Credence

I draw in a deep breath, suddenly aware of the ache in my chest again.

I look down and see Kaleb’s arm is shot out in front of me, keeping me from diving head first through the wind-shield. There was no seatbelt for me in the middle.

I look over at him as he scowls at the car disappearing down the road.

Without sparing me a glance, he drops his arm and goes back to looking at his phone.

Hm.

Noah takes off again, but I steal glances at Kaleb every few seconds. So he does know I exist.

We head through town, turning into Ferg’s Freeze on the left and pulling into the drive-through.

A woman’s voice comes over the speaker, and I check out the menu quickly.

“Cheeseburger,” I tell him as he hangs out the window.

“Okay, seven cheeseburgers,” he calls out.

Seven?

Noah turns back to me. “You want bacon on yours?”

I nod.

“All with bacon,” he tells the cashier. “Three—no, four—large fries.”

“I don’t need fries,” I reply.

“I’ll eat yours,” he tells me. “And four milkshakes—two vanilla, one strawberry, and…”

He looks at me over his shoulder.

“Strawberry, too,” I answer.

“Make that two strawberry and also add a Coke.”

She tells him his total, and I sit back in the seat as we pull up behind another car, waiting our turn.

Glancing over at Kaleb, I see he’s still scrolling, and I look down to see what has so much of his attention.

I smile.

“I’ve been there,” I tell him, gesturing to the images on his screen. “It’s this whole hotel in Oregon that’s a treehouse. I love the lights in the trees—it’s pretty. Kind of magical.”

He looks over at me, staring silently.

He’s probably mad that I got nosy. I’ve made his breakfast every morning this week—which he scarfs down—but for some reason, I’m barely on his radar unless he wants to…eat.

“Have you ever been outside of Colorado?” I broach.

But of course, he doesn’t answer.

We pull forward, and I hear a chirpy voice.

“Hi, Kaleb,” someone says.

A pretty girl with a shoulder-length shaggy cut and bangs peers at us through the window, her blue-and-white-striped uniform shirt adorned with a name tag that says Marnie.