In Exchange [H.S.]

II

"How much longer does the GPS say?" Wynnie asks as she takes a bite of the beef jerky stick she grabbed at one of the numerous gas stations we had stopped at.

I take a peek at her phone that's hooked into the holder mounted on her dashboard. "Just shy of an hour."

Wynnie's car was a bit older, and she didn't have the GPS built into it like most modern cars do, so we had to pull it up on her phone.

"Fucking finally," she sighs, crunching the wrapper to her snack up in her hand and passing it over to me so I can put it into the designated 'trash' bag.

"Don't like being in a car with me for the past sixteen hours, Wynnie? I'm a little offended here."

I can see she rolls her eyes which causes me to smirk as I pop a sour gummy worm into my mouth. "You forget that I've driven this entire way without sleeping so that we could get there as fast as possible."

"I haven't forgotten that," my eyebrows narrow as I shake my head. "I told you that I didn't mind driving for a few hours so you could sleep."

"Harry, I appreciate that, but I'm sure if you were in my shoes, you'd be a little hesitant on taking that offer up as well."

Pursing my lips to the side, I look out the window at the sunrise that's blanketing over the desert we currently found ourselves in. She was right. I wouldn't necessarily trust her right away either, but I hope that eventually I can break down that barrier with her. Regardless of what I do, I like to think of myself as a pretty decent guy. I don't lie outside of my job, and even then, I only do it when it's necessary. I use my manners when I'm out. I hold doors for people, and help the elderly cross the street.

When I'm with a woman, I'm loyal to her. I don't sleep around.

If someone were to ask me, I would say that I have a good moral compass.

"I agree," I finally say, looking back over to Wynnie as she glances over at me quickly before looking to the road again. "I would be just as skeptical as you. You'd have to earn my trust."

"Exactly," she muses as she rubs her thumbs against the worn leather of her steering wheel. It's clear that it's a nervous habit of hers considering it's the one part of her wheel that shows such significant wear. "Depending on how much time we spend together, I'm sure we can get to a point where maybe I can trust you, but for now, I have to have my guard up. My sister is the most important person in my life. I'll do whatever it takes to get her back."

A sinking feeling festers in my guts when I hear those words, and I swallow harshly as I look back out the window. It shouldn't surprise me to hear her say that. It's just becoming incredibly obvious that she would absolutely throw me in the line of fire if it came down to her sister and I. Again, I don't blame her for that, it's to be expected. If I had siblings, I'm sure I'd feel the same way.