Travis stood in the clearing in the forest, his entire world spinning around his head
Gone...
Taylor and the camper van were gone
He'd left it too late, thought too much, let his fear of the past rob him of his future
"Fuck" he said out loud, letting his long fingers push roughly into his hair "FUCK!!"
He had imagined him and Taylor in the van travelling down from Canada to America, their voices singing songs just to keep them awake and then the moments when the van was still, his hands moving, exploring, her voice moaning in appreciation
And then there was the silence. The noise that let him know he had left it too late
"FUUUUCK!" He yelled loudly whilst slamming his palm into the trunk of a tree and then he paused. In his life he had lost so much, had so much taken from him and there had been nothing he could do to stop it, nothing he could do to bring what he had lost back but this... Taylor, their future, no matter how long it lasted or what form it took, that he could do something about.
Running to his car he jumped in and started it up, reversing with such speed the tyres screeched and the air filled with a mix of smoke and dust
Heading along the narrow woodland road he tried to think where she would go, to retrace her steps. She was heading south of the border so she would be heading for the freeway. Travis forced his foot down, begging his car to go faster, to close the distance sooner.
'Thunder' was an old van, it didn't go very fast so Travis prayed as he pulled out on to the freeway that she hadn't got too far
70...80...
He was speeding, if the cops caught him he would be charged, if he crashed at this speed...
He pushed that thought as far from his mind as possible, marvelling as he always did that he was able to drive and so far had done it with relative ease and hadn't suffered the flashbacks he had feared would hamper his ability to learn
He weaved in and out of traffic, ignoring the horns of the other drivers who he was sure thought he was crazy or had a death wish but he had to find that van, had to claim the life he so desperately wanted instead of the life he had been left with after he had everything taken from him
"Come on Tay, don't be gone, please don't be gone"
In and out of the traffic he drove honking in desperation for cars to get out of his way and then just as he was beginning to lose faith he spotted the white van he had been so desperately searching for
"TAYLOR!" He yelled out loud, aware that no one could hear him but unable to keep his excitement inside of himself.
Slamming his hand into his horn over and over he didn't think she could hear him or thought he was a crazy person but suddenly the van began to slow and pull over
"Yes!" He yelled In triumph "yes!"
Pulling his car up behind the now still van he jumped out and ran to the passenger door and looked up at a very confused looking Taylor
"For the record you nearly gave me a heart attack, I thought some crazy person had escaped from somewhere and was chasing me down to rape me or murder me or probably both"
Travis laughed loud, in fact too loud, his nervous energy making everything louder and brighter and funnier
"You've seen too many horror movies and not enough romcoms" he laughed
"Oh is that what this is? You chased me down to make a crazy declaration of love?" She raised an eyebrow and smirked as his already pink cheeks darkened
"Let's call it a declaration of 'like' and work from there"
"And how do you propose we do that when I'm leaving and you're staying?"
"By you moving into the passenger seat and letting me come with you"
Travis' heart was hammering so fast he feared he might hyperventilate or black out on the side of the road but Taylor seemed in no hurry to put him out of his misery as she gazed ahead and then finally turned to face him
"No" She said, that one word feeling like a physical blow and he felt his knees begin to buckle "I drive, you're in the passenger seat" she said firmly before breaking into a fit of giggles "You're face!"
"I almost died" he said leaning against the side of the van "You almost killed me"
"Pay back for making me think I was being chased down by some weirdo"
"Well to be honest you were"
"That's true"
Finally Travis moved around the van and took his seat in the passenger side
"Where's your stuff?" The girl asked in confusion
"I have my wallet and my passport, that's all I need"
"And your car?"
"Someone will steal it I'm sure, I left the keys in it"
Taylor laughed and then reached over and touched his arm "Are you ready to have an adventure?"
"Beyond ready. Let's go make some crazy memories" he reached over and kissed her lips gently "Let's hit the road baby!"
Their gentle laughs filled the air of the van as Taylor pulled it out into the stream of traffic and headed for the border
