Page 14 of Wish Lists and Road Trips

“We’re going to get hotel rooms while everyone else is trying to rearrange their flights. Once they figure out they can’t, there’ll be a run on the ones on site. I don’t want you taking a cab around Houston. It’s not safe.”

He didn’t want me to? Okay, I appreciated his help yesterday with the ship agent, and today navigating the airport, and I knew I’d just been inexplicably wrecked at the idea of saying goodbye to him, but his tone rubbed me the wrong way. I wanted us to be adventure partners. I didn’t want him to tag along behind me and keep me alive like a houseplant.

People were forever treating me like I was helpless, using the “it’s for your own good” excuse to tell me who to be, how to dress, where to hang out. I found it was rarelymygood they were worried about. It was my dad’s legacy at the private college he’d sent me to, or Sean’s absolutely twisted sense of ownership over me even when he didn’t want me to begin with. The two of them loved to confer over my life like I was one of their company’s investments, and I wasoverit. Time for Nick to get the memo.

“I’m perfectly capable of hailing a cab,” I said, keeping my tone firm, not upset. I might not have been one of those polished, put-together women Sean hung out with, but I’d watched them. They took no shit.

“Have you ever done it before?”

I winced. “No. But I’ve never traveled outside of the country before now either.”

He gave me a look as if to remind me how that hadn’t exactly turned out well.

“You missed the boat too,” I mumbled under my breath.

He crossed his arms over his chest, his jaw working to grind his teeth together. I briefly wondered if a “mildly successful family business” offered dental insurance. “Look, Brit, an hour ago, you were wondering aloud if this place sold food. You had a travel agent book a direct flight for you. We’re still hundreds of miles away from home and it just seems like maybe you don’t have a lot of experience traveling alone, or I don’t know,living. I’m just trying to help you.”

“Fine, but—”

“But what? Is it more important to you to be stubborn than to be safe?”

“Is it more important to you to be right than to be kind?”

He blinked at me, confused. “I’m trying to be kind.”

“Try harder.”

“Brit—”

“No, Nick.” I stepped into his space, tipping my head back to look at him. “I know I’m a little out of my depth here with this wholelost on vacationthing, but you don’t know me. I walked out on my whole life to get here. Don’t underestimate me, anddon’ttreat me like a child.”

His steely eyes slid down my face, then over my bare shoulder. I watched his Adam’s apple bob. “I certainly don’t think you’re a child.”

I licked my lips, too flustered by whatever that was to reply.

He took a deep breath and his face softened. “Look, I think it would be best to stay here sowedon’t have to deal with getting to and from the airport in an unfamiliar city with no car. That’s what I’m going to do. If you agree, we should stop arguing and do it now.” He took a dramatic step aside and held his arm out.

I tipped my chin defiantly. I promised Meri I would take Nick up on his Buddy System offer, and I supposed it was still best to stick together. At least until I had a solid plan on how to handle this newest setback.

“Fine, but for the record, I can get to and from the airport by myself. I can doanythingby myself.”

“I’m sure you can,” he said, falling in behind me. “But you’re safer with me.”

After hours of lingering on a stand-by list that we had no chance of making, I was exhausted and starved. Nick pulled his body up from the floor where he’d been resting on his backpack, scrolling weather updates. He always looked like he was lifting concrete limbs when he’d been sitting a while. The man needed to stretch or something.

“Snow’s already started in New York,” he said. “We’re not going to have any luck here. Let’s head to the hotel.”

To his credit, he’d managed to book two rooms at the hotel directly across the street from the airport, and now that it was getting dark and the rain was turning heavy, I was glad not to have to stand outside and hail a cab.

We hadn’t chatted much since our stand-off, and even though he was moodier than a grounded pre-teen, I was starting to regret bickering with my only friend.

“Wanna get dinner first?” I smiled, batting my lashes at him. It was a white flag, and I was really hoping he’d accept it.

But he didn’t. “I’m tired. I’m just going to get room service and crash.”

“Oh.” I tried not to look disappointed. Why I cared so much about having a grumpy, bossy bear for a partner on this adventure was beyond me, but once again, I hated to see him go. “Well, if you change your mind, I’m going to Burger Bar.”

He gave me an obligatory nod but I could tell he wasn’t considering it. He did wrap his fingers around my elbow before leaving. His hand seemed to always end up there and I could just as easily imagine him tugging me against his chest like a duke on a romance novel cover or locking his arm to keep me at a distance.

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