Page 43 of That Summer
“Thanks.” She stepped back and straightened herself out. “Oh, before I forget…” She thrust her hand deep into her pocket and pulled out a hastily wrapped package. “For you.”
A wide grin spread from ear to ear as he ripped the wrapping off like a kid expecting to find a puppy. A puppy couldn’t fit in the small box, but his face lit up as he pulled out the racing flag keychain. He flipped it over, tilting it to read the inscription. “Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly.”
She smiled up at him. “It’s important to me that you stay safe. I’d hate to lose you––or anyone else for that matter––in a car crash.”
He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a squeeze. “Thank you. It’s perfect.” He let go of her and attached it to his keys. “Ready to go?”
She swallowed the lump in her throat as she examined the car. Just metal and mechanics. Her ponytail swayed with the nod.
He leaned against the door. “Whenever you’re ready.”
“You should know, I’m never truly ready.” She forced a smile. “But here goes nothing.”
Huffing and puffing, she lowered herself into his car and reached for the seatbelt. It clicked into place, and she gave him the thumbs up sign. The door shut beside her, and Lucas got in the driver’s seat. The car revved to life, and she placed her full trust in Lucasandhis guardian angel.
Aurora quickly read the passage Lucas had taped to the dash. It was a long passage on hope and never giving up, however, it wasn’t long enough to keep her attention. Taking a deep breath, she glanced out the window. “Where are we?”
“About to cross the river.”
She no longer needed his hand, but reached for it regardless.
All previous drives had been on the main city streets, and never ever on the freeway. Even though she understood they’d need to travel on the highway to get the track, it made her jumpy seeing the trees whoosh by them in a dark green blur. It gave her a headache trying to focus on them. They sped down a slight embankment, where a long bridge spanned the distance in front of them
The bridge was long, or seemed that way, but the break from the blurry trees lent itself to a gorgeous view of the rushing river and endless banks of greenery lining either edge.
“It’s so pretty,” she said in a quiet voice, unable to tear her gaze away.
“Ever been here?”
“Not in recent years. Not that I remember anyways.”
The drive over the water was quick, and before she knew it they were already climbing up the hill on the south end of the bridge.
“We’re almost there,” Lucas said, but his voice seemed far away.
Allowing the world to temporarily darken, she closed her eyes. She leaned against the head-rest clenching her fists as she tried to keep the image of the river in the forefront of her mind.
Focus on the trees. The brown of the river.
Lucas’ rough hand covered her fists. “You’re doing great.”
Her breathing rate accelerated, and the back of her neck started sweating. Fingernails drove deep into the heels of her palms, but the pain didn’t bother her. It never did.
Lucas gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Nearly there. Keep breathing.”
The car slowed and made a lazy right turn. A left turn, a right turn and another left before the vehicle slowed and came to a stop.
“We’re here.” He got out and raced to the passenger side.
When the door opened, she ejected herself from the car and stood five feet from it. She took deep breaths, shaking out her hands and kicking with her feet. “Where are we?”
“Overlooking the river. The sun’s about to set. Apparently, according to my Twitter connections, this is a great spot to watch it go down. Or one of them. The absolute best spot is about a twenty-minute drive from the apartment. We’re not there yet.”
The view was a sight to behold. They stood on a sidewalk, the edge of a cliff just a few feet ahead of them where tall, ugly weeds flourished. The river was far below, silently winding and weaving its way between thick groves of trees and lush emerald-greenery. A warm, gentle breeze caressed her cheeks, causing her to revel in the sensation. The distant hum of a lawnmower was the only sound, but it brought with it the weak scent of freshly cut grass. There was something refreshing about that smell.
“Could you imagine living here?” she asked in a whisper, afraid any sound louder would destroy the serenity.
Three houses stood tall behind them.