Forked Roads Back

55 - TESSA

"OKAY, SO WHERE EXACTLY are we heading?"

After leaving campus nearly two hours ago, I've now just seen a sign for Loch Ness, which is still over an hour away. I was really starting to wonder where we were going.

"You really hate surprises, don't you," he chuckles, moving his hand to my knee as he expertly overtakes a caravan in the middle lane. "I can tell you in a few minutes, once we get past the Cairngorms." He pats my knee once before putting it back on the steering wheel.

When we get to the Cairngorms, the views around each corner were second to none. The higher mountains are still covered in snow at their peaks, making it look like something out of a fantasy novel. The forests we drive through have trees lining the road, standing tall, sheltering all kinds of Scottish wildlife. I have my nose practically squashed against the glass as we drive along, and neither Jamie nor I say a thing until we get to Inverness to stop for petrol.

Jamie sorts it whilst I tap a text to Nelly, saying I still had no idea where we were going. When Jamie returns, he has a coffee for each of us and I raise my eyebrows.

"How much further have we got now?" I laugh.

"Not much further, I promise. I'm just starting to flag after last night."

"Did you want me to drive?" I ask, but he shakes his head, starting the engine again.

As we head out of Inverness, towards signs for The Highlands and over the bridge, I finally understand why he wanted to drive.

He laughs as I detach myself from the window and open it, practically hanging out of it to get a video of how stunning the view is. The afternoon sun is reflecting off the still water of the Firth, and the mountains feel like they're calling out to me as I breathe in their fresh air. I let the wind ruffle my loose hair for a few minutes before it gets a bit too cold, and as I close my window, I'm laughing.

"I don't remember it being so beautiful when we came last time," I say. I turn back to him for a second but turn directly back, not wanting to miss any of the view.

"It was dark last time, and you were asleep I think."

"You still should have woken me," I poke him.

He shrugs. "There isn't much to see when it's dark. But this is one of my favourite views in the whole world."

He opens his window and sighs, sticking his arm out for a few seconds before putting his hand back on the wheel. "I know I'm nearly home when I cross this bridge."

"Seeing it now, I'm not surprised. You know I nearly applied up here?" I tell him as he closes his window.

"Really?" His eyebrows raise. "You never told me that."

"Yeah, they have a surprisingly good English programme here. But it ended up being too far away from family, and I would have been felt really isolated. After what happened, I'm glad I chose Edinburgh... I don't know what I would have done-" I stop myself before my thoughts spiral too far downwards. "Three hours extra drive on top of the eight it already takes from Edinburgh to home..."

"You'd have flown, surely?" He asks, turning left at the bridge rather than right, towards where he lives.

"Probably." I sigh as I look back behind us. "Ugh, it's so pretty up here, Jamie. Do we have to go back to London?"

He chuckles at my pouting expression. "But London is home. And we have jobs lined up."

"You do, I don't!"

He chuckles again. "Well, we can move back up here when we're old and grey. How's that?"

I smile as my cheeks redden at the mention of our future. Given how he reacted last time, I haven't really said much more about it, but hearing him say it makes me smile. He seems to have noticed as a blush creeps into his cheeks and down his neck. When his ears go red, I lean over and kiss his cheek.