Free (Sequel to Trapped)

Ch. 57

Ariana

Monday, 12:28 pm

"Who's ready to go to Disneyland?" I ask.

"Me!" Aviella and Alexa squeal.

"Good because that's where we're going."

"Yay!" I turn around and see Aviella and Alexa both buckling themselves into their car seats.

Ever since she turned six, Aviella was a big girl and could do it by herself.

"Sorry I took so long. I got a phone call from Oscar."

"Daddy, you promised there would be no work on this trip!" Aviella whines.

"There won't be. We're not on the trip yet."

Aviella is silent after that, well, until we get in the highway. Then she starts talking to Alexa for almost an hour, then they both fall asleep.

"Peace and quiet." I say, looking out the window at the grass fields that we're passing in the highway.

"You love that, don't you?" Justin asks, placing his hand on my thigh.

"Love what? Your hand on my thigh or peace and quiet?" I reply.

"Both." Justin laughs.

"Well then, I do love both."

"Then I'll keep them both going."

"How are you gonna keep them asleep?"

"I put sleeping pills in the water that they've been drinking this whole time."

"You did what?" I gasp.

"I'm kidding. I would never do that." Justin strokes my thigh with his hand and I smile.

I love the feeling of him touching me. As bad as that sounds, it's the truth.

1:49 PM (were just gonna pretend it doesn't take 15 hours to get to LA from Denver lol)

"Mommy, I'm hungry." Aviella says.

I had no idea she was even awake.

"We'll get something in a second." Justin says.

"Okay." I look at Aviella in the rear-view mirror and see her yawn then close her eyes.

She's out like a light in ten seconds, meaning we don't have to get food.

"Whatever we get, it's not gonna be Taco Bell. I've had bad experiences with that place." Justin says.

"Yes, you did. I remember. My poor baby was so sick, he threw up all night. Poor you."

"I feel like you're being sarcastic." Justin looks at me and I laugh.

"I'm serious. I legitimately felt bad for you. You never throw up, ever."

"But you throw up all the time because you're weak."

"You mean because I'm pregnant."

"Same thing."

"You are so pregnantist."

"What the hell does that mean?" Justin looks over at me for a split second and I smile.

"Against pregnant people. Or whatever it means."

"You definitely made that up." He says.

My phone starts ringing from the cupholder and I pick it up. A FaceTime request from Olivia.

I swipe the green button and Olivia's face appears.

"Hey." I say.

"Hi. I just called to see how she was doing."

"She's fine. They're actually sleeping right now. Have been for a while, actually."

I show Olivia the girls asleep in the back, both of their heads resting against the back of their car seats and their mouths wide open.

"Wow." Olivia laughs as I bring my phone back to in front of me.

"How's Justin?" Olivia asks.

"Jonathan wanted to know." She adds.

"He's having the best time of his life. Driving." I show her Justin and he smiles at the phone before turning back to the road.

"Well, that's all I wanted. You guys have fun."

"We will. Thanks." I hang up the call and put my phone down.

"Okay, I'm really hungry now. What do we want?" Justin says.

"Ask the girls. I don't care."

"You want me to wake them up?"

"If you want to get food that they want too, then yes."

"Oh God. You are evil."