The Road That Leads to Us (Us 1)

Her cheeks flushed and her teeth sank into that lush bottom lip. “Oh,” was all she said.

I grinned down at her and smoothed my fingers over her soft cheek. I didn’t miss the way her eyes fluttered closed and a small contented sigh passed through her lips.

“Please don’t tell me you’ve forgotten our kiss already. That would be a shame. It was pretty amazing, if I do say so.”

“I didn’t forget.” Her voice was eerily soft, a rarity for Willow.

“What are you thinking?” I asked her, noting the way her brow furrowed. “Are you okay with this?” My feelings for Willow were strong, but I’d never push her into something she didn’t want or wasn’t ready for.

Her eyes shot up to mine. “Dean,” she swallowed thickly, “I didn’t lie when I told you I like you as more than a friend. I…I want to…” Her brows drew together. “Explore whatever this is,” she waggled a finger between us, “and see where it goes.”

My lips lifted slightly in a crooked smile and I reached down for her hand. I lifted her hand to my lips and pressed a soft kiss across her knuckles. “Sounds good, Willow.”

“You didn’t call me Will,” she noted.

I grinned. “You’re not Will anymore.”

Her lips parted with understanding.

I looked out the car windows at the sunrise. The world was alight with oranges, blues, and purples.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Willow said as she scrambled to open the passenger door and get outside.

“It is.” I agreed, joining her outside.

We walked around the car, stretching our stiff muscles. I felt my joints pop and groan. Sleeping in the back of a car was not good for your body, but we’d had to make do.

“I feel gross,” Willow said as she hopped up on the trunk of the car.

I stepped up to her and placed my hands on the trunk at both sides of her hips. “Why is that?”

“I didn’t get to shower yesterday and I’m wearing the same clothes.”

I sniffed at her. “Well, you don’t stink.”

She pushed my shoulder. “You’re just saying that.”

I shook my head. “You know me, I never just say anything for the heck of it.”

She smiled at that and glanced over where the sun rose above a building.

I hopped up beside her and together we watched the sunrise, absorbing the simple beauty we were graced with every day but never stopped to enjoy.

When the sun had risen fully she turned to me. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

“Me too.”

“And I think we should take a break today,” she added.

My brows rose in surprise.

“I want to find a hotel, shower, take a nap, and maybe find that festival that has all the hotels booked up,” she explained. “But seriously, food first.” Her stomach rumbled in agreement with her words.

I nodded my head in agreement.

It was actually a very appealing idea. A break would be nice. Yesterday had been a trying day and the idea of driving hours on end today didn’t seem fun.

We hopped in the car and I drove around the small town we’d stopped in until I found a small diner that boasted that it was open twenty-four hours a day.