell James about her fears associated with moving away. James held her hand with his free one, hoping it would help to calm her nerves. 

He tried his best to offer words of support, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous either. He never thought things would change this quickly, and a part of him feared that maybe they were moving too fast.

Iris kept her eyes out the window for most of the ride, admiring the passing trees and the sun that began to set. She grabbed James's arm every other minute, pointing out something that she thought was worth looking at.

The trip turned out to be a long one which meant they didn't arrive the same day. With the numerous stops they made to get food and use the bathroom, night fell while they were still on the road. 

James decided they would have to get off the road for the night. They chose to sleep in the car rather than spend extra money staying at a shitty roadside hotel. Besides, they needed to save money for gas and food for the next day.

They moved to the backseat, albeit uncomfortable, but found a way to make it work for the one night they would sleep in the car. They weren't going to pass up a night to themselves where they were cuddled up to each other.

James had his arm around Iris, who was resting her head on his chest. They lay there silently, Iris listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. There was nothing that needed to be said, and she felt content with staying like this.

Eventually, Iris began to have a mindless conversation with him that quickly turned into talking about the future. She voiced all the hopes and dreams that she had, and James promised she would never be alone on that journey.

The conversation would last for hours, but that was okay with them. Time always seemed to stand still whenever they were with each other. It was nice to forget about things for a while.

Even if the conversation would eventually drift into silence, the night didn't end there. Overcome with love for her, James pulled her close and kissed her deeply, leading to another lovemaking session that left them both breathless.

The next morning they would get back on the road, talking about whatever came to mind and listening to music. James would occasionally sneak glances at Iris, watching her while she looked out the window.

James could notice the change that was already starting to take place. Just like he told her all those months ago, she was acting like that beautiful person that she kept hidden inside. And he couldn't be more grateful to have her.

And so, they made it to California, and Iris watched with anticipation as they came closer to where they would be staying.

It was a weird feeling. She wasn't excited, but she wasn't nervous. It was almost like she was at peace now. 

Like she was finally free.