Counting the Miles

Ace

-> After sitting with Bella outside of 7-11 and finally getting her to smile and laugh, I dropped her off then went and grabbed Mike from the party. I knew he was wasted the second he got into the car.
“Dude, you reek of beer.” He shrugged and laughed like I said the funniest joke.
“Where’s Bells?”
“She’s at home, pissed as hell at you.”
“That prick touched my sister,” He slurred out. I laughed and nodded. “He hid from me for the rest of the night, knows I can kick his ass.”
“I know man, I know. But she’s a grown up now. You can’t always just run and try to rescue her. We aren’t playing knights anymore.”
“Whatever,” he mumbled. He knew I was right but I knew he was just protective over her. She always had a boyfriend and he never liked any of them when they came over. I never did either, but I’m just the friend and never gave my opinion. I knew I always got this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach but never wanted to think about why.
“You know if you two ever dated it would be great, because you would treat her right.” Mike said right before he passed out.
“Sure buddy.”

Once Bella’s SUV was all packed with everyone’s luggage, my stuff, her things, and the family we headed off to the airport. From there we would be heading off across the country.
When we reached the airport, Bella hopped out and hugged her parents and avoided her brother all together. Her mother pulled us together and smiled.
He looked at her and rolled his eyes.
“Whatever, bye Isabella,” he spit before heading off with his and his mother’s bags.
“Please be careful, we will call when we land and see where you are. You have the car charger?” Bella nodded. “And you have the credit card, and the extra cash?”
“Yes mom, we are going now to get gas, and then head out towards Arizona.”
“Don’t worry Mrs. M, I’ll take care of her,” I swung an arm around Bella and she laughed and wrapped an arm around my waist.
Her skin left a streaming hot tingling against my skin under my tee shirt. I shook the feeling away and smiled.
“We will check in with you every day.” She said hugging her mom again. We got into her vehicle and pulled away from the curb before the airport police could yell at us.
“So first stop iHop?” I looked at her and grinned.
“God, you’re a genius.”

“That was delicious,” I mumbled. Bella giggled and nodded. She scooped up the last bite of hash browns and stretched.
“I’m so full, I’m ready for a nap.” I paid the bill and smiled as the waitress returned with my receipt. Sticking it in my wallet to add up at the end of the trip, I nodded.
“Do you want me to drive first so you can nap?” I asked slipping the receipt into my beaten up brown leather wallet.
“I mean I won’t nap right away, but if you want to drive that would be totally fine by me.”
“Sure no problem,” I stood up and we headed to her car.
“Let’s fill up first,” she said as she punched the address for New Jersey into her GPS. “There’s a station down the street before the freeway entrance.”
I nodded and slid my Ray Bans onto my face. She smiled at me before turning on the radio quietly. She softly sang along to whatever pop song was playing.

“That cloud does not look like a bunny,” she exclaimed before laughing.
“It totally does, where is your imagination?” I laughed as she shook her head.
“I have one but that is not a bunny, it looks like…” she tilted her head and sighed. “I have no idea.”
“Yeah exactly, it looks like a bunny.”

“I’m starving,” I mumbled as I played with the radio. “And we are leaving California soon, so we should get In-N-Out before it’s gone.”

“Good idea,” she said as took a couple of fries and plopped them into her mouth.
“I know, I’m full of them.” She rolled her eyes and I hit my shoulder against hers, making her slightly lose her balance. She laughed and I smiled at her.
“Only when it comes to food.” She said laughing before I rolled my eyes at her. “Remember when we were kids and you wouldn’t let me play tag with you guys?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said before I took a bite out of my burger.
“You’re so full of it!” She yelled with a smile on her face.
“Okay maybe there is this one memory I have when we wouldn’t let you play and you pushed Mike and he broke his arm.” She laughed and had tears rolling down her checks.
Her laughs sent tingles across my skin. I took a sip of my drink and pushed the crazy thoughts away.
“You would remember that one, and I was so pissed that I couldn’t help it. Besides he was a wussy then, so he totally had it coming. He was calling me names all summer and I finally snapped.”
I laughed at the memory of her nine year-old self. “Yeah, he was pissed because your mom wouldn’t let him go swimming for so long.”
“That was like the ultimate revenge for me.” She said smiling before she took a sip of her soda. “It was even better because you had just gotten the pool and he had to sit and watch from the sidelines.”
“Remember the time we got the cast wet?” I asked and she fell backward into the back of the SUV laughing.
“He cried for hours because he knew he had to get a new one.”
“Yeah, being a kid was so much easier than it is now,” I said, she looked at me and nodded.
“I know I miss it.”