Page 170 of Chasing Infinity

“Hi,” she whispers back as she shuffles on her feet.

I reach into the back pocket of my jeans and whip out a white handkerchief, waving it around in front of me and then looking around at her with one eyebrow raised. “Truce?”

A laugh slips out of her, and she wraps her arms around her middle, giving me an unenthusiastic nod. “Truce.”

My body deflates at her acknowledgment. My muscles seem to lose their tension, and my shoulders seem to retreat away from my ears. Over the last ten hours or so, I’ve realized that Ireallydon’t like fighting with Parks anymore. I replayed every moment last night, every shot that was fired, and it gutted me each time I thought about us aiming to hurt each other.

That’s when I came up with my plan for today.

“Do you have anywhere you need to be today?” Parks shakes her head, and my lips pull up to one side. “Okay, would you want to go somewhere with me?”

Addison looks at me, and I can see the wheels turning in her head. She appears as if she’s unsure if she likes the sound of going anywhere with me. “Where?”

“I can’t tell you,” I say with a grimace, and her face falls. “But it might help you understand why I got so worked up last night. It’s more of a ‘showing is better than telling’ type situation.”

She exhales as if she’s exhausted. “How far is it?”

Relief pours through me at her agreement, and I lean back against the counter. “Just a little over two hours. We’ll be going into upstate New York.”

“Can I shower first?” she asks, her voice bland.

“Of course. We can leave whenever you’re ready.”

Addison nods and then disappears into our bedroom again without another word. I watch her go and then turn around to pour myself a cup of coffee while I wait for her.

She takes her time, but I don’t try and rush her. As she’s blow-drying her hair, I resume my packing from last night, a little less crazed this time. I ensure I have enough personal items to last me a few nights and then do the same for her, asking permission before I put something in the bag.

Addison watches me with curious eyes, following me as I carry our bags down to her car. As soon as they’re in the trunk, I turn to her and ask, “Do you need to let anyone inside know you’ll be gone for a few days?”

She crosses her arms and looks down her nose at me. “Is that all? A few days? I don’t want to tell Jack one thing and then disappear for an entire week.”

I press my lips together into a line. “Just a few days, and then we’ll be back. This isn’t a vacation.”

“You’re telling me,” she mutters to herself, disappearing into the diner to inform Jack of all that’s going on. When she comes back out, she’s got two coffee to-go cups in her mittened hands, and she shoots me a dry look, so I don’t ask any questions.

It’s been a long time since I’ve gone to battle with Addison, and with each minute that passes, I remember why I don’t particularly like to do this. She can be tough to crack once she shuts down.

We both get into the car, me behind the wheel and Addison riding shotgun. She buckles in wordlessly, crossing her arms over her chest as soon as she’s settled. I spare her one glance, clenching my jaw and then pulling away from the diner.

As soon as we hit the highway, she turns away from me and looks out the window, watching the scenery pass. The silence in the car is deafening, but I don’t want to risk turning on the radio and forcing her to withdraw from me even further, so I bear the silence.

I’ve hurt her, I’m aware of that. I’ve misjudged and underestimated her, and she’s upset. More than upset; I think she’s actually thoroughly pissed at me.

At this point, though, I’m unsure what to say to improve it. I’m worried that no matter what comes out of my mouth will only worsen the situation.

Finally, after almost an hour of that suffocating quiet passes, I swallow thickly and decide to test the waters. I’ve been pondering how I’m going to phrase this the entire time we’ve been on the road, though I know it won’t matter as soon as I start speaking, but I give it a go anyway.

“I promised I would keep you in the loop,” I tell her, keeping my eyes trained on the road. “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what was going on last night, but I think the severity of the situation overwhelmed me.”

I can feel her eyes on me, but she doesn’t say anything. The silence continues to emanate throughout the cabin of her car, and I clear my throat.

“Charlie called me last night to inform me that two women have gone missing within the last 72 hours. It was partly his idea for me to get you out of town last night. It didn’t take much convincing, though,” I say honestly, feeling chagrined. “I was quick to agree to take you away from Willow Heights, which is partly to explain for that manic episode you had to witness.”

“What does it have to do with us?” She finally asks, and I nearly breathe a sigh of relief at the sound of her voice. “I don’t understand whywehave to leave whenever something terrible happens.”

“You remember a few weeks ago when my father came by and brought up the deal we had made before I left Willow Heights?” I ask her, glancing over at her for a quick second before putting my eyes back on the road.

“The deal where you leave, and he doesn’t hurt me?”

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