-Anthony's POV-
I was driving down the nearly deserted highway. It was dark out and the only source of light was the tall street lights that passed over me and lit up the car about every five seconds. Next to me in the passenger's seat was Heather, her head resting against the window, the palm of her hand acting like a pillow. I took one of my hands off of the steering wheel and reached over the center console, interlocking my fingers with the fingers of her other hand. She didn't flinch when our skin made contact, she just squeezed my hand a little, letting me know she knew I was there. I smirked, glad to have Heather back.
"Well?" I asked, taking Heather's hands in mine. She met my gaze and bit her lip.
I knew this wasn't right - for me to ask her to choose the guy who's lied to and cheated on her over one of her best friends. The choice was kind of obvious, though I hoped she'd choose wrong. I loved Heather with all my heart, I just...showed it in a different way. That's all.
"Heather, come on," Joey pleaded, "He's just going to hurt you again. It's obvious he's still in love with his ex. If you go back with him, history is going to repeat itself and you're going to be calling me, begging me to take you back home. Where you belong. Which is here. With me."
Damn, I thought to myself, How am I going to argue over that? "Heather," I retorted, holding her hands securely in mine, "I know I've messed up time and time again. But no matter how many times I mess up, I know you'll always be there for me. And I know that I'll always be there for you. Please, come back to your real home. And it's not a place. It's me." Her eyes glistened with tears that were starting to form.
Joey scoffed, "Wow. You're going to buy that cliché bullshit?" The two of us looked over at him. He chuckled, "I thought you were smarter than this, Heather. And I can't believe you got yourself caught up in that mess of a man." He waved his hand in my direction.
"But he's not," Heather argued, looking up at me and the corner of her lips curling up, "He's not a mess of a man, he's just...lost, confused, betrayed by his fiance and best friend-"
"Yeah we get it," I cut her off. She gave me a meek smile.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is...there's a reason I fell for him in college, Joey. And it doesn't have to do with you not speaking up and telling me you liked me. I liked him for him, and I still do. No matter how many times he's messed up or how many times he's going to mess up. I was just...really upset that he left me for his fiancé who left him when I stayed with him through everything and-" I didn't even need to say anything this time before she cut herself off. She slipped her hands out of mine and turned towards Joey, "I really appreciate you picking me up and letting me stay here with you for the last few days, Joey, but...this isn't my home anymore. Anthony's my home." She looked back at me and grinned. I smiled back.
"You're making a huge mistake, Heather," Joey warned her, "Because I know the kind of guy Anthony is." He shot his index finger in my direction, "He's the kind of guy who doesn't change. He's going to hurt you again and he's going to break your heart. And I'm not going to be there for you next time." And with that, he picked up the lemonade pitcher and tray and escaped back inside.
In the light coming from the headlights, I saw a "Welcome To Illinois." I heaved a sigh - we weren't even close to half way done with the trip and I was struggling to keep my eyes open. I crossed the lanes to get off at the next exit. I pulled into the parking lot of a Motel 8 and turned the car off. I shook Heather awake, who slowly woke up.
"We're not home yet," I told her, "We're just at a hotel. I think we need to call it a night." She nodded her head in understanding and the two of us got out of the car. I walked into the manager's office and asked for a room for two. They nodded their head and got me a key. I thanked them and directed a sleepy Heather up to the room we were assigned.
Heather took one side of the bed and I took the other. She didn't even bother changing out of her clothes before falling asleep.
As for me, I wasn't there yet. I pulled out my phone and checked for anything on Kalel. That baby was due any day now and I didn't want to miss its birth, even if the child wasn't mine.
There wasn't any word.
I heaved a sigh and shut my phone off, setting it down on the nightstand and turning back over so I was facing Heather, who looked so peaceful as she slept. I smirked and tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear, leaning forward and leaving a kiss on her forehead. I pulled back and saw the corner of her lips curl up. I smiled, happy with the way things turned out, an emotion I haven't truly felt in a long long time.
