The Polaroid Girls

Chapter 21

A/N: Hello my lovelies and happy Tuesday! I hope you're all having a great beginning to your week and had a lovely weekend. And I hope you thoroughly enjoyed last week's double update.(: Things are starting to twist and turn into something crazy and real and oh, I'm so excited for you guys to read the rest.

Now, this week's chapter is  long and only in Royce's POV. Laina's will pick back up next week.

Question of the week: What is your favorite holiday? (I have to ask, it's holiday season, guys.) Mine is Halloween because I'm a Fall-Pretty leaves-coffee in hand-Costume-Pumpkins everywhere kind of person (no shame). What are your favorites? The sparkle of Christmas--the intoxicating love of Valentine's Day--the togetherness of Earth Day--or perhaps the sheer amount of mashed potatoes of Thanksgiving?

Once again, thank you SO much for supporting me and my writing. You guys are THE BEST and I appreciate everything you do for me. Don't forget to vote, comment, follow, and share this story. I hope the rest of your week is splendid. Happy reading! (っ◔◡◔)っ

Royce gulped down his coffee before pouring the rest from the coffee pot into his thermos. It was 7:00 in the morning, the sky was still dark outside his front window, and he was nervous. Today was Sunday, a week after the rose festival, and today was the day he, Finn, and Laina were heading to Port Wentworth to meet their father's old friends.

After a week filled with anxiety and stress from work, he was ready to escape for a while. He knew Laina wasn't much better though, after her stumbling around the cafe and her distracted, rambling answers she provided him the whole week when he came in to see her and get his coffee in the mornings. He thought it was cute, but he wouldn't admit that to her, not when she was wound so tightly with nerves. They hadn't even talked about the shuffle at all. About any of what they talked about. About what had happened at the pond. About their kiss...but he quickly realized she was in no state to even think about any of that. Her mind switched to the Port Wentworth trip Monday morning and she had been stressing ever since.

He clicked his thermos closed and flicked off the lights in his kitchen and living room before locking the house behind him and walking in the direction of the cafe. Finn decided to drive them all in his Jeep because it had a little more room in it for the three of them and Royce's car was really only supposed to be used for work purposes. So he had decided to let Finn do the two hour drive that morning and offered to drive them all back afterward. Finn agreed to the deal and told them he would meet them outside the cafe at 7:30 to pick them up.

Royce sipped his bitter coffee as he strolled down the street, relishing in its warmth if nothing else. He had bought a coffee maker for the house on the days that he couldn't stop by the cafe and boy, did he miss his mocha more than anything when he was left sipping on generic, general store coffee. Of course, he would never tell Josie that.

He rounded the last corner and caught sight of Laina on one of the chairs at an outdoor table in front of the cafe windows. He smiled as she looked up and met his eyes and a few steps later he stopped at the table and seated himself beside her.

"Good morning. Ready for today?" He asked, his voice still low from sleep.

She rubbed at her eyes which he now noticed were red with bags under them.

"As ready as I'll ever be. Is that coffee?" She nodded at his thermos.

"Yeah, decaf. Here." He handed it to her. "It's not one of your finely crafted coffee drinks, I warn you."

She took a sip and cringed for only a second before drinking more in larger gulps.

"It'll do." She took another sip before her tired eyes flickered to his in recognition. "Wait, why do you have decaf coffee?"