I take a sip of my coffee before answering. “Yeah, sure.”
He leans against the trunk of my car and crosses his arms over his chest. I know we’re in this awkward place right now, but my eyes involuntarily drift to his tanned biceps.
“My eyes are up here,” he jokingly says.
Thankful he’s back to his normal self, I let out a small sigh of relief.
“Can’t help it. My boyfriend is hot.”
Heshakes his head. “I’m sorry about the phone call.”
“It’s okay,” I say, swallowing hard.
“It’s not,” he counters. “I trust you, Ingrid. I just… you scared me. I thought you…”
“Left you?” I finish for him.
He shifts uncomfortably in front of me. “Yeah.”
I knew it. I knew he was terrified I left him here alone with Cash.
But I’d never do that.
I’m not his dad.
“Until we reach California,” I start to say, “can we just pretend that yesterday didn’t happen?”
Wilder furrows his brow. “Why?”
So many reasons. I want Wilder to have fun with Cash. I want Wilder to chase his dreams. I want to stop being the reason he can’t.
“I just want to enjoy the next few days with you,” I say. “We can figure things out on the way home.” Wilder scrunches his nose. “Or when we get home,” I add.
“I don’t want to ignore it.” He exhales. “My not being honest with you is a big deal.”
“That part sucks,” I say. “You not telling me about these two huge parts of your life, but maybe if I were in your shoes, I would have done the same thing.”
“Stop letting me off the hook so easy,” Wilder warns. “I don’t want you to treat me like I’m Cash.”
The implication stings. My face must show it because he tries to recover.
“I didn’t mean that.”
“Whatever, Wilder,” I snap. “If you want to spend our day at the Grand Canyon fighting, then enjoy the backseat.”
I ignore him and walk over to the front passenger door. Without meaning to, I fling it open a little too hard and drop inside.
“Uh oh,” Cash says as he buckles his seatbelt. “Trouble in paradise?”
My eye twitches. I can’t believe I wasted four years trying to win his approval.
“Last time I checked,” I quip as I slip on a pair of sunglasses, “you were single and alone. So, don’t say shit like that to me. Not today, Cash.”
He turns on the ignition and blows out a long breath.
Finally, Wilder gets in the car.
I don’t bother looking anywhere other than out the window.
