Day 16:
Big Bear Lake
2384 Miles To Go
Nicholas Kennedy, but really, I’m Batman! Or Bats for short.
I’m awake before Grinder. No surprise there. As I creep toward the bathroom, I notice Nova isn’t here. Good. A smile creeps onto my face as I walk into the bathroom. Belle will be with us at least a little longer. Maybe a lot longer if Grinder can get his shit together. I clamp it down as I make my way back into the room. No need to tip off Grinder that I enjoy having Belle around almost as much as Nova does. She’s good for us. For all of us. He just doesn’t realize it yet.
Cracking the curtains, I take a moment to appreciate the view. It’s almost dawn and the first rays of sunshine are lighting up the hills on the north side of the lake where a tall, white observatory stands on a pier. Damn. If we had an extra day, I’d suggest taking Belle there. Too bad we had to pull off at Idyllwild. Cost us our rest day here in Big Bear.
Heading back to the bed, I pull out my phone and earbuds. I downloaded a few titles I found in Belle’s audiobook library last night so I won’t have to borrow her phone anymore. She was right about audiobooks helping me get to sleep, but I’m eager to start one in particular. As the introduction rolls, I open my web browser to do some catch-up.
It’s not long before Grinder stirs. I swear he’s part rooster. Always up at the crack of dawn. I don’t mind, but it drives Nova nuts. He rises, stretches, then turns to scan the room. When he spots me and only me, he rubs his eyes with the palms of his hands while letting out an exasperated groan. “Fuck,” he growls, as he heads for the bathroom. I snicker once he’s out of earshot. By the time Grinder re-enters the room, I’m staring at my screen in silence again.
Grinder grabs a small box that his sister Autumn had sent and rips the tape off. Muttering under his breath, he pulls the small coffee machine on the desk toward him. It’s a four-cup machine that uses the premade packets sitting on the tray with sugar and creamer packets. I make a mental note to snag those, as my supply has been dwindling with Belle around. I don’t mind. Although, I do wonder how Grinder’s going to use his own coffee, until he pulls a paper filter out of the box. He must have had Autumn throw them in. Next, he pulls out a small bag of grounds and rips it open. The bag tears, spilling some of the grounds across the desk. He curses again, causing the corner of my lip to curl up a smidge. He grabs a small scoop out of the box and digs into the bag.
Scoop
“Making coffee, huh?”
He turns and narrows his eyes at me like I’m a dumbass. “Nova’s not here,” he points out. “You know what that means.”
Scoop
The corner of my mouth twitches. Damn straight I do.
Grinder turns back to his task. “So I’m going to give the princess her perfect cup of coffee. Then we’re finally going to put some fucking miles behind us.”
Scoop
I huff, causing him to pause mid-scoop. “Dude, we’re where you planned on being, when you planned on being here.”
“Bullshit. You can’t tell me dragging her along hasn’t slowed us down.”
Scoop
“Seriously? We hit Warner Springs when you wanted to. We arrived in Idyllwild when you wanted to. And we’re leaving Big Bear when you want to. How has she slowed us down?”
“We should have been here two nights ago, staying in a suite at a four-star resort down on the banks of the lake.”
Scoop
I laugh at the absurdity. “That’s bullshit. And you know it.” Grinder pauses mid-scoop to glare at me. I glare right back. “Don’t pretend you didn’t get all antsy about the snow on Mount San Jacinto and pull us off to take the long way into Idyllwild. You, asshole. Not Belle. We lost that time because you decided we should take the long route.”
Grinder turns away again, trying to hide his rising anger.
Scoop
“What choice did we have? Princess would have been slipping on the ice, or complaining about the cold, or . . .”
Scoop
“Seriously? Even you admitted we weren’t ready for snow. Belle wasn’t the reason we pulled off of the trail. She’s not the reason we got here later than you wanted. And since we’re leaving the same day you wanted us to, she’s not slowing us down either.”
Grinder slams the bag down on the desk and spins around, waving the coffee scoop at me. “Whose fucking side are you on here? There were only three of us when we left New York. Not four. Three.”
I cock an eyebrow at him. “Are you sure about that?”
Grinder glares at me like I’ve lost my damn mind. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Of course I’m certain.”
Scoop
A grunt of annoyance leaves me. I tried to bring this up at the laundromat last night, but he had been in a mood. Which I get. Don’t have to like it. But I get it. Trouble is, he needs to face this. Now. Whether or not he wants to. “Are you sure you left New York?” He gestures at himself, standing there in front of me. The idiot still doesn’t get it. “Physically, yes. You’re here. Trust me, we all know you’re here.” I tap my head. “But what about up here? You haven’t had your head on the trail the whole time we’ve been here.”
“Are you kidding me? All I think about is the trail.”
“Exactly. Other than the one night Belle dragged you out of your tent, have you watched one sunset? Or since you’re so damn preoccupied with getting up early, have you watched a single sunrise? Have you stopped once to look around and see something that wasn’t the dirt path in front of you? Because you used to. All the damn time.”
Frustration and annoyance contort my friend’s face. “What the hell are you getting at, Nick?”
“I don’t think you pretend to hate Belle even half as much as you hate that you’re no longer who you used to be. If there’s anything you hate about her, it’s that she hikes the way you used to hike. The way you loved to hike. Why is that?”
Grinder lets out a guttural growl as he digs out one last heaping scoop of grounds, flinging them into the pot. He slams the machine shut as he punches the button to start it up. “This fucking bullshit again? Drop it, Bats. You’re not my damn shrink.” He storms off toward the bathroom, declaring, “I’m taking a shower. Get dressed.”
As Grinder slams the bathroom door close, I’m already texting Nova.
NICK: You awake?
I wait for a response, but I’m not too surprised when one doesn’t come. I consider calling, but opt for a second text.
NICK: It’s important.
This time, the text changes from delivered to read. A bubble pops up, indicating he’s responding.
KAYDEN:
I chuckle to myself as I reply. If I was in his shoes, I’d want to stay in bed too.
NICK: Get your ass back here. Bring Belle. Quick.
KAYDEN:
NICK: Grinder overdid it on the coffee. It’s peeling my nose hairs from across the room. If Belle gets here before he’s out of the shower, she’ll win the bet.
KAYDEN: On our way.