1
TATE
Our drive to the campground was supposed to be around six-and-a-half hours long, but with Mom needing to pee and stretch about five times, we had to stop at a few gas stations along the way.
It was the fifth stop, and while Mom went to the bathroom, Dad and I headed inside the little store to get one or two small bottles of water for the rest of the drive. We only had an hour and forty minutes left. If Mom could make it that long without peeing, that was.
“I think Mom has a serious issue with her bladder. How does she pee so often?” I wondered.
“She drinks a lot, that’s why,” Dad stated, sounding slightly annoyed. He had been the one wanting to drive all the way up here for our vacation, but it was clear that he hadn’t planned on stopping so many times.
I followed him to the fridges, and he opened one of the doors to grab two waters. Before he closed it, I caught my reflection in the glass door. I looked tired. I hadn’t slept much last night because I desperately wanted to finish the book I had started two nights ago.
“Do you think I can take a nap when we get to the campsite?” I asked, looking up at Dad who was now looking at the chocolate bar on the shelf opposite of the beverages.
“Yeah, why not? We need to unpack before we eat dinner.”
“Great. What’s for dinner?”
“I don’t know. I’m not cooking tonight. Way too tired for that,” he admitted. He reached for a Mars bar, then grabbed a Snickers too. “There’s a restaurant on the campsite. We’ll have dinner there tonight.”
“Sounds good.” I smiled and took him in as he continued to study the chocolates. Dad was a handsome man. His brown hair reached the nape of his neck, and he tucked it behind his ears so the strands wouldn’t fall over his eyes. His nose was straight, and his lips were perfect. His sharp jaw added to his good looks, and his gray eyes were the reason why Mom fell in love with him.
Although Ronan was my twin, people always told me that I looked more like Dad. I thought so too. I had his hair color and his same eyes. Our characteristics were the same, and Mom always said that I was as independent and stubborn as Dad.
Ronan, on the other hand, was just like Mom.
They both had dirty-blonde hair, green eyes, and their facial features were almost the same. They were both more on the quiet side. They kept a lot to themselves, but they were also very communicative when they wanted to be.
Of course, I loved them all the same, but if I had to choose one of them to spend three weeks alone with, I’d choose Dad. He was definitely the most fun.
He was also the one who understood me. He knew things about me nobody else knew, and there were things I only talked to him about.
And vice versa.
Dad trusted me with many things. Things not even Mom knew about him. To be fair, everything we kept hidden from Mom and Ronan concerned only us.
The feelings we had for each other were our biggest secret. It had been for over two years now, but other than admitting to those feelings, nothing ever happened between us.
On this trip, I was determined to get closer though.
“Tate.” Dad’s voice sounded impatient. “Let’s go. We’ve already wasted plenty of time today.”
I snapped out of my thoughts and followed him to the front of the store where he paid for the waters and chocolate bars, and as we exited the store, Mom came around the corner.
She smiled as she saw us. “No more stops. I promise.”
Dad chuckled and put his hand on her lower back, and I followed behind them as they walked across the parking lot to get to the car. “Good. I won’t stop another time.” He handed her the Snickers. “Here.”
“Thank you, darling.”
I wasn’t a jealous person. Seeing Dad being so sweet with Mom didn’t bother me. Why would it? They were married. Had been for almost twenty years.
Still, I wanted to get closer to Dad.
I needed to see how far I could take things with him, and how secretive we could be. I knew Dad wanted that too. He just hadn’t found the courage for it yet.
Once we got in the car, Ronan took off his headphones and raised a brow at Dad. “You know, it’s primarily Mom’s fault it’s taking us so long, but you’re taking your sweet time too.”
“I know.” Dad didn’t argue. “I shouldn’t be stressing anyway. We’re on vacation. We should all take it nice and slow. We’re not in a rush.”
We really weren’t.
But I was eager to see the campsite, and the cabin we’d stay in for the next three weeks.