Chapter 15 #3
“I’ll take some toast,” Zach said. He wasn’t quite finished, and he knew that having a task would calm Miles in the meantime.
By the time a plate with five slices of buttered toast landed in front of him, he was done.
Turning his laptop around, he showed Miles the confirmation page.
“Only a hundred and fifty bucks per ticket. Leaving PDX at 5:00 a.m. and getting into Missoula around 6:30. We’ll rent a car to get the rest of the way. ”
He was incredibly proud of himself for finding the deal and grabbing the tickets before they were gone, but when he lifted his eyes, Miles seemed more confused than pleased.
Of course, landing in Missoula wasn’t ideal.
The other airports were closer to their hometown, but there hadn’t been any cheap flights heading there.
“I know, it sucks to land so far west, but you can’t beat the price. Nothing else even came close. And we’ll make good time. It’s supposed to be a three-hour drive, but I bet we could make it in two and a half.” He trailed off, not sure what else to offer in his defense.
Miles’s gaze flicked between Zach and the laptop screen until, to Zach’s horror, his beautiful sky-blue eyes filled with tears.
Zach was almost ready to drop his entire savings account on better tickets when Miles grabbed his wrist and pulled him into a tight embrace, reminding Zach how strong his best friend really was.
When he let go, his eyelashes shimmered, and his expression was as open and vulnerable as Zach had ever seen.
“You’re coming with me.” Hope and disbelief mixed in his voice, breaking Zach’s heart.
“Of course I’m coming with you. I love Max. And you really shouldn’t be driving right now.”
They shared a soft smile. Zach wanted to lean in for a kiss, but it had been much easier to do in the darkness. Doubts crept in, and before long, the moment had passed. Miles stepped away and gestured to the plate. “Eat. I can help you pack. What time should we leave for the airport?”
“Whenever you want, as long as we get there by four. It’s only a thirty-minute ride, so we have time. And I don’t need to pack much. Some clothes and my laptop. I won’t be able to stay too long.”
“Shit, Zach, what about your class?”
Zach shrugged and took a bite of toast. “I can miss one day.”
Miles nodded and left to take a shower. After coming out, he paced around the kitchen, completely absorbed in his phone while Zach packed. On a whim, Zach grabbed the horseshoe and slipped it into his bag. They could both use some luck on this trip.
“Almost ready?” he asked when he was done.
Miles set his phone down on the counter and ran his hands down his face. He looked utterly drained—heavy bags under his eyes, worried lines etched into his forehead. “Yeah, I’m ready,” he said softly.
“Any news?”
Miles shook his head. “Not yet. Mom and Dad are in the room with Max, and Mara is stuck in the waiting room with Ray.”
“Who’s Ray?”
Miles leaned on the counter and tilted his head in thought. “You’ve met Ray, haven’t you? Our maintenance engineer? Tall and growly?”
Zach chuckled. He remembered now. He’d met the intimidating man in passing, not enough to get to know him, but enough to find out a few things—he never smiled, rarely talked, and his silent, piercing gaze could probably make people cry.
It certainly unnerved Zach enough to walk in the opposite direction whenever he spied the tall figure wandering around the Carter farm.
“You mean Raymond? I guess he’s chilled out enough to let people call him Ray without biting their heads off.”
A melodic chime signaled the arrival of their ride, and Zach ushered them out the door.
The anxiety under Miles’s skin was palpable throughout the trip. He sank into a heavy silence that didn’t lift, staring out the window with a faraway look as soon as they boarded the plane. Zach watched his face, illuminated by the rising sun, tracing the troubled features with his eyes.
Today was supposed to be different. They should have woken up in the same bed, shared groggy smiles and warm cuddles, hashed out their feelings, maybe had a repeat.
But their time was cut short. Any opportunity for more was gone.
Whatever happened last night would fade away from memory until it was nothing but a distant dream.
Once they landed in Montana, Miles half-heartedly offered to drive, but his gaze kept flitting to the phone clutched tight in his hand, and Zach wordlessly slid behind the steering wheel.
The sun climbed higher in the sky as they flew down the highway. After experiencing Portland traffic, it was like being set free, and somewhere underneath his worries about Max and the anxiety of seeing his family, a small kernel of happiness glowed in his chest.
Staying away was the right choice for him, but the hills and prairies of Montana would always feel like home.
“How far away are we?” Miles asked without looking up.
Zach glanced at the GPS. “An hour.”
Miles grunted in acknowledgment.
“One hour,” Zach whispered to himself. One hour before they were back in the real world and their time came to an end.