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When George Shaw tries to find a plan for the last fifteen days to spend with his best friend, who he's had a crush on for as long as he can remember, all he needs is a map to plot out a road trip and his daily h...
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WHEN THE SUN POKED ME AWAKE, I WAS ALONE.
Rubbing my eyes, I let out a yawn and looked around to find Abby. She wasn't usually an early bird so it surprised me to spot her walking back and forth near the car and talking over the phone. I pushed the door open and pulled myself out to get closer. It was six in the morning, I noticed when I looked at my watch.
The closer I walked to her the more coherent her words became. The clouds in my mind cleared out once I figured out she was talking to her father in an annoyed tone and I even dared to smile since her back was facing me. "No, I'm not coming back," she hissed, tossing a stone forward. "I'm broke, Dad. Broke. I need money. Fine, I won't spend too much." I just couldn't hold my laughter in when she crossed her finger on the back. "Thanks."
I paused when she turned around and met my gaze. "I'll be safe, Dad. Love you." After she ended the call, she shoved the phone into her pocket and looked at me. "He's asking me to return because he misses me—duh."
Passing on her comment, I asked, "Is he going to activate his card?"
"Said he will but I don't really trust him."
"Well, he has his reasons not to trust you." She just rolled her eyes, then smiled at me. "He probably misses you, Abby," I assured her. Her anger mostly stemmed from her father's uncaring attitude toward her, especially after he'd gotten married to Sandra. She was ready for any signs of care coming from him. Spending his limit on his credit card was her way of punishing him. "He's just so busy with work. Do you want to return?" I asked though I hoped she would say no. "We can."
"No, I'm not ditching you." She took a step closer. "We need this." What did she mean? I didn't ask but I needed this time alone to work up my courage and confess to her in the end. When she pulled her arms around my neck, I rested my hand on her back. "You've been there for me more than anyone, George. Thank you."
To light the mood, I patted her back and said, "Don't spoil me too much."
"Enjoy while it lasts," she replied back, pulling away. "I love you, Georgie."
"Ain't helping, Whittaker."
"You're a spoiled brat," she laughed, nudging me lightly. "Nothing can change that." As I opened my mouth to say that we should start off, she interrupted me by saying, "Your mom called, by the way." Fuck. I didn't check my phone properly since we'd been here. I was carried by the trip and Abby. "She called you a few times but you didn't pick up. Told you don't check her phone, and she said she wonders about you. Call her when you can."
"Okay," I said, contemplating over where I had put my phone. "I'll call her now."
"It's six," she said as I made my way toward the truck. I found my phone in the front pocket of my bag and that was a relief, for I had lost my phone a few times before. "They are probably sleeping, George." She had a point, yikes. Her comment made me stop and look over my shoulder at her awkwardly. She seemed amused by my panic, confirmed by the laugh that followed. "Come on, let's start our day and you can call her before noon."
