A Beginner's Guide to the American West ✓

chapter nineteen

n i n e t e e n

*

Mum's right. It isn't often that she's wrong, and by the time I get back into the van, I know that she's right, even if she didn't say it out loud. A crush is fine; acting on it might not be. I don't want to hurt myself by telling a straight guy that I'm into him, so I will keep it to myself until we part ways at the end of the trip, and that will be it.

Easy peasy.

My confidence slips when Arjun slides in next to me with that smile that weakens me from head to toe, but I remind myself of how painful - not to mention awkward - it would be to be rejected in the middle of the trip. That would suck.

It's just a rebound thing. There's a George-sized hole in my chest that my heart is trying to plug with Arjun, but if I leave the wound alone for long enough, it will heal over. I'm pretty sure that's basic first aid.

He claps his hands together and his eyebrows dance when he asks, "Ready for Vegas, baby?"

"I am beyond excited for the underage experience of the century," I say with a laugh. "You and me, against a city designed for the over-twenty-ones. What's Vegas without drinking and gambling?"

"I'm sure we'll find a way to entertain ourselves. We've got two whole nights in our very own hotel room."

Ok, this whole ignoring my crush deal is a hell of a lot easier when he doesn't say stuff like that. Stuff that gets my mind racing towards places it should stay away from if I don't want my body to make it painstakingly clear that I'm into him.

"So, a sensible early night in a proper bed?" I try to maintain at least the appearance of innocence.

"Or we do a Ross and Rachel," Arjun says.

It doesn't matter how old it gets, everyone has seen Friends. But when I think of Ross and Rachel and Vegas, I frown and ask, "You want to get married?"

His eyes crinkle when he chuckles. "I was thinking more like when they brought Vegas to their hotel room. Just because we can't go to the bars and the casinos doesn't mean we can't bring cards and booze to our room. But, hey, we'll see where the night takes us."

He winks. My resolve flies out the window.

I've known guys like this before. Flirty guys who don't necessarily think about what they're saying. That's often me. I hope that's what this is, and not that he's an arsehole, knowingly teasing me. I hope he's just a clueless flirt. Unless he's testing the waters.

In which case, test away.

I grin. "You're on."

*

I've grown accustomed to my seat here in the back. I like to sit by the window, tucked into the corner of the van, and watch the world go by when Arjun and I fall into a comfortable lull.

I was playing a game until I ran out of lives so now I'm scrolling through my newsfeed. I have a whole bunch of new likes and comments on my photo, mostly from various family members. Between Dad's sister and Mum's brother, I have nine cousins, all but one of them younger than me. Three live in Scotland, but six - all from Mum's sole brother - live a couple of miles down the road.