Finding Everett | ✔️

Chapter Twenty Four

I hope you guys like this chapter! Sometimes I feel like I'm losing sight of the story, but whatever hahahaha

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By the time Lizzie and Everett hit Flagstaff, Arizona one day later, Everett partially regretted ever saying yes to the road trip. The two were absolutely exhausted in every sense of the word.

Lizzie's eyes were heavy and drooping, a bit red with the strain of keeping them open and lack of proper rest the prior night. Tents sounded like a really good idea before. Now she just wanted to chuck the thing out and forget all about it.

Everett didn't feel that much better, either. The car kept him cramped up and compact for so many hours that his body felt sore and in need of a good stretch. Since he refused to take any rest if Lizzie couldn't, his eyes were in pretty much the same state: red, dry and heavy.

The two had their windows down, the cool night air keeping them refreshed enough to make the final leg of the trip. Lizzie made another turn, gravel crunching underneath their tires for several seconds before the engine died.

Hearing a heavy sigh, Everett just nodded. He understood that it was just a sigh of relief. "Next time we decide to take a road trip, let's skip that and just hop a plane," Lizzie mumbled out. Everett could hear a smile in her voice and smiled himself.

"Yeah, we're not doing this again. Sorry, but I'm sore and I've had to pee for the last forty-five minutes."

A hand slapped his arm. "Seriously? You couldn't have taken two seconds to say, 'Hey, see that 7-11? You should stop there.' - we weren't in that much of a hurry you know," she scolded playfully.

Everett shot her a look concerning the way she phrased her sentence and she rolled her eyes, shoving him. "Don't give me that look. You know what I mean!" she grumbled, hearing him laugh.

"I know, I know. But come on - I wanted to get out of this car just as much as you. I was willing to sacrifice a few things to shorten the length of the trip," he retorted defensively.

Quiet settled on the car and Lizzie broke it saying, "We really need to get out of this car if we're going to start arguing about your bodily functions."

Everett laughed and nodded in agreement. Not only that, he wanted to walk and lay down on a bed. Or a couch. Pretty much anything that didn't involve a tent. But a bed would be nice.

"You two are late - I was starting to get worried."

Everett had only just barely opened his door when a woman called out those words. It startled him since he didn't think anyone would be awake at the moment; it felt really late.

"Aunt Kate!"

Well, apparently Lizzie knew this person because within seconds, her door opened and slammed shut, her feet digging into the gravel as she jogged to her family. It seemed as though they hadn't really been able to be with each other in a long time. At least from what Everett could tell from their animated speech.

One hand on the car, Everett followed the cold metal in slow steps, moving toward the happy, but quiet voices on the other side.

"Oh! I can't believe how rude I am!" An arm, presumably Lizzie's, linked itself through the crook of his elbow and slowly tugged him along. Everett breathed a small thank you for the slower pace because the guy wasn't so sure he could go much faster in an environment that he didn't know.

"Aunt Kate, this is Everett. He's my best friend from back home," Lizzie announced the introduction, tugging Everett just a hair closer to her side.