The Journey Taken Together

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Status: Edited

Don't forget to vote! nwn

~Dennis~

"GET OFF OF ME!!!" Thea says and pushes me. I bite my lip while watching her sink down to the floor. I take one last look at Steven's lifeless body and head out of the room.

I wake up, sweating and panting. My heart races inside of my chest as I look around the room. My eyes stop at Thea's body on the bed, and I sigh. 'Just a dream,' I mumble to myself as I get up. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I check the time.

"Thea," I say aloud. She doesn't move a muscle, and I walk over to her.

Shaking her body, I become impatient. "Thea, it's noon. We have to be at the funeral at three." My heart nearly jumps out of my chest when I see her eyes pop right open. She stretches her arms out and gets out of bed.

"Morning sunshine," I tease, and she shoots a glare at me.

"Love you too," I mumble and look at her hair. I softly giggle at the sight of her hair, which looks like someone rubbed a balloon on her head.

"Do you have a comb?" she asks, and I reach in my pocket. I pull out change and my wallet, but no comb.

"Hang on," I say and exit the room. Taking the elevator down to the first floor, I run my fingers through my hair. When the doors open, I nearly run into a woman and her child while quickly exiting the building to my car. I drop my keys on the sidewalk and curse. Reaching down to pick them up, I feel a hand on mine.

"Oh sorry," a familiar female voice says. I look up to see Thea, and I smile.

"No worries. How did you get down here so fast? You weren't on the elevator," I confront her.

"I took the stairs," she states. I nod my head and walk to the car with her. Unlocking it, I reach in the glove box for my spare comb.

"Here you go," I say, handing the comb to her. She tries to comb her hair, but it gets stuck in her thick mess. I turn her around and gently run the comb down the length of her hair.

"Ow," she yelps, and I try to get the knot out.

"Sorry," I mutter and hand the comb back to her. She steps closer to me, and my heart begins to race. Standing on her tip toes, she combs my hair. I let out a soft laugh and place my hands on her waist, keeping her body still.

"Do you want to go get something to eat before the funeral?" I ask her. She shakes her head, and I head back to the lobby of the hotel to drop off the keys. I run back to the car and type the address into my GPS. We begin to drive on the highway, and I start to feel nauseous.

*****

We arrive at the address of the funeral and get out of the car. I take Thea's hand and lead her into the building. A fresh scent of vanilla fills my nose as we step inside. Rows of old, velvet chairs fill the room, and a long, stone path leads up to the front where the casket is. I look to my left and see an elderly couple sitting in the back row.

We continue walking up to the front and sit in the first row. A wooden podium sits in the middle of the aisle and people start to fill in the empty seats. I look down at my phone and sigh.

"Fifteen minutes," I say to Thea and, she nods. I grasp her hand as a single tear runs down my face. 'If I didn't mess everything up, things could be different right now," I think as a man in a white robe stands at the podium. He gets the room's attention and clears his throat.

"Today, we are gathered to remember the great aspects of Steven Wolf's life. Friends, family, I send my blessings to you and anyone else who knew Mr. Wolf. His spirit has passed on into the light, and he is in a better place now. Would anyone like to speak?" he asks, and I bite my lip. Slowly, I raise the hand that is not holding Thea's. The man nods, and I stand up, slowly approaching the podium.

"Hello. I am Dennis Ford, Steven's best friend. I just want to thank everybody for being here to support him. He was a very good man, and he changed my life for the better. He kept the love of my life and I together, and I cannot thank him enough for that. I send my blessings out to his family, and want you to know that his spirit will always live in our hearts," I say and step down from the podium.

Looking out to the crowd I just talked to, I see many crying. They clap for me, and I sit back down next to Thea.

"Thank you, Mr. Ford," he says. He walks to the casket and opens it, and people start to crowd around it.

"Do you want to see him?" I ask and Thea shakes her head with disapproval. We leave without saying a word to anyone and get back into the hot car.

Who knows what is going to happen from here.

~Thea~

We walk out into the hot sun and get into the scolding car. My heart calms down after the speech Dennis just gave. We sit in the car for a few while the air conditioner blasts on high.

"Dennis, can we go somewhere?" I interrupt the silence to ask.

"Yeah, where would you like to go?"

"Anywhere, somewhere far away from here. Can you just drive until I find a spot I like?" I ask, and he nods.

"Do you wanna head back to Flordia?" he continues, and I nod. I hear him sigh as he starts the car.

******

Hours pass as we get through the city, leading into the middle of nowhere. We pass corn fields and barns that contain a numerous amounts of farm animals. I look out at the horizon as the sun begins to set.

"How long have have we been driving?" I ask, and he grunts.

"A good four hours. Have you found a good spot yet?" he asks, sounding impatient. I look out at the endless plains and sigh.

"There is nothing special around here," I state and look forward. Suddenly, we come up to a railroad, and I get an idea.

"Dennis, here," I say,and he slows down.

"Train tracks?" he asks, and I nod. He continues to drive further, and we reach a deserted mall with an empty parking lot. We get out of the car and walk hand in hand towards the train tracks.

"Why here?" he asks as we approach them.

"I just want to relax and try to forget everything that has happened," I say, and he nods. He gets on one side of the tracks, and I get on the other, standing on the outside rails that protect the train from going off them. He begins to wobble a little, and I reach my hand out to grab his.

"Hey there," I say, smiling a little.

"Hi," he says, and we continue to walk on the rails

"Do you think we have a future together?" I ask, a nervous feeling running throughout my body.

"Maybe," he states, and I sigh.

"Then do you want to be friends for now?" I ask, and my heart races.

"Sure," he says with a smile.

"Friends?"

"Friends."

*****
Love is a double edged sword. It will either hurt or heal you. For many, it has led to constant pain. For others, it has led them into a successful life. However, for Thea Bartholomew and Dennis Ford, is has led them through a journey. A journey, taken together.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hey guys! Yes, this is the end of The Journey Taken Together! *cries*

It was an honor writing this book for you guys. I hope you all enjoyed it~

"BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!" ~Random guy on the infomercials

Yes, there are extra parts to this story. Stay tuned for more extra part of The Journey Taken Together!