Beyond This Moment

17 Day Seven- 10:38 P.M.

We only get one motel room in hopes of that helping save some money after the car repairs cost a butt load from our road trip budget. I know that Gabe and Cassie are disappointed that they won't be getting as much privacy anymore but it has to be done.

I'm honestly kind of relieved that we're only getting one room now because Elias was right about that crazy amount of sexual tension between us now that we've kind of admitted to liking each other. In the car, we still have a good time and play the license plate game and everything but there's just a little bit of a mood there that was never there before. I fear that if we were left alone with that mood, I have no idea what kind of trouble we would get into.

We drove for four hours after getting the car back right on time, at six, and that left us arriving in Missoula, Montana which is where we should have been last night so we basically lost an entire day of traveling between saving Mac and Gabe crashing the car into a tree.

"I'm ordering a pizza," Cassie decides as she pulls out her laptop to see if she can find a nearby pizza place that'll deliver to our motel. I feed Mac his dinner after I take him for his nightly walk.

"I'm not hungry, don't get a big pizza," I tell her. We had just eaten two hours ago but she wasn't hungry then so it makes sense that she's eating now instead.

"Yeah, me neither," Elias says as Gabe is grabbing his pajamas and shower stuff, dead set on getting to take his shower first. It'll be a lot more difficult to share a bathroom between four people instead of just two. I'm sure that we'll make it work. I can take my shower in the morning if I have to.

As I'm petting Mac while he eats, Cassie comes over to me. Elias is on the other side of the room talking to his mom on the phone to keep her posted on how the trip is going. "Hey, can I ask you a big favor?" She asks me quietly as to not disturb Elias.

"Sure, what's up?" I ask her warily. Her cheeks are going red and she looks embarrassed. I think that she's just going to ask for a pad or tampons or something or, god forbid, condoms. I will throw up on her face if she's about to ask me for condoms.

"Gabe's been really upset lately, about the whole car accident and everything," She begins.

I nod in confirmation. "Yeah, I know. He'll get over it though."

"Well, I was just wondering if you and Elias could maybe take a walk or something and give us just an hour or so of privacy," Cassie finishes her request, her cheeks getting even redder as she speaks.

"Oh," I realize that this is just as disturbing as her asking for condoms but she already looks uncomfortable with asking so I refrain from actually throwing up on her. "It has been two whole days since you've had a room to yourself."

"I'm sorry, I know that this is really awkward," She sighs. "I just think that he could use some motivation, you know?"

"Nope, I don't know," I shake my head with a cringing frown. I would have just said fine and gotten the hell out of dodge but I was just admitting to myself the dangers of being alone with Elias so going on a walk with him could be awkward if it's just the two of us.

"Please?" Cassie adds. "I'll really owe you one."

It's an hour until midnight, I'm not sure what we could find to do for an hour but I also fear that if I don't agree to this, they'll still fool around but they'll just wait until the lights are off and then think that Elias and I are asleep, which is way worse than walking around a dark town with Elias for an hour.

"Mac has to stay here," I tell her, reluctantly giving in to her because I know that I pretty much don't have a choice.

Cassie grins at me. "Thank you so much, Peyton. I really appreciate it."