The Road That Leads to Us (Us 1)

Her feet thudded to the ground and her hands smacked the table. “Typical guy,” she muttered, “worried about the food and not the fact that we’re LOST!” She shouted the last part, causing nearly every set of eyes in the café to turn towards us.

“Willow,” I scolded.

“Fine, fine, fine,” she chanted, “I will consult the menu.”

I chuckled under my breath. Only Willow would say she was going to consult the menu.

When the waitress returned we placed our drink order. Water for me and Hi-C for Willow. I resisted the urge to ask her if she was five. She’d probably kick me under the table.

“I’m not that hungry,” she finally huffed, sliding her menu down the end of the table.

My brows rose. “If you don’t order then I’ll order for you. I’m thinking something with lots and lots of pickles.”

Willow hated pickles.

Her eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“I would.” I steepled my fingers like some sort of evil villain.

“Ugh, fine.” She groaned, swiping the menu back into her fingers. She perused it for a moment and set it back down with a determined lilt to her lips.

“Did you decide?” I asked, lifting a brow as I waited for her response.

She nodded. “I won’t promise to eat it though.”

I grinned triumphantly.

I knew Willow. She’d eat it.

Our waitress returned and we placed our order. When I told her mine I didn’t miss the small gagging motion Willow made.

When the waitress was gone I crossed my fingers and laid my hands on the table.

“I still can’t figure out how you eat that much food.” She proceeded to look under the table, like she was searching for some other person hiding under there that I might be feeding it to.

“I’m a growing boy, Will.” I leaned back in the booth and patted my stomach. “I’ve gotta eat.”

Her lips slowly tipped up in a smile but immediately slammed back into a frown. “I’m sorry for getting us lost.”

I shook my head and wiped my fingers through the condensation forming on the glass of water. “Don’t be sorry. I told you it was cool.”

She pursed her lips, clearly not believing me.

I reached across the table and grazed my fingers against her chin. She looked up at me with those pretty blue eyes that had become my weakness.

Once I had her attention I let my fingers drop and pointed at the window beside our booth.

“See that place there?” I pointed across the street at some store that housed a whole heck of a lot of outdoor sculptures—including a giant white stallion reared back with its dick showing. “You certainly don’t see that every day.”

She let out a twinkling giggle. “Yeah, yeah,” she nodded, “you’re right. I’ll stop apologizing.”

“Good.” I nodded. “And Willow?”

“Yeah?”

“Let yourself relax. You’re the one that wanted to go on a road trip, remember? Stop overthinking and let yourself enjoy it. This is you and me. We can do anything. Nothing bad will happen. Besides, when have you let that stop you from doing anything?”

She grinned at that, and I wondered if she was remembering the same thing I was.