Page 34 of Petals of Blue: Part Two
"It's a fair question, though." If I didn't know Declan as well as I do, I would think he's pouting, but that's not it. He's feeling uncertain, and it hurts my heart a little.
I clear my throat while turning up the windshield wipers. "We're going to this one because it's next, which isn't a good answer, but it's all we have. I don't know how we could choose a different one. We've been to too many to choose just one of them for the last stretch."
Last stretch.Is this really it?
Jared's behavior before we got into the car forty-five minutes ago made me anxious as fuck. I couldn't place what was going on with him or me. It felt like there wassomethingwe needed to pay attention to.
Urgency.
The pressing weight of fear has been building and expanding in the cab of the car for far too long. Not only do I fear the impending explosion if I don't get there fast enough, but I'm horrifically terrified we'll be too late.
"I'm going to be sick." Dec sounds pained.
Roman makes a disconcerted noise. "If you throw up fucking Goldfish right now, I willactuallypunch you. Talk about overstimulating," he grumbles.
"Asshole," my boyfriend groans. When I check the rearview mirror again, I see his head between his knees.
"Dec, babe—" I start, the worry in my tone obvious.
"I'm fine," he forces out. "Keep going. Don't stop. Get to Blue."
Nodding, I grip the steering wheel and narrow my eyes on the road. I have a job to do; get us there.
Tuning out the soft murmuring of the others, I focus on the road and blinding lights of other cars driving by us. Trying to imagine what Blue could be doing right now is hard because I have literally no clue.
"Ten minutes out," Jared announces.
No matter what Blue's going through, she's the strongest person I know.You got this, sweetheart,I think, hoping the universe carries my thoughts to the woman we love.
I'm hesitant to step on the gas even more because of the road conditions, but I do anyway. Just slightly.
I half-listen to Roman listing off the food, beverages, and first aid supplies we have. Jared mentions something about Kevin having a huge trunk load of first aid should we need it. They're following behind us at a safe distance, which I'm thankful for. We're going to need all the help we can get.
"Take a left in eight hundred feet," Jared tells me, pointing ahead into the darkness. Later, I'll give him shit for the short warning.
It's not smooth, but I make the turn and hope Kevin manages the slick concrete okay. Soon, the road turns to gravel, forcing me to slow down and squint at the abandoned-looking road.There's a garden here?
Jared reads my thoughts while staring at his phone. "It's going to be up on your right in half a mile. Itdoesn't look like much in the dark, but it is pretty popular in the spring for its trails and how it’s off the beaten path."
The tension in my body doubles, then triples as I drive, but once we're through the iron gates, I swear I pull every single muscle. Holding back from jumping from the moving vehicleI'mcontrolling is harder than I ever thought it would be.
I can feel the other three struggling to keep themselves calm and collected, too. "Don't run off. I'll park the car then?—"
"We've run through our plan and rules so many fucking times, Felix!" Jared snaps, fucking vibrating with pent-up rage and adrenaline.
Throwing the car into park, I snatch the collar of his sweatshirt before he can launch himself out of the door. Taken by surprise, he's easy to pull back, so I take advantage of his fumble.
Forcing him back into the center console, I lay into him for his risky behavior. "This is different, and you fucking know it, Jared. We stick together. Take a goddamn breath and use your fucking brain."
His brown eyes are wild and angry as he glares at me upside down. "I am using my brain! Blue needs?—"
"Blue needs us to help her. We can't fucking help her if I'm terrified about losing one of you as well. We stick together, or use the buddy system."
Jared's breaths heave in and out of him, but at least he's not cutting me off like I've done to him. I refuse to loosen my grip since I don't trust his impulsive need to run off on his own.
Thankfully, Roman and Declan haven't moved beyond unbuckling their seatbelts in the back. I trust Roman to keep Dec safe, but my boyfriend definitely senses the severity of what I'm saying.
I take a deep breath and continue my warning. "We don't know what we're about to walk into. This could be dangerous, Jared. If one of us were to split from the group, we would become a liability and a distraction."
