When yet another curveball puts Andy and Lex's relationship into serious jeopardy, the stakes become higher than they've ever been, forcing the couple to fight not only for their love but also for their lives.
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Life see...
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100 Mile House was a small town with a population of about two thousand people. It didn't have that many shops, but it had the essentials. It would be enough for now, and we'd see if we needed to drive to a bigger town in the future. Lex stopped the car in the parking lot of a strip mall, and I looked at the few shops' signs. There was a salon that did hair and nails, a thrift store, a clothes shop, one just for women's clothing, a lawyer, and a pizza place.
"This is for you," he declared, handing out a gray credit card. I took it and examined the name on it. Alexandra Wilson...
"Wow, you really went all out with our false identities."
"We don't know for how long we'll have to pretend, so I was thorough. I have my own card, both are from the same joint account. Don't worry about the limit, you couldn't reach it even if you tried. Not here, at least."
With my eyes still on the silver card, I nodded. It was weird to get everything we'd always said we would, but still not really get it. Yes, we were married, shared a house, and even a bank account, but none of it was real. So it shouldn't matter. It shouldn't fill me with happiness the way it did. This was fake, pretense, make beliefs...
At the very most, it was a test drive. This was like a glimpse of what reality could become, and until then, I had to remind myself it wasn't true. The only reason I had this was because I couldn't use mine for fear that it might lead someone to us. Just like my phone, it was halfway across the world, being used sporadically by the person paid to impersonate me.
Lex exited the car, and I put the card into my wallet before getting out as well. We started with the clothing store, picked a few things, and then moved on to the thrift shop. I found hiking shoes my size that seemed brand new, and Lex bought his first pair of cargo shorts ever. Unsurprisingly, the garment looked good on him – much better than it was supposed to.
After lingering there for a moment, we came out with three bags full of stuff, which we put in the car with the others. "I need to go get a package on the other side of town," Lex explained. "I can pick you up here when I'm done, so you can check out the last store. Or you can come with me, of course."
"I'm good to stay, if that's okay with you. What's in the package?"
"A surprise," he said, a glimmer in his eyes.
"Oh... Is it one I'll like?"
"I think so, yes."
The perspective made me giddy with excitement, and I wriggled where I stood. "Say no more, then."
I extended my neck for a quick peck before we had to separate, and he got into the car after we lip-locked. I watched the car leave the parking lot and then headed back toward the mall. On my way to the women's clothing store, I passed the hairdresser and paused in my tracks. For months now, I had been thinking I should get a haircut, struggling to do anything with my curls. More often than not, I kept them tied in a bun now, just done trying to tame them. It wasn't as if I had many other things to do here, anyway. Maybe now was the best time to finally get it done.
