Roads and Romances | ✓

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

"The impulse to travel is one of the hopeful symptoms of life." -Agnes Repplier 

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Leo's Point of View

     Sunlight is streaming through the window as I wake up.I let out a yawn, sitting up in bed, and stretch. I take a few minutes to allow my body to wake up as well before going into the bathroom.

     I climb into the shower and turn the knob. The cold water splashes onto my face, immediately waking me up completely. I scrub my face with a cleanser and wash my body, then getting out as quick as I got in. After brushing my teeth and through my hair, I tie it up into a high ponytail and pull it tight. I throw on some shorts and a Marvel T-shirt from my bag. Once I'm done repacking everything.

     Everett groans from the bed and sits up. "What time is it, Leo?" His morning voice makes me want to melt.

     I quickly check my phone, my eyes widening, "Eight twenty," and shove it back into my pocket. "Come on, getup. We need to get back on the road."

     He mumbles something under his breath, sliding out from under the warmth of the bed, and throws his belongings into his duffel bag. "Eight freaking twenty in the morning. What's the matter with you? Can't you let a growing teenage boy sleep in for once?" He grabs his suitcase and slings it over his shoulder."I'm going to breakfast. Don't leave me."

     I roll my eyes as the front door closes behind him and finish packing. As soon as I have everything with me, I get my bags and head downstairs. I find Everett sitting at a table in the back with an empty bowl of cheese grits and a few strips of bacon, along with a bottle of orange juice. Quickly making a large cup of coffee,I grab a banana and a cup of cereal, getting Everett's attention."Come on. Check out at the front desk, and I'll meet you at the truck."

     I throw my bag into the backseat and climb into the driver's seat. Cranking the car up and putting it in park, I pull it in front of the hotel, honking the horn. Everett's head pops up, and he nods at me before turning back to the man at the desk. It takes two minutes and nineteen seconds for him to finally get into the truck. I roll my eyes as he shoves another piece of bacon into his mouth. He shrugs sheepishly and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "Sorry," His voice is muffled by his breakfast.

     I wave my hand in his general direction. "No worries," I say, which was a complete lie; we were thirty minutes behind schedule, at the least. The truck roars to life and I drive away from the hotel, as fast as I can without going over the speed limit.

     When we are back on the interstate, I open my cereal and eat it with my fingers. A horn honks to my left and I grip the wheel, steering back into my lane. Everett watches me struggle to balance my breakfast and my driving, but just smirks. "You know,I think you need a bit of help."

     "Oh, really?" I say sarcastically in a sharp tone. "You're a freaking Einstein, aren't you?"

     "Now, now, Leo. There's no need for harsh words,"He scolds me, shaking his head.

     Oh, I could say some harsh words right now.

     "Can you just hold the cup, please?" I ask as I accidentally drop a few flakes on the floor by the brake.

     He thankfully takes the cup from my arm and rests it in his lap. "I could feed you, if you like," He smirks,raising an eyebrow.

     I roll my eyes, punching his shoulder with my freehand. "I'd rather not."

     For the next ten minutes, I would reach for the cup of cereal, still sitting in Everett's lap, and he would move the cup right before I got some food, resulting in me touching his crotch almost twenty times.

     I let out a groan, pulling onto the side of the road."Nope, I'm done. You're driving," We quickly switch seats, and I sigh in relief, propping my feet up on the dashboard. "That's more like it," I mutter as I get comfortable in the passenger's seat.

     Everett pulls back onto the main road and I finally eat in peace. It takes me approximately another ten minutes to finish the rest of my breakfast. Twisting the top off my coffee, I gaze at him from out the corner of my eye. He is currently wearing black jeans and a white band tee, and his hair is messy from sleep. I smile a bit, turning the radio's volume down. "Hey, Everett?"

     "Yes?" He replies in a fake, cheery voice and shoots me a grin. "How can I be of assistance?"

     "Can I ask you a question?"

     His smile falls as quick as it appears and he sighs."It's about the picture, isn't it?"

     I bite my lower lip, cursing myself. "Yeah."

     He lets out another sigh and runs a hand through his hair. "If you don't want to-"

     "No," He says sternly, swallowing. "It's time I told you.

     "Her name is Aubrey. I was in a relationship with her for over a year." He takes a hard, deep breath and continues. "In all honesty, I loved her. I really did. She was a great girlfriend, and she wasn't fake at all. It was our fourteenth month of dating, on the spot. I called her to say 'happy anniversary', or whatever. She told me that she wanted to end things before they got too far, because apparently, she wasn't as serious as I was. So I guess I agreed, I don't really remember. The next day I went to school and she was all over our school's bad boy."

     He suddenly looks over at me, a look in his eyes that I can't identify. "But I'm over her know."

     I raise a questioning eyebrow. "Oh, really? You gave me so much crap when I asked any other time, and you're over her, just like that?"

     He nods slowly. "I got over her with you, Leo. I'min love with you."