Don't Open That Door - GoM 1

27

The Hilux stopped outside the Forest Station at nine next morning. The storm was gone by dawn and it was a bright chilly day. Tom sat on the porch steps, his and Alex's backpacks at his feet. She couldn't keep her lips from curling up as she got out of the truck.

"You've already been there and back? What time did you get up?" she asked, approaching him.

"Jeff came with me, so we picked up everything in a few minutes."

"Busy boys. Can I at least treat you to breakfast, then?"

"I already had breakfast, thanks. But I can use a ride to the bus station."

Alex's smile turned to a grin as she nodded. Tom stood up, smiling back at her.

"I'm afraid we don't have a bust station, though," she said while they loaded their stuff to the back of the Hilux. "But you can catch a bus to the outside world on Main Street."

Tom scoffed at her words. "I'm only going to Concrete."

"You're gonna hitchhike your way back to Newhalem?"

"Not yet. Tomorrow's Samuel's birthday, so I'm going to Burlington."

They got into the Hilux as they spoke. The stereo started with the engine, and Alex drove out of the campground to Layla's unplugged guitars. The sun shone through the thin high clouds, enough to provide a decent excuse for them to wear their sunglasses.

Silence pooled between them for a couple of minutes, until Tom asked, "Everything okay with your niece?"

Alex nodded with a quick shrug, eyes ahead on the road. "Yeah, looks like."

"She seems to be a really nice girl."

"Yeah, she sure is."

The attempted conversation died away. It was up to Alex to break following pause.

"So what're you gonna do, now the garthling's no longer a threat?"

Tom took a moment to reply, "I don't know. Go back to work? Get a life, I guess."

She sensed a subtle distance in his voice, as if drawing the limit she didn't want her to cross.

"Get a life," she repeated. "That's quite a challenge."

"Indeed."

It was so damn absurd. Alex was sure none of them had ever confided on anybody most of the things they'd talked about the night before. And now they couldn't trade more than three casual sentences? She set her jaw and speeded up to the road's limit.

Tom recognized the corner of Main Street and turned to her with a mild frown. "Wasn't that-?"

"I'm taking you to Concrete."

Tom's eyebrows went up at her curt reply, but she kept looking ahead.

An awkward silence filled the Hilux over the next thirty minutes, as it cruised down the road by the lake. Alex pulled over outside Concrete's motel and hesitated, but didn't kill the engine. Tom took off his sunglasses to face her.

"Thanks for everything, Alex," he said softly.

His tone was enough to make her smile at him. "I think you and I are was past thanks you're-welcome, aren't we." Her voice had softened too.

He flashed a quick smile.

She didn't want to say goodbye to him. She didn't want him out of her life for good so soon. Yet she said, "Good luck, Mr. Sutton. Hope you find your life back."

"Take care, Alex. Goodbye."

And that was it. Four words and he was gone. She held his blue eyes for those last few seconds, cool and smiling. Tom stepped out and grabbed his backpack from the back. Alex geared in, honked, drove away. The rearview showed Tom one last time before she turned around the corner.