7 Minutes ✧ Syndisparklez

Surprise

Gravel crunched beneath the car's tires as we neared our final destination.

"Where are we?" I asked, rubbing the tiredness out of my eyes. Alice lifted her feet off of my lap, stretching her legs out. I tried to make her as comfortable as possible, but she had to get out of the car about four different times to vomit. Needless to say, her mood went from bad, to worse, to hangry, to spawn of Satan in the span of about twenty minutes. The miracle of pregnancy, I suppose.

"You'll see," Tom smirked, parking the car. Jordan quickly hurried out of the vehicle into the fresh forest air.

"Ahhh, nature," Jordan sighed to himself, inhaling the piney scent surrounding him.

"Look who finally decided to show up," a familiar voice exclaimed. "I've seen your faces on the news, but to see you're actually still alive is a surprise."

"Oh my gosh, are they here?"

"They sure are. Tom, how are you?" the man asked, offering a handshake.

"Fine, thanks. Yourself?"

"Not too shabby. I got kicked off the case. Too much relation, I guess."

"Listen, as much as I'd like to know about the details of the case, I kind of want our vacation to be completely crazy-kidnapper free."

"That's fine by me. Jordan, can I help you carry anything?"

"Oh no, that's okay. Jojo's already helping me-"

"I can carry sleeping bags, babe. I think I can help him."

"Jojo Campbell," I mumbled as I stepped out of the car. "You're still the sassiest person I've ever met."

"Ingrid!" Jojo dropped the camping supplies in his arms and rushed to embrace me.

"Ingrid?"

"Hi Ethan," I smiled sheepishly over Jojo's shoulder. I haven't seen him in a while. My partner in crime, my best friend, my savior was now nothing more than a stranger. After our fight when all of this shit first started, he stopped speaking to me. I tried to reach out to him, just to tell him I made it home safe, but he never answered the phone.

~~Another Perspective~~
I've been "lucky" enough to see my story play out about 4 times now, and reliving a story for such an extended period of times digs up little details I had easily overlooked the first time.

Including that missed call:

"Maybe she's right, ya know?" Ethan paced around the room, running his fingers through his distraught hair.
"Right about what?"
"Maybe I am a coward."
"You're not a coward, Ethan. You risk your safety every damn day, alright? You're fired up, she's fired up, and you both said dumb shit you didn't mean. Just, cool off-"
"You're damn right I'm fired up, Jo! She- S-She-" Ethan sat on the edge of Tom's guest bed, burying his head in his hands. His phone buzzed in his pocket, snapping him back into reality; however, he wanted to forget about the nightmare that was life right now. He threw his phone on the bed behind him, wiping tears away from his face.
"Baby-" Jojo cooed, sitting up in bed.
"I'm a fucking joke," Ethan whispered.
"What?"
"My whole career is a joke. The justice system is a joke. And now two men I put in prison for crimes they committed against people I care about are out, and innocent lives are in danger. My friends are in danger! Nothing about this is their fault, it's mine!"
"Ethan, it's not your fault-"
"Don't touch me right now," Ethan snapped at his husband.
"Well- I-" Jojo stuttered. He had never been in this position, and now he felt useless. He couldn't even comfort his own husband. "Fine then, fuck you..." he mumbled, hugging the covers close to his chest, a small tear silently streaming down his face.
"What am I supposed to do?" Ethan whispered.
"Figure it out."

"Nice to know you're alive," Ethan hissed, crossing his arms.

"You never answered the phone," I mumbled.

"I was busy. You never answered after I called back. 57 times."

"I made him stop calling. Our phone bill was through the roof," Jojo chimed in to make the situation a little less tense.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Ethan asked, his voice stern, almost like a fatherly figure. I hesitated, unsure of what to say. Part of me started to boil inside, and the other part of me wanted to bubble up into a large vat of tears.

"Why are you treating me like a child?"

"I just-" Ethan began. He pulled me into a tight hug, resting his chin on the top of my head. "I was so worried about you."

He placed a gentle kiss on my forehead, pulling me closer into his arms.

"I'm sorry... I missed you," I whispered back.

"Why the hell are we in a forest?" Alice shouted, breaking the sentimental atmosphere.

"We're going camping. Ever heard of it?" Tom replied.

"Who the hell thought this was a good idea? Make the pregnant one sleep on a forest floor, great fuckin' idea you guys."

The world seemed to stop as we all faced toward Alice.

"Oh shit, did I just say that out loud?"