A Light in the Dark

Chapter 68

"What the hell was I thinking?" Camila muttered and tiredly rubbed her eyes as the train slowed down. The light in their compartment was too bright to show anything else but her own reflection in the window and she let out a heavy sigh.

"You didn't have much of a choice," Jacob chuckled beside her and she fought the urge to smack him. This train ride and everything it had contained was a test for the nerves. "Dr Sanchez and your mom were against flying and you refused to wait another week because you couldn't go any longer without seeing your girlfriend. Honestly, if anyone should complain, it'd be me."

"I didn't force you to take this stupid train as well," she grumbled. "Seriously, we've been in here longer than a whole day! We should have taken a rental or something..."

"I actually did  make the suggestion to drive, but you were the one against it. We could have slept in a motel... it would've have been awesome! Did you ever drive a car to New York or back to Miami?" Jacob asked interested and Camila nodded slowly. He was way too chirpy. Although maybe it had more to do with the four Red Bulls that he had consumed. "That's so cool, dude! How long did you drive?"

"Dunno... I got lost," she admitted and rolled her eyes when Jacob snorted. "Hey, I wasn't prepared for the drive, okay? And my phone died somewhere in South Carolina... it was one of the worst things ever... well, this one actually kind of comes close."

"You weren't prepared to drive to New York? Who the hell starts such a long road trip without a plan?"

"When you get thrown out of your house, things like that tend to happen," she muttered irritated and noted that the combination of her pain meds and the lack of sleep made her more talkative than usual. "Ugh, ignore me, I'm cranky... are we there?"

"You don't say," she heard him say under his breath and sent him a glare. "But yup, it's Penn Station. And you're sure that Lauren's picking you up? I wouldn't mind accompanying you until you're safe at home."

"I'm sure, she texted me, like... uh... a few hours ago. What time is it anyway?" Camila looked disoriented for her phone. She could have lived without this experience. A train ride from Miami to New York? Not recommendable. Not under any circumstances. "I should have just booked that flight... what would have been so bad about it anyway? It takes, like, a day less. A whole fucking day!"

"It's a little after 7 pm, almost on time actually," Jacob answered unfazed. "You should have asked them. I wouldn't be surprised, if your mother just fed you that story so that you'd stay home a little longer. My mom would've done the same, I think."

Camila frowned and looked involuntarily down to Jacob's stomach. "But your mom didn't do it when you got hurt?"

Jacob's face darkened and he quickly stood up to get their carry-on bags from the rack above their heads. "No, she didn't."

"Um..." Camila tilted her head at his sudden mood swing. Shit. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"

Sighing, Jacob shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. The frown slowly disappeared and when he met her eyes, he looked more sad than anything else. "No, it's... it's fine. It's just... my parents died a few years ago. You just... I prefer not to think about it too much."

Her eyes widened and she couldn't help but gape at him, unsure whether she had heard him correctly. It was as if her heart stopped beating for a second. Or as if she had overlooked a step on her way down a staircase. She shook her head. This was not the time to look for stupid comparisons. What was she even supposed to say when someone dropped a bomb like this? She knew Jacob was barely older than Lauren, and he lost his parents a few years ago?  He had been a teenager back then, still in high school, maybe even middle school...