Page 73 of Safety Net
Being hers was so easy. We took care of each other as if it were second nature.
"Alright, carpool situation?" Halle asked, loud enough to be heard over all the conversations. "I'm not driving because I'm drinking."
"Same," Ellis said.
"So, I'll take your car," Kaya offered. "And you two can come with me."
"The rest can pile in the van," Finn offered. He rarely drank since his accident. The disorientation of drunkenness had become triggering for him.
"Want to ride together?" I asked Celeste, wanting a little extra alone time after sharing her with everyone all day.
Her smile let me know she'd been thinking the same. "I do."
It took us all an hour to eat, get ready, and head out. By the time we got on the road, it was ten, and all the best spots were just starting to come to life.
Celeste rummaged around in her bag when we got to a red light, letting out a sigh when she couldn't find what she was looking for.
"What is it?" I asked.
"My phone." She shook her head, still digging through the bag with one hand. "I think I left it at the house."
"U-turn up here," I said.
"Sorry," Celeste whispered, shaking her head as she turned on her signal. She chewed on her bottom lip, the telltale of her feeling guilty about producing even the smallest amount of inconvenience to someone.
"Hey." I placed a hand on her thigh, giving her a gentle squeeze. She released a sigh, relaxing into my touch. "It's fine. We'll get there when we get there. No rush. And, I wanted an excuse to be alone with you, remember? There's so much talking happening when everyone's around."
Her smile was back. "You love talking."
"Obsessed," I agreed. "But I love it on a whole other level I never thought existed when you're the one doing it. And you do it less when other people are around, so I'm starting to make a list of ways and excuses for us to find pockets of alone time. Wanna hear what I got so far?"
She smiled and covered her hand over mine just as I was about to pull it away. "Definitely."
"Losing a phone." I held up a thumb and counted. "A very believable late excuse."
She laughed. "You said you made this list. That one's stolen from me."
"What can I say? You're a constant inspiration."
She rolled her eyes. "What else?"
"Need your help with that thing I was talking about," I said, playing up the fake-acting. "You remember the thing?"
"What thing?"
"See, you can't say that or people will know we’re lying. You just nod and follow me, and voila. We're alone."
Celeste gave me a look. "Seriously?"
I laughed and had the urge to cup her chin in my hand and pull her closer. But she was a cautious driver, and I wouldn't distract her. And her free hand was still on mine, so I was basically in heaven.
"What? It works," I said. "It's best to keep these things simple."
"It's not that creative, though," she mused.
"Ouch." I held my hand to my chest. "Tell me what you really think."
"Sorry, sorry."
