Page 35 of How You See Me
Quiet settles in as she watches the passing scenery for a moment. “Mountains or beach?”
“Mountains.”
“Finally. Something we can agree on.”
She unbuckles her seatbelt and disappears into the back.
“What are you doing?”
Ignoring me, she soon returns to her seat with a large sketchpad. Flipping it open, she holds up a picture of a mountain, so detailed it could pass as a photograph.
“This one is yours now.”
“Did you draw that?”
“Yeah. I did a lot of drawing and painting while Jordan was in the hospital. This one of the Blue Ridge Mountains is one of my favorites.”
“Thank you. Is there a place to hang it up in the back? Somewhere it won’t get damaged?”
She grins. “I’ll look.”
After climbing into the rear again, she comes back to her seat with newfound energy.
“It’s hanging in the perfect spot beside the bed. Okay, next question." She crosses her legs under her. “Card games or board games?”
“Cards. We spent a lot of time playing in the barracks and during deployment.”
“Same. I mean, I didn’t play in the military since I never—” Her face scrunches up. "Well, obviously I'm not a— You know what I mean.”
“I think you like to play card games.”
“Right.”
"Me, too."
"I heard that somewhere."
Another lingering glance. Another hit to my willpower. My grip tightens around the wheel as I train my attention to stay on the road and not her mesmerizing smile.
“I’ve got another important question that might impact the trip.”
“What’s that?”
“Go fast or enjoy the experience?”
My brain fumbles. “Depends on the context.”
“Thought it might.” She holds up a finger to start ticking off options. “Driving.”
“Fast.”
“Visiting a new place.”
“Slow. Unless we’re on a schedule.”
She rolls her eyes and unfurls a third finger. “Sex.”
I choke on air, jostling the steering wheel. The van swerves slightly and the ceiling beads rattle like they’re laughing at me.
