One For The Road

Chapter Fourteen

I woke up around 5:30 in the morning, every muscle in my body aching horribly. I hated the idea of waking Heidi up, but I needed to get up and drive. There was no way I'd be getting back to sleep, and I really didn't want to waste time.

I shook her shoulder gently. She didn't wake up at first, so I shook her a few more times with more force. She finally woke up after a while, blinking sleepily at me.

I gotta protect this child at all costs.

"I'm sorry to wake you," I whispered, trying not to wake Just up, "but we need to get on the road. You can sleep in the passenger seat."

"Why are you up so early?" she muttered groggily, shifting so she was sitting in an upright position.

"I don't know. I woke up a few minutes ago, and I know I won't be able to get back to sleep. I might as well let you guys get rested up."

She nodded before exiting the car, and I did the same. We crossed to our opposite sides and climbed back in, closing our doors softly. Setting Blitzen back on Heidi's lap, I revved up the engine and began driving, not bothering to fasten my seatbelt. Heidi was out like a light within fifteen minutes, and I envied her for it.

After a quite a while of driving, we finally entered Troy as the sun began to rise, leaving a light golden highlight on everything it touched. I felt myself relax. We were there. Now, we just had to find my father.

Even though I despised the fact that my father had asked for money from our family, I could almost see why he had done it. Troy was a tiny town from the looks of it, and I'd never heard of it before deciding to go on this trip. It was the kind of town I could see as one to move to when you didn't have much money, but you enjoyed a cozier lifestyle. The houses looked fairly snug and cozy, and as I drove, I saw a scarce amount of people jogging along sidewalks.

Oh, boy. I had no idea how I would even start looking for this man.

I perked up a little when I noticed a little cafe up ahead, hoping I could get some coffee. I pulled into a parking spot and left the engine running so Heidi, Blitzen, and Just could stay warm. I was about to open the door, but I heard a shift from the backseat and turned back. Just was peering over at me with half-lidded eyes, his gaze sleepy. He must have felt the car stop.

"What're we doing?" he croaked.

"I'm going in to get some coffee," I replied softly. "Want me to get you some?"

He nodded groggily, and I nodded before opening the door and stepping out.

I entered the cafe and let its warm air and scent of ground coffee beans embrace me. Tiny cafes were like my second home; they were so cozy and warm and lighthearted. It was hard not to love coffee shops.

I stepped up to the counter, ordering two black coffees. The barista was a young girl around my age with her auburn hair woven into two braids. Her face was sprinkled with freckles, and a pair of glasses adorned her face. Her name tag read "Clarissa".

"Can I get a name for your order?" She smiled slyly. "And, I don't know, maybe your number?"

It took a moment for me to realize that she had just flirted with me. I almost winced.

"Chase," I said stiffly. I didn't add anything else, but she didn't seem to get the hint. She watched me expectantly, her pen poised above the pad of paper in her hand. "And," I finally added, "I'm not giving you my phone number." I began shuffling through the dollar bills in my hand, not failing to notice that the stack was progressively shrinking as we traveled.

She read me my total, sounding a little bit bummed out, and I handed her the money before taking a seat in the corner to wait. As I sat, I felt myself stiffen when I heard the next name.

"Black coffee for Eugene," the barista called out, and I felt my blood run cold. Surely it wasn't him. It couldn't be that easy.

At first, I was totally convinced it wasn't my father. The man who walked to the counter was a sleek man with a crisp black suit and shiny shoes that squeaked along the wooden floors. My dad was supposedly stuck in a financial crisis, and this man looked like he had too much profit to spare. But then, he turned around, coffee in hand, and I was met with a pair of startlingly familiar golden eyes. The eyes of my little brother. The eyes I saw every morning in the mirror. This couldn't me a coincidence.

He briefly caught my eye and almost turned away before taking a double take, eyeing me up and down in an emotionless manner. It looked like he recognized me, too, but he certainly didn't let it show on his face. He approached my table with a strangely calm stride.

"Chase," he mused. "Is that you? After all of these years?"

His voice was much deeper than I remembered. I felt my toes curl in my shoes. I didn't want to lose my temper, but the very sound of his voice made my blood boil.

"You haven't changed a bit," I spat, and he put his hands up defensively.

"I just haven't talked to you in a while." Wow. No kidding. "What brings you here? You didn't move here, did you?"

He was still so brutally rude. I felt as if I was totally correct. He hadn't changed at all since the last time I had seen him.

"No." I glared at him. "Where else can we go? I don't want to talk here."

He sipped his coffee nonchalantly. "Get your coffee and then go to your car. Watch me go to my car so you know what it looks like. That way, you'll be able to follow me."

"I have friends with me," I added. "If you do anything to even try to insult or hurt them—"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." My name was called from the counter, and he jutted his thumb back toward it. "Get your coffee and lets go."

I numbly grabbed the two orders of black coffee and followed my father out of the shop. I watched him walk to his car, taking a mental picture before climbing into my own car. Just was far more awake now than he had been before, and he was looking down at his phone. He moved his gaze up to me as I slammed the car door shut, handing his coffee back to him.

"I got you black coffee," I muttered. "I don't know your preference."

"That's fine," he reassured me. "Are you okay?"

I gripped the steering wheel tightly as I pulled out behind my father's car.

"I'm absolutely great. We're going to my father's house as we speak."

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hang in there kids, we're finally getting into the plot

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