ᖴO᙭
The highway smells like tar, salt, and warm grass. Noah's driving with me beside him, and the girls are in the back with Jed. A bag of Cool Ranch Doritos exploded across the upholstery and Jed opened a box of Oreos just to lick the filling and put them back.
"I'm just saying, how many dinners does one need to go to? Is this an Olive Garden hostage situation?" Cam tosses the Twizzlers into the footwell. "Walker's got, what, two brain cells? One of them's thumping his chest and the other's just waiting for its turn. Whitney was supposed to be with us today!"
Jed says, "This vibe is aggressive."
We're fifty minutes in, but it feels like we've been driving for hours.
I side-eye the backseat chaos in the mirror. Chris is tucked between Cam and Jed, her legs folded under my newest GoldwenU Medical Program hoodie.
Chris's gaze is fixed out the window. She points at a retro diner on the side of the road, all neon lights and chrome accents. "I love that one. Look at the sign—Eggs Till Dawn. Isn't that great?"
Nine days out of the hospital, and she's finding beauty everywhere again. I've never wanted to kiss someone for pointing out a diner before, but here we are.
"Sounds like a threat," Cam mutters. "What happens at dawn?"
Chris ignores her, pointing again. A theatre with an Art Deco marquee. "Imagine seeing a movie there!" She's wide-eyed and glowing like streetlights flicked on in her chest.
I'm fighting today. But what the hell is it for? It's not my career. It's not my future. I have no plans to take this beyond today. This was supposed to be an outlet, a way to control the things I can't.
But everything's different now.
My chest tightens at the thought of a busted hand. Surgery isn't forgiving of mistakes. Medicine doesn't allow for error. And Chris—she wants me whole.
"Are you excited about Spain?" Noah asks Jed.
"The stars over Spain will speak Spanish. But the sky will stay the same. Isn't that strange?" He hesitates. "It is necessary I go."
Necessary. Like eating. Like breathing. Like Chris smiling out the window of this overheated Bronco while I sit here, wondering how the hell I'm supposed to punch a man in the face tonight.
ｃｈｒｉｓ
I sit, arms tight around my backpack. The office smells like lemon cleaner.
Cam lounges before me signing the last form. Her hair is slicked back, her nose still yellow-green, and she looks like she could storm the ring herself.
My grip tightens on the straps, my knuckles going pale. To distract myself, I pull the straps of my backpack onto my lap, unzipping it slowly. Inside is my notebook—soft, worn, a butterfly on the cover. I flip it open to the page I worked on a few days ago.
ᴏᴘᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴄʜʀɪꜱ (𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶𝑎𝑚!)
1. 𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑦 𝑝𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠
2. 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑎𝑡... 𝑦𝑜𝑔𝑎?
I turn the notebook toward Cam, biting my lip.
"Stretchy pants, calm vibes. Very zen."
"You think it's possible?"
YOU ARE READING
Beside
Romance''Tell me how it feels,'' he whispers. "Good," I gasp, my entire body trembling. Deeper. Harder. Perfect -- like we've been doing this for years. His hand finds my jaw, fingers firm as he tilts my head up, making me look at him. And that's it. Wav...
