If We Found Heaven ✓

forty-two ✩

The road trip back home was twenty-seven different kinds of horrible. The sheer awkwardness of being cramped in a car with two boys who could barely look at each other, a happy-go-lucky golden retriever of a girl, and the hottest babe that the west coast had ever seen was stifling, to say the least. Cass would turn on the radio to fill the silence, and then Art would switch it off, determined to make them all suffer, Cass was sure. Sullivan and Reid had started some sort of "I Spy" game in the back seat, and so Cass was left in silence as she drove next to one very annoyed Art Wright.

"So," Cass said tentatively towards the end of the drive, "I'm thinking of moving to San Francisco permanently."

Reid glanced up from the backseat. "That's awesome," he said. The words came out dull, but Cass knew that his excitement for her was genuine all the same. There was only so much you could expect of someone who had just had his heart crushed by the living Greek statue that was Arthur.

Sullivan hummed happily. "Where are you gonna live?"

"I paid a short visit to Marianne yesterday, and confirmed that I could stay with her for a while," Cass replied. "I'm pretty pumped."

"It sounds amazing," Sullivan agreed.

"How about the rest of you?" Cass asked. "Any big plans?"

"I'm gonna audition to be in this band in August," Sullivan told them. "I met them at the gay bar in San Francisco."

Cass gave a happy squeal. "We'll be near each other, then!"

Sullivan gave a noncommittal shrug. "They want to tour. We'd probably leave in the fall, according to Leah."

"Leah?" Cass echoed.

"She's the drummer," Sullivan explained.

"So you'd be touring with Leah?" Cass asked, trying to sound nonchalant and failing horribly.

Sullivan peered at her. "Leah and Kenny and Max, yeah. Why?"

"No, I just..." Cass trailed off. What was she doing? Sullivan was going to live out her dreams if she made it into the band. Cass was not going to stand in the way of that. "That's awesome. I'm happy for you."

"We should talk later," Sullivan said quietly.

Cass blew out a breath. "Sure." Dread began to build in her stomach. There were a million ways this conversation with Sullivan could go, and by the tone of Sullivan's voice, Cass could discern that not a single one had a positive outcome. She tried to take a deep breath, and still her trembling hands on the wheel. Art caught the gesture, and frowned.

"You good, Cass?" he asked.

Cass nodded her head once. She would do anything not to lose Sullivan. Hell, she'd murder Leah and learn how to play the drums if she had to. She wasn't going to let this girl get away the way that Reid was letting Art go. "I'm fine."

"Can you pull over?" Art asked, clearly unconvinced.

"Why? I'm fine," Cass insisted.

Art rolled his eyes. "The world doesn't revolve around you. I need to take a piss."

"And we all needed to know that for what reason, exactly?" Sullivan asked pleasantly.

Art sighed. "Just pull over, please."

Cass pulled over to the side of the road, and Art got out immediately. There were a couple hills here, and he disappeared over the crest of one. "I'm gonna get some air," Sullivan informed them, stepping out of the car as well.

Cass barely managed a nod. She was still shaking a little, and she felt Reid's fingers on her shoulder from where he sat behind her. "Take a breath," Reid said, his voice soft and soothing. It calmed her. She sucked in some air. "It's gonna be okay, Cass, believe me. You and Sullivan are practically married by now."