“It feels like we don’t actually know much?” I finish her sentence.
“Exactly.”
“But that’s the truth. Even if we clicked from the first moment, there’s still much to learn. We have time for that.”
“We do. Good night, Spade.”
“Good night, my sunflower,” I tell her, kissing her cheek once, my lips lingering on her skin. As I move my lips further away from her, I wrap my arms around her again.
And we fall asleep in that position.
12
TANYA
After a pancake breakfast filled with stolen glances and shy smiles, we’re ready to leave Bedwell Motel behind. I have to remember the spot if I ever need a getaway in early August.
“Give me the keys to the rental,” Spade tells me as we step outside in the sun.
“Are you sure you should be driving?”
He nods. “My head feels fine, and I slept like a baby last night.”
I noticed that sinceIwas the one who couldn’t sleep. My thoughts were all over the place, and I couldn’t quiet them down, no matter how hard I tried. So I spent hours listening to Spade snoring next to me.
He stops next to the passenger’s door, looking at me expectantly. I sigh, opening my bag, looking for the key fob.
“If you feel any pain, you tell me.” I'm worried that he's acting like everything is fine, even if he's hurting. I need to hear him promise me that. “Okay?”
“Sure. I feel bad for letting you do all of it yesterday.”
“Don't you worry; I enjoy driving as I don’t have to overthink while doing it.Andyou were just released from the hospital around twenty-four hours ago.”
He smiles in agreement. “That’s exactly why I want to drive today. I feel like I need some activity, and driving sounds less tiring than many other things.”
“Okay, but you know I'll be mad if I notice you're hiding any symptoms.” I hand him the keys.
“I promise that I won't do that,” he says, pressing the button to unlock the door.
Like yesterday, Spade opens my door and helps me inside. He puts on my seatbelt, and it feels silly. I’m about to comment on his actions, but glancing his way stops me. He’s staring at me, a warm look in his beautiful eyes.
“Can I kiss you? I’ve wanted to do so all morning.”
At a loss with words, I nod. When our lips meet for a kiss, I can taste coffee and maple syrup on his. That, combined with my need to touch him everywhere, makes me want to devour him. But this isn’t a place for more than what we are doing as it’s a family friendly public establishment.
Breaking our kiss, I whisper against his lips, “Let’s get going, so we can continue this later.”
“I like the sound of that.” Spade gives my lips a quick peck before closing the door. I watch as he flashes me a broad smile through the windshield, making his way to the other side of the truck.
Once we’re on the road again, we find little ways to touch each other. I scooted as close to him as I could when we left the motel, but the center console still separates us. It doesn’t stop us from holding hands and him moving his palm over my thigh. It’s intimate, making me want his touch more every minute that passes.
After talking about random things like our favorite school subjects (geography and art for him, social sciences for me) and how long we think it would take to sail around the world (too long), I close my eyes and focus on the country music playing from the radio. Songs like “Angel Eyes,” “Wild at Heart,” and “Die A Happy Man” take their turns filling the car, and I fall asleep with a blissful smile on my lips.
I don’t wake up until I feel a hand on my upper left arm, lazily caressing me. “Wake up, sleepy head. We’re reaching our destination, and the views are about to blow your mind,” Spade tells me, and his words pique my interest.
I rub my face slowly, waking myself up from my deep slumber. I look outside the truck window, my eyes slowly focusing on the view, and I see the ocean. The freaking ocean!
“Where are we?” I ask, wonder evident in my voice. It's hard to believe I was back in Gatlinburg less than thirty hours ago.
