Page 135 of Skylar

Skylar:Yep. I’m ready. Just putting the last things into my bag.

She’d turned the apartment keys in the night before, and as she’d stood looking at the empty space just before they left, Aiden had wondered if she would miss her life there. But once they’d left, she’d seemed fine.

They’d had dinner at a nearby restaurant after their long day of packing and loading the moving truck. But since they were all exhausted, they hadn’t stayed up late.

Aiden hadn’t had a chance to talk to Skylar about anything that wasn’t related to the move in the time they’d been together. That was fine, however, because he was sure that he’d have lots of time with her during the long drive home.

Why don’t you come by our room when you’re ready?

When Skylar sent a thumbs up in reply, Aiden set his phone down and took his cup of coffee over to the window. Pushing back the curtain, he stared out at the scenery around the hotel.

The sun was still working to fully push back the darkness, but it looked like it was going to be a sunny day. Not his favorite type of day for driving, but it was better than rain or snow.

Cole had just come out of the bathroom when there was a rap on the door.

“It’s Skylar,” Aiden said when Cole gave him a questioning look. He went to open it, greeting her with a smile.

Though it was early, she didn’t look as tired as he felt. The T-shirt and leggings she wore looked like they’d be comfortable for the trip ahead.

“Morning,” he said as he held the door open for her to come in. She had a duffle bag on one shoulder and a smaller bag on the other.

“It certainly is,” she agreed as she dumped the duffle bag on the floor next to his.

“Ready to get some breakfast?” Cole asked. “We should probably get on the road in the next half hour or so.”

“I’m not super hungry, but I’ll eat something, so I’m not starving in a couple of hours.”

The three of them left the room and headed down to the main floor where the hotel had a small cafe style space that was set up to serve the breakfast. Cole headed directly to where someone was cooking what looked like eggs, bacon, and sausage.

Aiden and Skylar wandered by the other parts of the buffet before Aiden joined Cole. After ordering some eggs and bacon for himself, he went to where a toaster and a few varieties of bread had been set out. After making his choice, he put the bread into the toaster.

Five minutes later, the three of them were seated at a small round table in the corner of the room. It was only them and a couple of other people there so early in the morning.

Skylar had opted for a bagel with cream cheese and some fruit. Cole’s plate was piled high with eggs, bacon, sausage, and some fruit.

“This is a pretty decent breakfast,” Cole commented as they began to eat.

“It’s great,” Aiden said. “Lots of selection.”

Cole had gotten another cup of coffee and took a sip. “Should keep us going for awhile.”

They didn’t talk much, focusing on their food, since they wanted to get on the road soon. Once they’d finished eating, they returned to their rooms to get their bags, then they checked out.

“I can drive your car for a bit, Sky,” Aiden offered as they approached the part of the lot where they’d parked her car and the moving truck the night before.

“Sure. That works for me.”

“Are you going to ride with me or Aiden?” Cole asked as he opened the door of the truck.

“Aiden,” Skylar said. “Unless you want me to ride with you. I think the car will be more comfortable.”

“No doubt.” Cole pulled out his phone and held it up. “I’ve got a long audiobook I plan to listen to on this trip, so I’m fine on my own.”

“Guess it’s settled then.”

Skylar unlocked the car with her fob, then handed the keys to Aiden. “You have your walkie talkie set to the right frequency, Cole?”

“Yep. I set them up when I bought them.” He grinned. “I can’t wait to use them. It’ll be fun.”

---