Page 78 of Meet Me in the Vines
Donovan
Never.
Audrey
I want one every day for the rest of my life.
Donovan
Done.
Audrey
Promise?
Donovan
I promise.
“Holy shit, I can’t believe we are riding in fucking Jules!” Tia yells out into the open air with her hands above her head as we cruise through the country roads with nothing but grapevines as far as the eye can see.
“I know. It’s so surreal. I feel sixteen again!” I lift one arm in the air and let the cool breeze kiss my fingertips. Our smiles beam so brightly, they outshine the sunrays stretching over the sky.
We scream the lyrics to “C’est La Vie,” our favorite song to drive around to back in the day. Tia balls her fist like a microphone, her face scrunching up as she sings at the top of her lungs. I glimpse at the picture of us on my dash. Just twobest friends ecstatic to have some freedom after getting a new car. Looking at Tia giving the performance of her life in my passenger seat right now, I know we’re still the same teenage girls, deep down.
Tia turns her whole body to face me, tucking her legs beneath her. “I’m so happy we’re together again, Auds. I missed you so much.”
I glance toward Tia, my gaze instantly softening at her affirmation. Her hazel eyes shimmer beneath the sun, looking at me like she’s piecing the memories together from our childhood.
“I really missed you, T. I can’t believe you flew out here to surprise me.” But really, I’m not surprised she did this. That’s Tia. A fierce and loyal friend, through and through.
“The second you told me you were home, I told Logan—naturally. Then he told me that Donovan told him that…” she rambles. My eyes flit back and forth toward her and the road, balancing the dual tasks of trying not to crash while following her mind map. Tia has always been a spitfire. You gotta keep up. “And so, yeah! We booked tickets and got our asses here. I mean, our parents were happy to see us too, I guess,” she chuckles. Tia’s parents moved back to Oakwood Valley two years ago, but she stayed behind in Austin working as an interior designer. I shake my head and giggle, softening my gaze as I look out toward the road.
Tia and Logan coming home is a reminder of how I never want to shut anyone out again. That’s just the thing with small town friendships: they’re hard to shake, no matter how hard you try.
Main Street is alive and buzzing today. Tourists flood the sidewalks, drifting from shop to shop. A twinge of anxiety bubbles in my chest at the amount of people out, considering what happened last time I was here. But that was just paranoia, a lapse of letting Kellan get under my skin, just for a second. Iwon’t have another freak out moment like I did the other night in front of Donovan. The look in his eyes wrecked me.
“You okay, Auds?” Tia’s voice cuts through my negative thoughts, and I quickly push them away.
“What? Yeah, of course. It’s just a lot of people out today. No parking anywhere, Jesus,” I reply, breathless. Our eyes scan up and down the street. My hands grip the steering wheel a little tighter as I try to push the rest of the anxiety out of my chest.
Chill out, Audrey.
“Oh! Car’s backing out, get it get it get it!” Tia squeals, frantically pointing at a black SUV backing out. I slam hard against my brakes, causing us to lunge forward rapidly.
“Jesus, Audrey! Are you good?” Tia rubs her collarbone, her eyes stunned. I hold my breath as I watch the SUV drive off before slowly pressing the gas and taking its spot. I try to catch the license plate, but it’s gone too far. Either my mind is playing tricks on me, or that was the same SUV the man from the other day got into when I’d followed him out of the store. Please let it be mind tricks. I break into a cold sweat, my breaths uneven.
I put the car in park, and I feel Tia’s eyes on me like a hawk. I stare blankly at the black SUV pulling further away, turning into a tiny black speck in the distance. So much for trying to chill out.
“Hey, what’s wrong? You look flushed. Are you feeling okay?” Tia asks, her voice laced with concern. She quickly unbuckles herself and leans over the center console, pressing the back of her hand into my clammy forehead. I really need to get my shit together.
“Hmm, no fever,” she mutters. Her hand rests on my shoulder, tension forming in her brows. I bury my face in my hands and shake my head, unable to stop the stinging in my eyes.
“I’m sorry T. It’s just...fuck,” I whimper into my hands. Tia’s hand gently strokes my back, trying to calm my breathing.
Take a deep breath, count backward from five.
“Auds, talk to me. What’s going on?” Her voice is full of worry as she watches me fall apart. Heat forms behind my eyes and the stinging gets stronger, tears almost forming.
