The fact he was in his nursing scrubs didn’t bode well for the reality I craved, and as he sat up, I put the van in gear and pulled away from our apartment building.Fuck this shit.Denial was allIhad.
“Ash?”
The pounding in my heart slowed with Pete’s labored breaths. I chanced a glance at him, found him smiling, and shook my head. “Is this really happening? Or do you need a ride to thestore?”
“It’shappening.”
“How?”
“Scheduling snafu. Ellen gave me twoweeksoff.”
“Twoweeks?”
“Yup. It’s supposed to start tomorrow, but I kinda ran out on her.” He didn’t look even slightly contrite, but then his expression sobered. “I wish it had happened a day earlier, though. Then we all could’ve gone toPortland,huh?”
I felt every ounce of his disappointment that Liam wasn’t with us, but life over the past few years had taught me that everything happened for a reason. Perhaps Pete and I were meant to take this trip alone. Perhaps weneededto.
While Pete got his shit together, I drove out of the city and onto the expressway. I’d never driven farther than to Michigan, and I couldn’t deny that I was nervous. Driving the van was fun. Navigating, not so much, even with my phone’s GPS, but having Pete along calmed me like a belly full of benzos—a calm that was quickly dashed by the sight of him changing hisclothes.
Damn.Even though I saw him every day, his strong, supple body never failed to set me on fire. Smooth olive skin, and ink that I’d etched over and over in my favorite dreams. Pete was one of those lucky fuckers that never worked out, ate like a horse, and had lean, coiled muscles anyway—muscles that would thoroughly distract me from the road ahead if I didn’t stopoglinghim.
He slid his scrub trousers over his narrow hips, and I bit my lip, forcing myself to look away. If I saw his dick, I’d be done. The excitement of him crashing my trip had gone to my head, and two miles in, all I wanted to do was pull over andbeghim to fuck me. The reality that he’d likely refuse cooled the heat rising in my belly, though. Being the reticent pair of idiots we were, I’d never actually asked him to top since it had become clear he didn’t want to. How could I, when I’d spent years being so scared of it? Pete hadn’t pushed me then, and I wouldn’t push him now. My gut told me it wasn’t about me, and if I was wrong, well, I could live with not knowing that for a little whilelonger.
“What are you thinkingabout?”
“Hmm?” I kept my eyes on the road as Pete settled into his seat dressed in the sweats and hoodie he’d left the apartment in that morning—back when I’d felt so far away from him I’d barely been able to kiss him goodbye. “I’m thinking about not getting us lost inWisconsin.”
“Is that where we’re headedtoday?”
I shrugged. “Maybe?”
“You don’t haveaplan?”
“Not really. I figured I’d just point west. We’ll get there eventually,right?”
“What the fuck?” Pete reached for my phone that was lying useless on the dashboard. “You can’t wing it, Ash. Are you out of yourdamnmind?”
“What do youthink?”
Pete glared at me, clearly past caring if I was kiddingornot.
I laughed and pointed at the route I’d printed off at the studio. “Relax. Jed helped me plan everything. I’ve got itcovered.”
“What’s Jed got to dowithit?”
“We’re staying with him when we get toOregon.”
“When did you figurethatout?”
“From the beginning.” I changed lanes. “I didn’t want to stay in a hotel by myself, and Jed and Max live twenty minutes from Portland. They offered us a bed for a few days, and Isaidyes.”
“Us?”
“Yeah, I’d kinda set my heart on us making this trip together, even though I knew it was wishful fucking thinking. Or maybe I didn’t, huh? ’Cause I never called them and said I’d be coming onmyown.”
“And you packed all the socks.” Pete shook his head slightly and I laughedagain.
“I knew you were pissedaboutthat.”
