Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 43118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 216(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 216(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
I don’t wait to be told twice. While we’re apart now, I know we’ll be sitting close together in the car, and I don’t want to delay that for a single moment.
Although, of course, once I do get in the car, he’ll start to drive and then it’s only a short time before we have to be apart again.
Maybe I should pretend I don’t know the way back and give him the wrong directions.
“Right,” he says, buckling up and turning on the engine. “It’s on the main campus, right?”
“Right,” I say. “Do you need me to give you directions?”
“No, I know the way,” he says with a smile.
Rats. There goes that idea.
He pulls out of the driveway and starts to drive smoothly along the road. His car is nice. I don’t know much about cars, but it’s comfortable inside and sleek, and it rolls along quietly and effortlessly. It’s almost enough to make you forget that you’re in a car. Except for the fact that Hunter is busy paying attention to the road, checking his mirrors, and steering, that is.
He’s a good driver. Safe. It feels like he’s the kind of driver who would never get into an accident, never drink before getting behind the wheel, always go at a safe speed and yet not get you there late.
We don’t say much as the city flashes by outside the windows. I don’t know what to say. I seem to have run out of things to talk about for now, and knowing we’re going to part ways soon is hanging heavy over my head.
I just have to keep telling myself that it’s only until tomorrow. It’s only until tomorrow.
All too soon, we pull up in the college parking lot, a vast space which is open for anyone visiting or staying here to park in. I direct him toward the corner that is closest to where I’m staying, and he stops the car, killing the engine.
“You don’t have to park up,” I tell him, a little flustered now to have put him out so much. “I’ll just hop out here!”
“No, I’ll walk you back,” he says, with a serious look that lets me know not to argue. “It’s dark outside, and even if this is a campus, it’s easy for anyone to get in here. I just did, after all. You don’t know who’s lurking out there.”
I don’t know if I’m grateful he’s being such a gentleman and giving me a chance for those extra few minutes in his company or alarmed because he just made me afraid to walk alone around campus when he’s not here with me.
“Okay,” I accept, getting out of the car. It’s not like I’m going to turn him down. I’m not ashamed of where I live – it’s a nice part of the campus, a lovely modern building, and definitely a little higher than the average standard when it comes to the college dorms I’ve seen.
All I want to do is drag this out as long as possible. I feel that twenty hours will pass so quickly, it will feel like a dream, and this extra time right now isn’t costing me any money.
We walk a little slower across the campus – mostly because I drag my heels and pretend to be tired. Hunter doesn’t ask me why I’m walking so slowly or even say anything about speeding up. He just looks up at the sky and sighs, not in an annoyed way but more like he’s content.
“It’s nice here,” he says. “You get some room to look at the stars.”
Glancing upward, I guess he’s right. But there’s only one thing I’m interested in looking at right now: down here on earth.
“This is me,” I say reluctantly, gesturing ahead at my building. It’s tempting to just keep going and walk across the whole campus, but I don’t have an exit strategy.
If we did that, eventually he would realize what I was doing, because he wouldn’t actually be dropping me off at a dorm. Anyway, I don’t want to lie to him – not like that. It’s not worth it.
“Great,” he says, which makes my heart plummet. Of course, he wants to get on with his night and leave me here – he’s basically been babysitting this eighteen-year-old kid. He just feels sorry for me because of my mom.
This must have been so tedious for him, having to go so far out of his way to make sure I don’t get robbed or attacked on the way back.
“It looks nice.”
“It is nice,” I nod. I can feel the conversation getting more awkward by the second. “I like it here.”
“That’s good,” he says, and nods. We’ve arrived at the door. He turns to face me, and I turn to face him. Oh, no. The awkward goodbye moment. Someone please sweep me away.