AUGUST | NH |

ONE

Archer

Salt air.

One hundred and ninety four miles.

Four hours and seventeen minutes.

Okay, more like five hours and twenty three minutes if you include stops to go to the bathroom and get more candy... I mean, who invented Sour Patch peach candies?

An angel, that's who.

Opulent oranges and picturesque pinks paint the final moments of the day, quickly fading out with the setting sun on the horizon — creating the perfect backdrop for the crisp white and baby blue sign signaling my arrival to my destination.

Welcome to Cape Charlotte!

"Thank fucking god." I murmur to myself as I glance at my GPS, smiling at the fact that within the next ten minutes two very important things will happen.

One— I get to get out of this car.

Two— I get to be reunited with my other half.

Turning down the volume in order to see better, as one does, I squint softly as I pass the street signs.

Still Circle.

Flicker Lane.

Heaven Drive.

Tide Avenue.

Taking the left turn, I can't help but press my foot down a little harder on the accelerator to get to the white house that just so happens to be waiting for me at the end of the street.

Just seeing him standing at the top of the driveway made me feel more excited than I had in months, which wasn't hard to do considering how much of my time was spent studying or stuck in class anyways.

Putting the car in park and throwing the door open, I all but jump out of the car and scramble into the open arms that are held wide open. "Ellis! Hi!"

A loud, deep laugh vibrates from his chest as he squeezes me before lifting me off of my feet and spinning me around in a circle. "There she is! I was beginning to wonder if you got lost."

"Whatever! You called me at least three times on the drive." Rolling my eyes, I step back enough to push him away from me playfully. "You act like you've been sitting in the window like that cat we had when we were kids."

"You mean Miss Mittens?" I laugh as Ellis scrunches up his nose at the memory of the cat that absolutely hated him. "That cat hated my ass."

Pressing the button on my keys to pop the trunk, I glare at him over my glasses. "Seriously?"

"What?!" Ellis calls out to me incredulously as he trails behind me to the back of my car. "There was not a day that damn cat didn't hiss at me or try to attack my feet with its death talons."

"El, you hated that poor car. My poor cat." Reaching into the trunk, I pull out one of my overstuffed suitcases I packed full before leaving Boston this morning. "Now... Stop talking shit and about my deceased favorite cat and be a good brother and help me carry this stuff inside."

Making my way towards the front door, I can't help but smile hearing Ellis call out from behind me, no doubt trying to carry the other full suitcase and the bag from the back seat. "Oh come on Archie, that was the only cat you had!"

"But I loved her!" I laugh, waiting for him to open the door. "Hurry up! I wanna see inside!"

"Just open the door, it's not going to bite you!" He calls out a moment before muttering something about me being an over packer.