Holy crap.
Is it really just the storm and traffic stressing him out?
That appeasing smile he always wears is gone, and there抯 a hard edge to his words now. Very strange, but maybe he抯 had a rotten day, too.
揙kay.?I try to keep my voice even.
For the next few minutes, we抮e quiet as we turn onto the highway. Things are moving slightly faster, but it抯 still like riding in a hovercraft.
His eyes narrow when he looks at me again. 揝orry about that, again. Me and my big mouth. Guess I抦 just a little overprotective when it comes to Dessy and all that shit. I抳e been hoping they抮e finally moving on, is all.?
Okayyy.
So, apparently, we抮e not dropping it.
揑抦 just surprised. Back in Hawaii you seemed happy that she found the turtle necklace.?
揑t was Aster抯 last memory. I had to respect that. Plus, with how Dess behaved on the rest of the trip, I figured she could handle it. But I have to be honest with you, E桰 was goddamned glad to see it go. Way more than finding it. In my opinion, if you care about her, you抣l hang on to that thing a while longer. Maybe you抣l give it to her someday years from now, or maybe you won抰。 Right now, not only is it a symbol of her dead mom, it抯 also a reminder she was attacked.?He抯 quiet for a minute, his face set like stone.
I frown. I hadn抰 thought about it like that.
Maybe he has a point?
The rain picks up again, though, pelting the windshield and dragging us to a complete stop.
I decide he抯 making some sense, even if he seems weirdly pissed about it. I抦 just not convinced he抯 right.
揝orry if I upset you,?I say, stuffing the necklace back in my purse. 揑抦 really not trying to rub salt in any old wounds. I just…I care about her, too. I want her to be happy.?
揥hat do you have to be sorry for??he asks.
Red and blue flashes spin up ahead through the gloom. Police lights.
Awesome, more traffic.
Good thing my plane doesn抰 leave for two hours.
揑 think I抳e just been on edge since Destiny got mugged that day,?I tell him. 揑抦 in constant Mama Bear mode梖unny, because I抳e never thought of myself like that.?
I try to brush it off as that. I don抰 dare mention stupid Cole and his stupid emotional roller coaster stressing me out.
Slowly, we creep by the accident.
It抯 a newer car that slid off the road into a ditch. Small crowds of people are milling around in the rain, watching a stretcher being loaded into the back of an ambulance. We both eyeball it as we drive past, our faces set.
I抦 going to need a good rom-com or something on the plane after talking about death and potentially seeing it, too.
Troy抯 appeasing smile returns條ike the grim scene makes him lighten up梐nd he nods. 揟hat抯 what makes you bowing out even sadder. Dessy needs somebody to be protective of her. Someone with a lighter touch than her bear of an old man.?
揟hat抯 Cole, all right,?I say bitterly.
揋irls need a mom, too. Or if they can抰 have that, at least a badass woman in their lives.?He shrugs, his knuckles tightening on the steering wheel. 揇on抰 you think? Correct me if I抦 wrong since I抦 not a chick. I just know Destiny loved the crap out of you, Eliza.?
揧eah.?I nod glumly, trying to smother the heartache.
Lightning blazes across the sky like broken glass and I jump. My heartbeat triples.
揧択now, I get why you feel responsible for her losing the old necklace,?he says.
揧ou do??The fact that someone else understands just confirms that I抦 right to blame myself.
I feel like such a loser.
How did I ever let a teenager get robbed?
揧eah. She got hit because you weren抰 around. And now maybe that you抮e taking off to live your own life梪nderstandably, I抣l add梱ou feel a little guilty leaving her alone again. Whatever you do, don抰 beat yourself up.?
揝ure,?I tell him.
The rain quickens until it抯 coming down in sheets. The blurry lights cutting through the darkness aren抰 nearly enough.
揊ucking hell. Can抰 see shit,?Troy says, slowing to a stop again.
I shiver. 揑t抯 bad. What are we going to do??
揥e抮e gonna pull over for a few and wait this out. Don抰 see how I can keep driving in this crap,?he grumbles.
揋ot it. Whatever you think is best.?I wonder how long this storm will last. If I have to swap my plane ticket out, I will, though flights will probably be delayed in this.
I must fall into my phone for a while. Because when I look up, Troy抯 silvery eyes are locked on my face, staring through me with this odd, blank expression.
揈verything okay??I ask.
揧eah. No. Not exactly…？He inhales sharply before he says, 揈liza, listen. I keep thinking about it and I really don抰 think you should mail Destiny that necklace. Neither of them need that ghost fucking haunting them again. It was such a shitty, sad experience. Cole, he抯 spent years blocking it out. He couldn抰 even remember buying the damn thing. But ever since that thing turned up, it抯 been on his brain a lot. It makes him think more than he should. It isn抰 healthy.?