"Of course not, that would be ridiculous," Leif scoffed. "It comes from actual chickens, silly."
Woody took his hand off the steering wheel long enough to flip Leif off before quickly putting it back and correcting the vehicle.
"Sometimes they're sane," I said to no one in particular.
"Did you just call me sane?" Leif leaned forward as far as his seatbelt would let him and looked at me as though he was offended.
"Not you, them," I said, flapping a hand, mostly in the direction of Forrest.
"Someone has to be sane around here," Woody said.
"Yeah, that's why Forrest is sane," Leif agreed.
"I'm sitting right here," Forrest said. "Why am I getting attacked?" Again, he didn't seem too concerned.
"It's about time someone other than me was," Woody said.
He turned to regard Woody for a moment before nodding. "That's fair."
"I thought so too," Woody agreed.
"Don't make a habit of it." Forrest turned his attention to his phone in his hand, scrolling over something I couldn't see.
"We won't," Leif said. He looked from one side of Forrest's seat to the other, trying to see what he was looking at. "I havethat feeling again, the one where something bad is about to happen."
"Of course something bad is about to happen. We haven't been stuck in a traffic jam for at least five minutes," Woody said. "Give it a minute or two."
"It's not that," Leif said. "It might be your driving."
"You could have called a car," Woody said. "You didn't. You got into mine, eyes wide open."
"I know when to argue with you, and when not to bother," Leif said. "This was one of those not-to-bother times. You would have driven off and left me alone and vulnerable." He might have been alone, but he was far from vulnerable. He pouted playfully before dumping a handful of candy into his mouth.
"I wouldn't want to leave you back in the city," I said.
"You think he would have given you a choice?" Leif pointed a finger gun at the back of Woody's head, then Forrest's. "He would have tied you down if he had to. Both of them. I wasn't going to let that happen, so here I am."
"I'm glad you're here." I put my hand on his thigh and squeezed.
"I'm glad I am too," Leif said. "I like this song."
I hadn't realized until he mentioned it, but the news had finished, replaced by a song from Teddy Swims. We caught up with it at the chorus, singing along softer than before.
Mostly.
While I sang, I kept an eye on Forrest. Whatever he saw on the screen, he seemed troubled by it. It could have been work-related, but I suspected it wasn't. Whatever it was, it had him on edge. Even as composed as he was, I could feel it coming from him, waves of something: irritation, frustration.
I licked my lips, about to say something, when Forrest spoke first.
"The turn is up ahead." He gestured to signs on the side of the road.
"Got it." Woody slowed the car, changed lanes again, and took the off ramp.
I watched the countryside go past. Skyscrapers gave way to smaller buildings, houses and trees. Every so often, I'd catch a glimpse of water. The sky seemed clearer already. If I wound my window down, would I smell salt and sand, instead of exhaust fumes and dense humanity?
"Turn right up here," Forrest said.
Woody turned and drove us past a sign saying, 'Welcome to Saltgrave Cove.'
