“Is that so?” He raised his eyebrows, and I blushed, realizing the suggestive nature of that line.
“Anyway,” I said quickly, “I know it sounds really cliché, but you know when people talk about finding themselves? Well, I’m starting to get where they’re coming from. So in answer to your question, yes, I think I’ll stay put—unless you have another suggestion?”
“I do,” he said quietly.
“Yeah?” I looked at him, surprised.
He nodded. “Something I’ve been thinking about.”
“Okay, let’s hear it, then.”
“Well, it’s been ages since I’ve had any time off. I could do with a vacation, and I thought—” He looked a bit embarrassed. “Well, this is where it gets really cliché . . .”
“Go on. No stalling, Gabe.”
“I thought we could go on a road trip. Maybe head out to the West Coast.”
“A road trip,” I said slowly. My mind shot back to that rainy day when I interviewed Rad at Callisto. I remembered how he told me his mother had planned a road trip across the States—one she never took. I shrugged it off as another strange coincidence.
“We could take turns driving,” Gabe continued. “I have a bit of money saved up, and Alaska can wait a few months. We can get a tent, pitch it where we want. Or stay in cheap motels—twin beds of course.” He was talking quickly now.
“Gabe, it’s okay. You don’t have to convince me. I like the idea.”
A slow grin spread across his face. “Yeah? Really?”
“Yeah, I think it will be fun.”
He leaped to his feet. “We could visit Reno, swim in Lake Tahoe—Yosemite has some great hiking trails. I mean, there’s so much to see and do!”
He looked almost like a kid, and I loved seeing him so animated. His excitement was contagious, and soon I was on my feet and we were doing a ridiculous impromptu dance around the room and laughing like children. I felt wild and free, like a stringless kite. My heart was soaring, and in that moment, it was like I had finally broken free from the shackles of my past. Rad, Ana, the lie—I had stepped out of the shadow and into the light.
We stopped dancing and collapsed back onto the couch, a little out of breath. Gabe kissed me, and this time, I didn’t pull away.
We spent the remainder of the days leading up to Graham and Dale’s return meticulously planning our road trip. We kept finding new things we wanted to see or do, adding detours to our already packed itinerary.
“We’re never going to make it to L.A. at this rate.”
“Does that matter?” asked Gabe.
“I suppose not.”
“Though I really do want to go to the Margaret Herrick Library,” he said.
“That’s the nerd in you talking.”
“They have the original screenplay for The Godfather,” he grinned. “The actual first draft. And they have the original notes and sketches from The Shining by Stanley Kubrick himself.”
There was a look of wonder in his eyes that went straight to my heart. On impulse, I grabbed at the sides of his face and kissed him firmly on the mouth.
“What was that for?”
“Do I need a reason?”
Before long, it was the night before Graham and Dale were due to arrive, and I spent it packing up my things. Gabe was out getting some last-minute supplies for our trip. We planned to stay at his place the following night before leaving on our big road trip first thing in the morning. I smiled, thinking about the big adventure ahead.
“I’ll miss you,” I said to Apple, who wagged her tail at me anxiously. I picked her up and gave her furry neck a kiss. “I’ll come back and visit you lots.”
I went to put her down when I heard my phone beep. It was a text from Lucy.
FaceTime?
Sure.
I realized it had been ages since I last spoke to her. I hadn’t even told her about the road trip.
I found my laptop lying on the couch and pulled up the screen. A few moments later, Lucy was there, grinning at me from the other side of the world.
“Hey, stranger,” she said.
“Hi! How have you been?”
“Great. How about you?”
“Really good!”
“How’s Gabe?”
“He’s doing great too.”
I was just about to bring up the road trip when she blurted out, “Anyway, I have news! Big news!”
“Oh, what is it?”
“Well, guess who turned up on our doorstep today?”
“I have no idea, Lucy.”
“Guess!”
I sighed. “Okay, I know you’re dying to tell me, so just come out with already.”
“Okay, fine,” she said, in a singsong voice. She paused for dramatic effect. “It was Candela!”
“Candela? Really?”
I hadn’t spoken to Candela since her dramatic departure with Dirk.
“Uh-huh. And do you know what else?”
“What?”
“She’s getting married, Audrey!”
“Married? To whom?”
“To Dirk.”
I groaned. “Seriously?”
“Actually, he’s cleaned up now. They both have. Candela looks fantastic! Dirk took over his dad’s garage a few months back, and he’s been doing custom bikes. It’s going really well for him. Apparently, some celebrity musician just ordered one.”
“Really? Who?”
“She was pretty evasive about it, but I think it was Keith Urban.”
“That’s awesome!”
“Anyway, she still feels really shitty about what happened—you know, the day when she stormed off. But she really wants you at her wedding. And even though she can be a real shit sometimes, she’s still Candela. She’s practically family.”
“I know,” I said, biting my lip.
“Will you come back?”
“When is the wedding?” I asked cautiously.
“Uh, well, it’s kind of late notice. You know what Candela’s like . . .”
“How late?”
“Well, it’s not this Sunday—”
“You are fucking kidding me.”
“It’s the Sunday after that,” Lucy finished. “Can you make it?”
I didn’t get much sleep that night. I kept tossing it over in my head. I could always come back here after the wedding, I thought. The road trip could wait a few weeks. But already I could feel a tightness in my chest, as though something was pulling me back into the past. Like when you’ve driven halfway to a dinner party and you have to double back home because you remembered you left the iron on.
The next day, Graham and Dale came back. Apple raced out to greet them, and I followed closely.
“Hi, honey!” Graham called out as he scooped Apple up into his arms. “Hi, baby, Daddy’s home. Did you miss me?” In response, she licked his face with great enthusiasm. After putting her down, he wrapped me in one of his iron-grip hugs. Dale had come up behind him, and he planted a firm kiss on my cheek before grabbing my hand and twirling me around.
“Welcome back,” I laughed.
I helped them with their luggage, and we made our way back into the house with Apple running around clumsily at our feet.
“The house looks wonderful!” Graham exclaimed when we got inside. “Exactly like how we left it.”
“The antiques are all done as well. I hope you’ll be happy with them.”
“I’m sure you did a fantastic job, honey.”
I put the kettle on, and soon we were settled on the couch, sipping cups of chamomile tea.
“So how was your flight?”
“Long and tedious,” said Graham. “It’s good to be home.”
“Amen,” said Dale.
Apple interjected with two sharp barks, and we laughed.
“So, Audrey,” said Dale. His eyes had a mischievous glint to them. “Rosie says you’ve been spending a lot of time with Gabe.”