Page 63 of Make It Without You

“Hi, yourself.” I tell him and walk into his arms.

Adam’s cedarwood and patchouli scent surrounds me as my head fits under his chin, even with my heels on. His body is solid under my touch as I wrap my arms around his waist.

He pulls back. “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” I tell him and he sneaks a quick kiss before opening the door for me.

The scent of food invades my senses as I watch Adam round the truck and hop in. I look in the backseat to see blankets and pillows piled high. My gaze swings to him.

“It’s not what you think,” he states quickly and pulls out of my neighborhood.

“Are you a mind reader?”

“No,” he starts and signals to the left, taking us in the direction of the highway. “But I know what it looks like now. When I put everything back there I didn’t even think about how it would look.”

My chin is propped on my fist that’s resting on the center console and I see the furrow in his brow. He turns to look at me and I see the nervousness in his orbs. “I trust you didn’t know.”

“Are you sure?” He looks at me and then back at the road as he switches lanes.

I reach over and pick up the hand that’s resting on his thigh and weave our fingers together. “I’m sure.”

Adam picks up our linked hands and presses a kiss to mine.

The rest of the drive to our destination is silent, save for the music. We turn off the highway to a dirt road I’m not familiar with and it’s out of the city, so my interest is piqued.

“Are the blankets to wrap my body in when you need to dispose of me?”

Adam snorts. “How many unsolved mysteries do you watch?”

“It’s the podcasts that should worry you.” I tell him as I give his hand a squeeze.

He barks out a laugh and turns down another dirt road as signs for a Drive-In Movie Theater create a path.

“Get out!”

“Em, I can’t. I’m driving,” he responds with a lame dad response.

My laugh is silent as I watch the trees open up. A huge screen playing short cartoons greets us. We get to the ticket booth and Adam lets go of my hand to pay for a ticket before he’s driving up to find a spot. He does that hot guy thing by putting his hand on the back of my seat as he reverses into a parking spot and my heart rate triples from that small movement.

“Ready?” He asks when we’re stopped.

“I’m so ready,” I can barely contain my excitement.

We get out and Adam opens the backdoor. I do the same and grab the blankets without him asking.

He drops the lift on the tailgate and places the basket on the door. Adam climbs up and takes the blankets from me.

“Will you get the mattress pad from the backseat as well?”

“Sure.” I say and walk back around.

Handing it to him when I walk back around, I watch as he gets to work on making us a comfortable palette.

When Adam is satisfied with his work, he places our food to the side and jumps down. He closes the bed of the truck and turns to stand behind me. “Your turn,” he says.

“You’re not going to cop a feel when you help me up?” I ask him with a teasing lilt in my voice.

“Oh, I most definitely am.”

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