The New Girl

Nevada

By the request of my dad, we were currently on our way to Nevada to pay a visit to Lilly. But this weekend, "we" means Ayden, Dom, and I. Dom decided to come among his own free will.

Mom did not want to let him go, but he promised her that he could do this.

My opinion? I don't think Dom should be here with Ayden and i this weekend, given I'm not even really ready for the constant return, but he needs to make that decision for himself.

"Your dad got a bigger hotel room for us right?" Ayden asked me as the hotel came into view, the same hotel we stay at every time we came up here.

"He said it's two beds." I confirmed.

The hotel room we got for the weekend was only slightly bigger than the room we typically have. The model was almost exactly the same, the main difference being this room had two beds.

We'd decided to come in on a Friday night since we have to leave early Sunday morning. All of our teachers chose to give us so much homework and we reserved our Sunday afternoon for it all.

"We're going to get food, Dom." I sat next to him on his bed where he was texting Bennet. "Why didn't you ask Bennet to come?"

"Not ready for that yet." He mumbled.

Makes sense.

"I'm going to stay here, if that's okay? Can you guys just bring me back McDonald's or Taco Bell?"

"Sure." I agreed as I patted his back. "Bye, Dom, love you."

"See you. Love you, too." Ayden and I went down to the main lobby to go to a small restaurant we had spotted multiple times during our journeys up here.

I was hesitant to leave Dom alone in a hotel room, but I had to trust him. He promised Mom he'd never relapse, but even I knew that one can't promise something like that. But I had to trust him.

That repeated thought was what got me out of the hotel building and to the restaurant.

Me: u good?
Dom: I'm good gabs
Me: ok

I can't help it when I worry about him. He's my little brother who I am in charge of for the weekend. If something were to happen to him, I'd never forgive myself.

Hell, it's taking me several months to forgive myself for what happened to Dom a few months ago.

"He's okay, Gabby." Ayden assured me as he cupped my clammy hands with his warm ones.

I sucked in a deep breath and let it out. "I know."

Truthfully, I wish Dom didn't come back here with us. Being back in Nevada is clearly taking its toll on him; it only brings back bad memories. I don't want him to get triggered by any negative thoughts that this place comes with.

"Hey, what can I get you to drink?" The waitress asked as she pulled out her notepad and scribbled something on it. She put it back in her apron that tied around her waist and looked up at us.

"Cassidy?" I rose my eyebrow.

"Gabby!" She exclaimed. "Ayden, right?"

Ayden nodded his head, yes.

"I'll have a lemonade." I answered her question from before we realized it was each other.

"A Coke for me."

"Got it, one moment."

Within 5 minutes, Cassidy placed our drinks that we ordered in front of each of us.

"What brings you two back to town again?"

"We're visiting my dad and half-sister." I murmured.

I don't know how much anyone from Seneca knew about my departure, but I trust Cassidy to not make any judgements about us.