Take Me Home

Chapter:17

Senior year passed by faster than it was supposed to. For our one year anniversary Knox took me to eat at a fancy restaurant. Then went back to my house and fell asleep watching a movie in my room. I woke up around midnight with him holding me tightly against him. I didn't care about the future. Its obvious I want to go to college, but then again trade school to work with old cars and trucks sounds just as good. I went back to sleep after using the bathroom. Hopefully nothing bad will happen.

An alarm he had on went off. He's got an entire summer planned for us and had gotten permission from my dad to take me out of state. "I'll let you sleep on the way." He said getting up. I rolled over into his spot. He chuckled. "Come on.  We've got hours in the truck together." He said as I heard clothes rustle. Then was squashed under heavy weight. "I will stay home if you don't get your big a** of me." I muffled. "That's harsh baby. I was just trying to warm you up." He pouted.

I tried to wiggle away. He followed. I fell out of the bed by the foot almost hitting my head on my bookshelf. His leg was in the way. "You alright baby girl?" He asked. "Yeah. Still tired though." I told him as I looked up at his face. He scoffed before kneeling down. "If you get dressed, I'll buy you breakfast and make sure your comfortable the whole way there." He said. "As long as the AC is fixed we can take your truck." I said. "Yeah. I've tried everything." He said.

"Well there's always the windows." I said. "For your truck." He said. I chuckled. He leaned over kissing me. I then hooked my arms around his neck wanting him to pick me up. He complied and set me up on the bed. He threw me a pair of shorts and a tank top before stepping out. I got dressed before grabbing my bag along with my phone charger. I stuck it in before grabbing my phone, a pair of boots and the flip flops I was wearing on the ride over.

I went downstairs seeing Knox staring at something up on the ceiling. "Ready?" I asked. "No brush?" He asked. "You broke it." I told him. "Correction. You broke it." He said. "You made me break it." I told him. "How bout breakfast?" He asked. "Chocolate donuts from my favorite place?" I asked. "Definitely for you. And there's a large bottle of ibuprofen in the glove box and a case of water in the floorboard." He said.

He opened the passenger door to his truck letting me get in. I grabbed the wool blanket sitting in the middle. He put my bag next to his in the bed strapped to the cab. We got onto the highway to who knows where but him with our breakfast. A dozen chocolate donuts, coffee for him and chocolate milk for me. All morning the AC was off. I had my feet up on the dash letting the sun hit my legs.

"Is it hot below the dashboard on your side?" He asked. I put my feet down and jumped back up. "Enough to burn my feet. You forgot coolant didn't you?" I asked. "Don't know. I remember putting it in." He said. "Guess we can check for any leaks, because I know you have a new jug in the back." I said. He pulled off on the side and cut the engine. I looked down at my flip flops. "Um babe. My flip flops are melted to the floorboard." I said.

"Here's socks and your boots." He said handing the two to me. I quickly put them on before getting out. He had the hood already up steam coming from it. "Probably should have taken mine?" I asked. "Nope. Had this problem before. Needs water and the coolant tank checked." He said walking back to the back. His phone rang. "On our way. Had a little engine trouble though. No sir. Yes. Should be an easy repair until we get there. Yes sir. Maybe." Knox said as he came back with the coolant. I went for a water bottle.

I moved the entire case to the seat after the bottom melted. Then brought two bottles. Knox was checking the coolant. "Could you look under?" He asked still on the phone. I nodded. I bent down looking for anything dripping. Nothing was. "There's nothing." I said. "It's full. Yes sir. Should be there close to midnight if anything." Knox said. I then stood up and uncapped a bottle of water and handed it to him. He nodded before I went back. As he started to pour I told him to stop.

"Waters leaking out." I told him. "One second uncle Luke. I think the problem has been found." Knox said. He knelt down. "Where at?" He asked. "Where the radiator is." I told him. He stood up. "It's the radiator. "Yes sir. Somehow got a hole in it. Yes sir. It'll be a quick patch and we'll be on our way." He said. "You too. See ya soon." He hung up and went to the toolbox coming back with a roll of tape. "Spot for me?" He asked. I nodded standing over the top while he got underneath.

"F***. Don't know if this will hold." He said. "At least until we get to the next town?" I asked. "Maybe Texarkana. That's the only place I can think of where there's a place to get one. I've got the number of the one on State Line Avenue. Might call on our way and see if they have the part for a quick walk in, repair and back on the road." He said as he taped it.