I grimace as I drop his hand. “Okay, maybe I’m freaking out a little.”
“Listen to me.” He takes my face into his hands. “I don’t want us to second-guess every move we make. I want us to be natural. I want us to do what feels right. Hold hands if we want to.” He brushes his lips over mine. “Kiss if we want to.”
I lean forward and press my lips to his. “I definitely want to kiss.”
He grins, and steps back to swing open the passenger door for me. “Then let’s go.”
“Wait, are we staying in Albany or driving back home? Won’t it be late?”
Landon smirks as he gestures to the back seat of his Explorer. “Ivori already packed an overnight bag for you.”
My chin jerks back. “Wow. You have all your bases covered.”
“I’m nothing if not prepared.”
I laugh as I hoist myself into the passenger seat. “Hurry up, Fletcher. You know what they say: If you’re not early, you’re late.”
Once Landon backs out of the driveway, I lean forward and switch on the radio. I browse the stations, attempting to find something upbeat and suitable for our road trip.
My fingers freeze whenEverlongfloats through the speakers. I grin, turning the knob to raise the volume, and I wait for it.
Landon’s thumb twitches. Then it turns into a steady tap. I start to sing, low at first, egging him on. His head bobs to the beat, and soon, he’s singing along with me. And when the chorus hits, he lifts his hands, and smacks his palms on the steering wheel, whaling on the imaginary drums. We belt out the lyrics at the top of our lungs. I whip my hair around, head banging like a rock star, and Landon’s deep laughter fills the car.
“These kids today don’t know what good music is,” he says.
“Spoken like a true old person.” I lean back against the seat and watch the trees out my window as we pass them. “High school doesn’t feel like that long ago, but it really was.”
Landon nods. “A lot has changed.”
I roll my head to the side to stare at his profile. “What was it like in California?”
“It was a different kind of beautiful. Palm trees, and sunny, warm weather almost all of the time. The ocean was nice, but we have that here.” Landon hikes a shoulder, and slides his palm around my thigh as he drives. “I missed home.”
“I guess I imagined you had the perfect life out there.”
“I always knew I’d come back home if my mom ever left my dad. It was always in the back of my mind.”
I cover his hand with mine. “Do you ever talk to Frank?”
Landon’s jaw works under his skin. “He’s tried to reach out over the last few years. He left a couple of messages. But I haven’t returned his calls. I have nothing to say to him.”
“Maybe you should hear him out. Maybe he regrets what he did.”
Landon’s top lip curls. “What is there to hear?I’m sorry I loved alcohol more than you? I’m sorry I hurt your mother? Sorry I ruined our family?I don’t need to hear his bullshit apologies.”
“It’s not about the apology. I’m not saying you have to be close to him, or spend father-son time together. But it might help to talk to him, to heal those scars, and move on.” I hike a shoulder. “Like it did with us.”
“We are different.”
“I know.” I reach up and stroke his jaw. “I’m just saying, it might be good for you to forgive him.”
“He doesn’t deserve my forgiveness.”
“The forgiveness isn’t for him. It’s for you.”
He lifts my hand to his lips and presses a kiss to each of my knuckles. “Your forgiveness is the only thing I care about.” He sets my hand back in my lap, and I clutch his with both of mine. “I was so nervous coming back and seeing you. I didn’t know how you’d react.”
I arch a brow. “You mean when you ambushed me in Danbury’s office?”
