“What are we doing here?” She eyes the blanket and gives me a skeptical look. I can’t say that I blame her. I wouldn’t trust me either if I were her. She has no reason to trust me. I take my jacket off and roll it up to lay my head on.
“Vegging out,” I answer her and lay down on the blanket with my hands behind my head staring up at the moon. “Sometimes when I need to get away from everything, I drive out here and just stare at moon or the stars whichever is more visible.” I smile to myself enjoying the absolute quiet that surrounds us. The only thing to be heard for miles is the sounds of nature.
Reluctantly, Liri kicks off her shoes and comes to lay next to me. I know the ground is hard, and she doesn’t have anything to support her head. I sit up partially to slide an arm underneath her back and pull her to me to rest her head on my chest. I settle back into my spot and we lay underneath the moon until she is ready to tell me what sent her running into oncoming traffic.
Mindlessly, I strum my fingers through her dark mane. The tendrils feel like silk as they slip between my fingers. “That feels nice,” she says lazily.
“Am I putting you to sleep?” I cock my head sideways to look at her. Liri’s eyes are closed, and she has this dreamy smile on her face. One of contentment.
“Almost.” She sighs then sits up.
I lean up on my elbows and wait for her to say something.
“I guess you are wondering why I was acting like a crazy person earlier.” She fidgets, twisting her fingers together. “My parents split when I was one years old. I don’t remember my father, but when I was three, he got wasted and totaled his motorcycle. He should have died but he didn’t. Long story short he suffered severe brain trauma, and it left him with the mindset of a kid. When I was going to leave with Woodrow, I wasn’t expecting a motorcycle and it triggered something inside me and I panicked. All I could think about was the accident that ruined my birth father’s life. It sounds silly now that I say it aloud.”
She turns away like she is embarrassed.
“That’s really tragic and fucked up sounding.”
“I know I overreacted, and Woodrow probably thinks I’m a total fruitcake.”
“Do you care what he thinks?”
“I freaked out on the guy and ran away. I must have looked stupid.”
“You looked like someone in pain, Liri.”
I want to be the one to comfort her and take that pain away not him. Though neither of us are worthy of her.
“Thanks for getting me away from there. I didn’t want to bother Hayley, and I know she is biased toward my father because he is her uncle, but sometimes I think I hate him for being careless and missing out on my life. I shouldn’t feel that way because my stepfather is an amazing man, and he’d do anything for me. She wants me to go see him. I was two the last time I saw him. I don’t know him and with his brain injury I doubt he would even know who I am.”
“Do you want to go see him?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I know my mom would flip out if I even mention it to her. Even talking about him puts her in a raw mood so I never bring him up. I don’t know why I am telling you all this.”
“Because you needed to tell someone who wouldn’t judge you either way,” I tell her and brush her wispy dark tendrils back from her face so I can see her.
“I’m sorry if I ruined your night.” Her brows furrow and she looks back at me. “Why did you lie about having plans?”
“It’s not important.” I lean over and brush my lips against hers to keep her from asking more questions. Our mouths fuse together, and I can taste the saltiness of her tears. I drink her in, and she embeds herself in every fiber of my existence. Liri does something to me that I can’t explain. I can’t think straight when I’m with her and when I’m not she is all I can think about. I make up excuses to see her—to be near her.
She pulls back and licks her lips. “Do you kiss all your friends like that?”
“Do you always ask so many questions?”
“Yes,” she says with a laugh. “I don’t get you at all.” She lets out a breath and lays her head back on my chest, and I stay quiet, going back to running my fingers through her hair. “Are you going to answer my question?”
“Nope.”
Eventually her breathing evens out and she has drifted to sleep. I wish sleep would claim me, but I can’t rest. Not with her in my arms. But still, I lay back and close my eyes. I bury my nose in her hair. It smells like coconuts. Then I start thinking about the beach and Liri in a bikini poolside. Different images of her—of us together dance in my head. How soft her lips are. The way she looks at me like she sees me. Her stupid nerdy leggings that hug her ass perfectly. Just her. I lay here and think about kissing her again.
**
Rain drops pelting down startles me awake. I rub my eyes and let out a yawn. Liri is curled into me. She’s freezing. Thunder booms sounding too close. I jostle her awake before the rain starts to fall heavily, but neither of us get up in time to beat the downpour. “Oh my God!” She squeals and looks up at the moon.
I don’t know how long we were asleep for, but it’s still pitch black out.
“Come on,” I sling my jacket over her shoulders and pick up her shoes. We run to the car both of us soaked through. I start up the car and turn the heat on low.