Misprinted Lies (Alice in Chains/Bruno Mars)

Life is a Highway

A few days after I told Bruno that I was all better, we decided to finish everything up in Seattle and head back down to California. Jerry, Mike, and Sean were all at the Crocodile the last Friday we were there. There was a local band playing and they were really great. Seattle still had the great live music scene it had so many years before.

I was talking to Jerry, Mike, and Sean for a bit, telling them about how amazing I felt.

"Lily," Jerry smiled. "This is all so amazing. It never got easier watching you take all those pills."

"I only take two pills a day now. It's so, so easy now. I feel so amazing," I said.

"Where's Bruno?" Jerry asked.

Just then, Bruno came back from the bar, with a tray of shots. I smiled at him. We all took one.

Bruno lifted up his glass. "To Lily."

"Awww," I said.

"To Lily," they all said as we all took our shots.

On the last day in Seattle, I went back to the hospital to confirm with them that Humira was working. They contacted the hospital in Los Angeles so I would have Humira as my permanent treatment down there.

I grabbed my prescription and stopped at the front desk. I knew everyone there very, very well.

"Is Dr. Chase around?" I asked. "He told me he was in today?"

"He stepped out a little while ago. He didn't tell me where he was going."

We really needed to get going. "Alright, well tell him thank you for me."

"Sure thing, Lily," the receptionist said.

Going out to the parking garage, I pulled my keys out of my pocket. It was starting to get dark and rain. There was the Seattle I knew and loved.

"Lily!" I heard and turned around.

Dr. Chase was approaching me.

"Congratulations! I heard about everything," he said handing me a bouquet of flowers.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," he said, hugging me. "Have a safe trip back to L.A."

I nodded. For the first day on our trip back, I drove. We stopped at a Japanese restaurant in Oregon, a couple of miles away from the same hotel as before.

"Damn," Bruno said, finishing the last bite. "I love sushi."

"So do I."

It took me a little longer to eat. My body was still getting used to eating a normal amount of food. He stared at me, smiling, as I ate.

On the short drive from the restaurant to the hotel, Bruno started gagging.

"Bru, ya okay?" I asked nervously, looking at him.

"Pull over," he said, choking. "I'm gonna puke."

There wasn't really room on the side of the road. "Hold on."

"Lil, I can't. I'm gonna..."

Before he could finish the sentence, he threw up on his lap but mostly on the floor. I found a shoulder and pulled over the truck. It was a grassy area near trees. A dull street light shone from above us. I rubbed his back as he got everything out and as he sat down on the hill.

He was sweating and panting profusely, through his shirt, but I never let go. I wrapped my arm around him.

"Are you okay?"

"Sorry about your truck," he frowned with his big brown eyes.

"Awww Bruno, it's okay," I said, embracing him with both arms.

"I'm all sweaty, Lil. You can let me go now."

"Never," I said, laughing. "We're a team, remember."

We concluded that he got a few bad pieces of sushi. He felt better in a couple of hours. The rest of the drive home was the best part of the trip. We had a blast. I mean, we were best friends after all. Bruno even posted a short video on Instagram of us belting out songs together as I drove back. Uptown Funk came on and we went nuts. That specific video of us went pretty viral. He never posted stuff like that with Jess; I should've predicted they were having trouble.

When we hit the California state line, we made a pit stop. Bruno went inside to go to the bathroom as I filled the tank. We both got back into the truck at the same time.

He smiled. "It's nice not having to pay for things all the time."

"What? You mean the gas? It's my truck, Bruno."

"Yeah, but..." he stuttered a little bit.

"You paid for her gas too?"

Bruno nodded.

"When you already bought her the car?"

He nodded again.

I laughed a little even though I was being serious. "Damn, Bru. She had you whiiiiiipppped."

He looked a little down after I said that.

"Sorry, Bruno. I didn't mean..." I stuttered as I started to pull out of the gas station.

"Naw, it's okay. You're right."

Then he started laughing and turning on that ridiculous Bruno voice when making jokes.

"She did have me whipped...and I don't even know why."

When I got back on the highway, I felt him staring at me.

"What?"

"You look really sexy driving a truck," he smirked, putting his hand on my thigh. It made me jump.

I bit my lip.

"Damn, girl. Stop. You're driving me crazy."

I reached my hand over and rested my hand in the middle of his lap. "Jeez I guess so."

He started shaking his legs, never taking his hand away from my thigh. I found a spot to pull over on the side of the highway.

"What are you doing?" he grinned devilishly.

I put the truck in park and turn it off. I climbed over to the passenger side, feeling his arms caressing me gently. "Now you're driving me crazy."

I wrapped my arms around his neck as he glided his hands through my hair. I took off his shirt and he took off mine. I started biting my lip.

"You like what chu see?" he said, his breathing getting a little unsteady.

"Fuck yeah," I said, rubbing my hands up and down his chest, kissing him hard, which was how he now felt underneath me.

He broke the kiss for a second, our lips almost touching still. "I like what I see too."

I pounded his chest lightly two times, with my fist. "Bang, bang, gorilla."