As I slow to a stop at the first traffic light in Juniper, I shoot her a glare as severe as I can muster. “I’m never riding in your car again.”
She barks out another laugh, throwing her head back.
Such a fucking menace.
The next stop light brings us in front of Bear Creek. Glancing out Lena’s window, I spot the owners, Gary and Joe, shoveling the sidewalk up to the cabin they live in beside the bakery.
Lena rolls her window down, cool air breezing through the car as she waves to them. “Hey, handsome men,” she shouts, and their shovels pause as they turn with wide smiles.
“Lena! Happy holidays,” Joe calls with a wave.
Gary bends down like he’s trying to look further into the car. “Is that Gavin?”
My gut rolls with guilt as I wave, hoping the conversation doesn’t lead to them sharing all the details about my future before I can.
I’m not purposely keeping my and Auggie’s plans to move here a secret from anyone, but I’ve promised him I wouldn’t say anything until he does a big Christmas reveal for his mom and Luci.
But now Lena has been looped into that group of people who don’t know about the plan, and I wish I could tell her about it.
The light turns green, saving me from having to weave my way through any awkwardness, and we shout a quick goodbye as I pull past their business.
Flicking my gaze to Lena, I find her concentration on her phone as she clicks to restart the audiobook. But fortunately, a call blares through the car speakers before that book can make my dick any harder than it already is.
With a swipe of her thumb, she answers her mother’s call. “Hey. We’re almost back to the house.”
“Oh, good,” Bea croons. “We’re all ready to get the tree. Can you meet us at Bear Creek?”
Lena’s brows crease as she turns to me and asks, “Did we get anything at the store that’ll go bad while we pick out a tree?”
“No, we should be fine.”
“Okay, we just passed it,” she tells Bea. “We’ll turn around and meet you there.”
“Are you being nice to Gavin? If you were rude, he’s not the one we’re kicking out of the house.” Bea’s voice is stern, and it forces a chuckle out of me.
“I’m always nice,” Lena says innocently, fluttering her lashes in my direction.
“That’s a load of shit, Lena, and you know it,” Bea says with a laugh before ending the call.
At the next road, I turn the car around to drive back to the tree farm. Lena doesn’t turn the audiobook back on, pester me with more questions, or even look my way.
She just stares out the window, fingers drumming on her thigh.
Once I park beside the tree farm, I relax in my seat to wait for her family as uneasy silence cloaks the car.
The engine purrs lightly, and the heater hums from the dash, but we’re both still and speechless.
And it’s suffocating.
I don’t know what happened in the last few minutes, but she seems completely closed off suddenly, like her mind is whirring with thoughts and I don’t get to know them.
When I can’t take it anymore, I ask, “Is everything okay?”
She shakes her head. “We’re going to have to at least pretend to be friends again if there’s any chance of my mom getting off my back,” she blurts.
A breath of relief rushes out with a small laugh. “It has to be pretend?”
She tilts back to her headrest. “You tell me. It sure doesn’t feel like we’re friends right now.”
