16:58

Chapter Forty

I'm so nervous and excited as I'm standing outside of the airport waiting to be picked up. It's hot out and it feels so good to have the sun on my legs. My flight went by quickly and I was thinking entirely too much about Colton. I have no idea if he's going to be there and I keep getting butterflies in my stomach thinking about what's going to happen if he is.

I feel like my heart's jumping out of my chest every time a car pulls up. Colton could be in the fucking car with Alex and my dad. I could be seeing him in a matter of minutes.

"Chill out, Andy," I mutter to myself.

A text from Tasha pops up and I smile. I'm sure it's nice for her to have me away for a couple of days. I haven't found a new apartment yet, but I've been looking. So, I've been staying with her and Bobbe still.

A big car with all the windows down pulls up right in front of me. I grin when I see my dad. He gets out of the passenger seat and Alex gets out of the driver's seat.

"Hey!" I say as I hug Dad.

He grins. "Happy early birthday!"

Alex smiles as she hugs me. "It's good to see you," she tells me. "I love your makeup! Your highlighter is so pretty in the sun!"

"Thank you," I tell her. Tasha made me bring a small makeup routine which ended up being a tinted sunscreen, a waterproof eyebrow pencil and mascara and then a really pretty highlighter that sparkles in the sun.

"We should get going," Dad says. He takes my bag and puts it in the trunk. I climb into the backseat of the car.

"How far away are we staying?" I ask.

Alex shrugs. "Not that far. Like twenty minutes away," she says. "It's such a cute little house. And the ocean is so close to it."

"There's a pool too," Dad adds.

I smile. "That sounds amazing."

It's Wednesday right now and I'm leaving on Tuesday night. Dad's birthday is tomorrow and mine is on Friday.

"You're turning twenty-three?" Alex asks.

I nod. "Yeah."

"And how old are you, Christopher?' Alex asks jokingly. Dad grins and shakes his head.

They make small talk and I smile as I look out the window and the wind blows. The weather feels so good and comforting. It's going to feel even more amazing to go into the ocean. It feels really peaceful, which I didn't really expect.

I didn't even realize Colton wasn't in the car. I don't know why I feel so disappointed. There was no reason to assume that he would be. I guess I'll just have to find him some other way, but at least I'll be able to enjoy being here.

"How are you and Bryce doing?" Dad asks.

I feel my face redden. "We're not together anymore," I tell him. "We broke up a little while ago."

"Oh."

"Yeah." I rub my neck. "It's a long story."

"Are you okay?" Dad asks.

I nod. "Yeah. I'm good. He was cheating but I don't care," I say quickly.

"That's strange," Dad says. "He proposed to you, right?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe you'll meet someone here," Alex offers. She grins at me and I grin back.

"Maybe." But maybe I will meet someone here, even if it's not Colton. Maybe I just need a meaningless fling.