23. Chapter 23
ONYX
Only eight more hours until the tour bus pulls into Seattle.
I’m so fucking ready to be off this reeking bus and have months of freedom ahead of me.
Longer than that, if I’m being honest with myself.
I’m just not sure I’m quite ready to commit yet.
I need time to clear my head, to get away from all this and really think about what I want.
But right now, what I really want isn’t to go home to Washington at all.
What do I even have there? A quiet apartment. Boredom. The weight of the label breathing down my neck about my upcoming contract renewal. Yeah, fuck that.
I lean against the window, watching miles of nothing fly by, every single one of them taking me farther from where I actually want to be.
“Want to play Mario Kart ?” Jett asks, offering me the joint between his fingers as he leans across the seat with the Switch controller in his other hand.
“Nah.” I shake my head.
There’s shouting coming from the small bedroom—Jade and Gray either fucking or fighting.
Jesus fucking Christ, I feel like I’m living in an unfunny version of Groundhog Day .
I’m getting more antsy by the second. I’m tempted to kick out one of these windows and fucking tuck and roll.
Dead on the side of the road sounds more appealing than hours and hours more of this.
As if he can read my mind, the driver announces over the PA system that we’ll be stopping for gas and food at the next exit.
Oh hell yeah. I’m up, knocking Jett out of the way with only a muttered apology.
I grab my duffle bag from under the seat and start to throw as much of my stuff into it as I can find.
I’m sure I have some clothes and a few other things in the bedroom, but nothing I don’t mind leaving behind.
My guitar and notebook are all I really care about taking with me.
“What are you doing?” Jett asks curiously, lounging back in his seat and watching me through hazy eyes, the joint still dangling between his fingers.
“I don’t want to spend eight more hours listening to that shit.” I jerk my head towards the bedroom door. “I have my car. I’m just going to drive back on my own.”
He grunts in understanding before stubbing his joint out in one of the ashtrays and splaying himself out on the bench seat like he’s planning to take a nap.
The driver said the next exit, but I wasn’t actually paying attention to how far that would be.
Hell, out here in the middle of nowhere it can be fifty miles to the next exit sometimes.
I plant my ass in the seat closest to the door with my duffle bag over my shoulder and my guitar in my lap, bouncing my knee impatiently.
Maybe I should text Hero and tell him I’m coming.
I reach for my phone but stop myself with a grin on my lips and an excited thunder in my chest. Just thinking about surprising him has me feeling more alive than I have in months.
I can practically feel his arms around me.
I can taste the memory of his lips on mine.
It’s so easy to picture the way his eyes will light up when he sees me pull into the parking lot of Ink Slingers.
Finally, fucking finally , the bus sways a little as we pull off the highway.
The brakes squeal, but they’re nearly drowned out by the drumbeat of impatience in my ears.
I’m out of my seat before the doors even open, ready to shoulder my way through them if I have to.
They hiss and part, and I almost want to pull a pope and kiss the ground.
I don’t waste any time with that though.
With Hero at the forefront of my mind, I hurry around to meet the driver as he gets out.
“Hey, can you unhook my car for me? I’m going to drive myself the rest of the way.”
He nods and heads around to the back of the bus without complaint. I bounce on my toes while he unhitches it and gives me a little salute.
“Drive safe,” he says.
I fish my keys out of my duffle bag and hop into my car. The second I lay my hands on the steering wheel, a sense of freedom washes over me. I don’t have to go back if I don’t want to. I can go anywhere now, be anyone I want to be… and right now the only place I want to be is wherever Hero is.
I rev the engine and put my Mustang into gear. I have twenty hours on the road ahead of me, but I’m already counting them down.
I’ll be home soon.