After the full two hours, we pull into a petrol station because Richard apparently has a small bladder and would not be able to hold his piss for another two hours. I agreed to stop because I forgot to bring snacks along with me for the road trip.
I quickly jog over to buy some from the convenience store. While strolling through the aisles, I thin my eyes to scan the shelves for stuff I would want to eat and try to decide between a Mars bar and a Cadbury bar. When my phone rings, I answer it without even checking who the caller is.
"Hello," I drawl out, my hand lingering above the Mars bar.
"You veered off course," the familiar monotone voice murmurs.
"Why are you talking like that?" I ask him, my nose wrinkling in perplex.
"What are you doing? Why did you stop? Is something wrong? Should we turn back?"
"No, calm down. Richard just needed to piss. He apparently has a small bladder. I also wanted to buy some snacks for the trip. What do you think I should get between the Mars bar and a Cadbury bar? I can't decide."
"Cadbury," he says dismissively, and I frown in distaste, grabbing the Mars bar instead. As I'm walking over to the till to pay for the chocolate bar, he says, "Just get back on the road. I wasn't aware that you were gonna bring three other people, so the accommodations are going to be a bit of a hassle. I am gonna need you all there so I can make something work."
"Well, I wasn't aware that you were gonna invite your ex and my arch nemesis yet here we are."
I put my snacks on the till with a stiff smile on my face. The cashier mirrors my expression and then hurriedly scans the items. Dominic's side of the call grows quiet.
"Right... anyway, I'll see you there." Then he hangs up on me.
With a frown, I draw the phone away from my ear and hold it up at eye level.
He is so confusing sometimes. I am trying to understand what it is that is going through his head, but each time I wound up short. It's true, I never did know what he was thinking. Enigmatic is his middle name. Except inviting his ex-girlfriend and Savannah to our spontaneously planned camp trip is not something I ever thought he would even think about doing. Again, yet here we are.
Once back on the road, Kai and I now sitting in the backseat because he wanted to share my bag of crisps with me, we again just veer off to the most random conversations.
He learns that one of my favourite artists is Kendrick Lamar and the surprise that covers his face makes me question his shock at the revelation. He tells me that he never expected me to listen to rap.
When I ask him who his favourite artist is and he says Raye, I ask him who that is. He rears back in shock, and he almost looks offended that I don't know who that is. He fishes his phone and earphones out of his pocket and hands me one bud. Then he plays one of her songs. I find myself bopping my head up and down to her music. She's actually pretty good, versatile.
At some point during the car ride, I get a text from Taylor. Are you having fun because I am having fun, it reads.
You're having fun with Jodie and Savannah? I respond.
Surprisingly... yeah.
"I'm tired," Kai whispers and I look up from my phone over to him. His eyes tiredly droop slightly and I'm guessing driving from Oxfordshire and then further driving two hours to Lynton must have exhausted him.
"You wanna use me as a pillow?"
"Can I?"
"Mm-hmm." I move over until I'm sitting a bit closer to him. So does he. Then he rests his head within the crook of my neck, shifting around to find a comfortable position.
"Wake me up when we get there, yeah?" he groans quietly.
I nod my head along to the rhythm of the car's movement and watch him as his eyes flutter shut. After glancing away from him, I find myself typing a text message to my friend, teasing her about her recent actions that might suggest she might be turning into a sellout.
When I hear his steady breathing, my gaze slowly slides down onto him, his hair tickling the skin on underneath my chin. His eyes are fluttered shut, his eyelashes faintly kissing the top of his cheekbones. His hair falls over and frames his shut eyes. How is he able to fall asleep so quickly? It normally takes me some time to go under. He must be really exhausted.
Unconsciously my hand comes up and slowly and gently, I push his hair back until it's no longer obscuring his soft features. My hand lingers above his cheek. He looks cuter when he's asleep.
And the more my eyes linger on him, the sweatier my palms get and my heart flutters within my chest delightfully. It's a familiar feeling. The same one from the time we went to South Bank. And even though I have an idea what that feeling is, I'm afraid to confirm it to myself.
Then Yang Jin's words hit me again and my hand falls down onto my lap limply.
What has he not told me? Why should I stay away from him? Most importantly, why does it feel like whatever he may be hiding from me isn't going to be enough to make me stay away from him especially with what I am keeping hidden from him?