Roads and Romances | ✓

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

"Once the travel bug bites, there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happily infected until the end of my life." -Michael Palin

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Everett's Point of View

     "Jesus Christ."

     "What?" Leo glances around my frame and into the room. I hear her gasp lightly.

     "Well, I'm going back to the lobby, so-"

     "No," I'm quick to interrupt her, touching her arm without looking at her. "It's fine. I promise to stay on my side of the bed," I look towards her and smirk, "but I highly doubt you'll be able to resist this."

     She shakes her head, glancing at me, and walks towards the bathroom. "You're so weird, Everett."

     Almost as soon as she closes the bathroom door behind her, my phone rings in my back pocket. I dig it out and groan as I reluctantly answer the call. "Hello?"

     "Everett Kennedy, where in the world are you?We've been looking all over town! The teachers said you weren't at school, so I went home early from work and saw you weren't there either. So I..."

     As my father goes on and on about my absence, I listen to the sounds of Leo in the bathroom. She sings quietly while she showers, and I almost instantly recognize the song. "So honey, now, take me into your loving arms. Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars. Place your hand on my beating heart. I'm thinking out loud."

     Before I can stop it, a smile appears on my face. I love hearing her sing. I love everything about her. She's this gorgeous girl who is rude and hilarious and quirky and amazing. I've never met anyone with better comebacks than her. Her smile, oh my god, her smile: it's absolutely beautiful – when it's actually real. She smiles while she sings, reads, and sometimes while she walks. It makes me grin like an idiot just to think about it.

     "Everett, are you even listening?"

     "Yeah, yeah," I reply distractedly, an image of Leo lingering in my mind.

     "I want you to come home right this instant."

     "No," I say sternly, "I'm not leaving.I'll be back in a few days, I guess. We're not sure yet." 

     "Do you even care about me? I've already lost your mother; I don't want to lose you, too. Do you hate me?"

     "No, I-"

     "Don't lie to me, son. I know I'm working a lot and that we don't spend a lot of time together, but-"

     "Just leave me alone, okay? Don't call again,"I quickly end the call and sigh, running a hand over my forehead.

     "Hey, Everett? Is everything okay?" I hadn't even realized that she had finished showering.

     "Yeah," I let out another sigh. "I'm fine. Is it my turn to take a shower?"

     I stand from the bed and approach her. She nods slowly,moving out of the doorway with haste I almost close the door before I hear her say, "Hey."

     "Yeah?" I whip around and meet her gaze.

     "You would tell me if something was seriously bothering you, right?"

     I laugh, but on the inside I'm screaming. Is this another step forward in our relationship? "Of course. After all,we are friends."

     A small smile appears on her lips, and I go crazy. I smile back at her, and then form a smirk. "Are you trying to get in the shower with me, Leo? Gosh, you could have just asked."

     She rolls her eyes, punching my chest, but I feel no pain. "I'm not falling for you."

     "Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night,"I wink at her before suddenly closing the door behind me.

     "Oh, shut up," I hear her say through the door, and I grin. As I strip off my clothes and climb in the shower, I listen as she plans for the rest of our trip and talks to herself. "Okay, so I have enough clothes and toiletries to last me for the rest of the trip... We may need to make another grocery stop before heading back home. Oh! We need to buy some hair ties from a drug store or something."

     I can picture her walking around the hotel room slowly,looking in every bag and container that we brought in. My lips form a smile. It's only been a few minutes, and I already want to see her again.

     Exiting the shower, I throw on some clothes and grab a towel from the rack. I walk into the main bedroom while attempting to dry my hair. "I really hope you didn't miss me too much, Leo."

     "Oh, please. Your absence is simply delightful,"She replies in a British accent, shooting me a smirk, and my heart absolutely melts. I roll my eyes, throwing the towel at her head, and slide into bed. She glares at me and tosses it towards the bathroom door. Sliding lower under the blankets, she falls silent and doesn't move.

     I lower my body under the comforter and start to quietly sing the first song that comes to mind. "Beauty queen of only eighteen, she had some trouble with herself. He was always there to help her, she always belonged to someone else."

     I hear her exhale softly on her side of the bed. Her shoulders rise and fall with each breath. I would do anything to see that every morning when I woke up.

     I raise my torso from the bed and peer over her body at her face; she fell asleep to my singing. A grin makes its way onto my mouth as I study her facial features: perfectly shaped eyebrows,long, dark eyelashes, a cute little nose, full pink lips – the lower one being a darker shade because of her lip-biting habit. The only word running through my head is: perfect.