“It’s great.” I adjust my hand on the wheel. “Ever been to a concert?”
She huffs a laugh. “No, definitely not.”
“If you could go to one, who would you want to see?”
In my periphery, she purses her lips, thoughtful. “Probably Ford Parker.”
“He’s pretty new, right?”
“Mmm.” She nods. “He only has two albums, but I like his sound. His lyrics are… well, they’re poetry.”
I make a mental note to check his tour schedule. “Who else do you like?”
“Asha Donavan. She’s a little more pop than country, but I like her voice. She’s got this rasp that adds feeling to all of her songs.”
“Do you sing?” I ask.
I’m greedy to know all I can about her. The questions may be innocuous, but I’ve got to start somewhere.
With a light laugh, she tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. “In the shower and along to the radio, yeah. But I don’t sing all that well, if that’s what you’re really asking.”
“If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?”
I’m pushing it now, digging a little deeper, but to my surprise, she doesn’t shut down.
“I’ve never thought about it.” She gives a self-deprecating laugh. “Isn’t that sad? I’ve never considered leavingmy brothers, so I haven’t put effort into dreams that’ll never become a reality.” She swallows audibly. “Where would you go?”
“Everywhere.”
She pokes my arm, a pop of static electricity zinging between us. “Ow.” She shakes her finger, giggling. “Sorry about that. But ‘everywhere’ is not an answer.”
“You didn’t give me one either,” I counter.
She hums, peering out her window. We’re silent then, but before I can move on to a safer topic, she says, “Scotland. I think I would go to Scotland.” The words are quiet, hesitant, like she worries that by speaking the thought aloud, any chance of one day going will be snatched from her.
“Why there?”
“I’m not sure.” She shrugs, making her hair slip over her shoulder. “I guess because it seems peaceful.”
Once I’ve parked, I unbuckle my seat belt and shift her way. “I want to travel everywhere, because I feel like there’s so much out there to see and do and experience and that I’ve barely touched the tip of the iceberg.”
She studies my face, like she’s really processing my answer.
“From here, it sounds like you’re searching for something,” she says softly. “But if I know one thing, it’s that the answers you’re looking for aren’t out there in the world.” She presses a hand to my chest. “They’re right here.”
My heart kicks up a notch in speed, and her fingers tremble slightly, like maybe she notices. Like she sees the way my heart reacts to her.
She pulls her hand away carefully and laces her fingers in her lap. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
I probably shouldn’t say it, but the words fall from my mouth before I can stop. “You can touch me anywhere, Halle. Anytime you want.”
Her breath catches slightly, her eyes wide with a mixture of wonder and confusion.
Before I can regret my declaration, I turn and push my door open. She does the same, carefully closing hers behind her.
I slip my keys into my pocket, then round the car and guide her to the entrance.
While I swipe a cart, she pulls up a screenshot of a supply list. The store has organized back-to-school items together, making the process easy, and in no time, we’ve crossed off every item, even securing some pretty good deals.
