to live for the hope of it all.

Chapter 43

December 18th, 2023

"I want you for worse or for better,
I would wait forever and ever..."

Beckett

4 more hours.

That was the first thing I read on the gps when I came too.

"Thank goodness, I was getting bored," Caleb said, laughing at me from his peripheral as I stretched. "Bailey got you some stuff."

What?

I followed his gaze to the cup holder, where a can of sweet tea sat. A small smile made its way to my face at her getting this for me. Then my gaze left to a light weight on my lap, where a bag of my favorite chips sat, and I beamed.

"Christ, Beckett. It's a drink and a bag of chips," Caleb laughed.

Yeah, but they're from Bailey.

I flipped him off as I grabbed my phone to text her.

Me: Thank you. You didn't have to do that.

Her message came through instantly.

Bailey: I wanted to.

And then a few seconds later.

Bailey: What songs have you been playing for Caleb?

"What did you tell her?" I laughed.

"That y'all are slowly turning me into a Taylor Swift fan," he sighed. I chuckled at how defeated he sounded before turning back to my phone.

Me: We've made it through the entire 1989 album. Are you proud?

Bailey: I am. What's your favorite song from it?

We're playing with fire here.

There's three options I consider telling her, but in my heart I already know which one I'm going to pick.

There's "How You Get The Girl," which is basically a step by step to-do list on how to confess your feelings.

Then there's "Slut!" and it takes me back to the night of Kyle's party after I almost kissed Bailey in the kitchen. She'd been having so much fun as she danced with Wren, and that smile she wore was engraved into my brain.

And then there's the obvious no brainer, "You Are In Love." The song that I coincidentally made into a cliche, and the song that was playing when we kissed for the first time. One I'd be listening to on a loop while thinking back to that moment and how perfect everything felt the moment my lips met hers. I smiled as the lyrics played back in my head, and then I decided to make us even more of a cliche.

Me: Can't you hear it in the silence?

Her response came through seconds later.

Bailey: Wow, that was smooth.

I laughed at her response before setting my phone down and opening the bag of chips in front of me, the smile never once leaving my face.

__________________________________

4 hours later, we pulled onto a snow covered gravel driveway after what felt like we were driving in circles for the last 30 minutes.

Grandpa Matt hadn't been joking when he said this place was in the mountains, and it was a sight to behold. I heard my sister gasp and squeal excitedly from where she held onto Wren's back. Beau took off the second I opened the back door, and I made a mental note to make sure he's dry before letting him inside.