Paul waves him off. “I’m healthy as a horse and you know it. Maybe I’m slower than I used to be, but I can still get around just fine. I walk three miles every day, and my father lived to be 104. If I called my physician right now, he’d say go.” He tosses up his hands. “Hell, he’d probably ask to come along, too. There’s great golf along the way.”
Theo sighs deeply, running the hand not clutching his phone through his hair. His fingers grip the ends, a frustrated move.
“Well, I can’t talk you out of it,” he says finally.
“You’re right,” Paul says. He turns to me. “Are you sure it’s all right with you? I understand if you want to go solo.”
Theo frowns. “It’s not all that safe, Shep.”
“Thank you, I already got that lecture from my mom, and it doesn’t matter anyway. Paul and I are going on this adventure together.”
Theo scrubs at his jaw, his eyes closing briefly. “Yeah, that makes me feel so much better. I—”
His phone buzzes and he looks down at the screen. Dad flashes urgently across it. Seeing his name and the way Theo’s expression caves in on itself is a déjà vu moment: we could just as easily be in our high school parking lot right now, me watching Theo’s dad admonish him in that quiet, controlled way that was ten times more intimidating than shouting.
“Of course,” Theo mutters with a grim smile. “Be right back.”
He disappears inside, and I turn back to Paul, who’s watching his grandson disappear. His expression is pinched with concern, but it smooths out when he feels my attention.
“I’m excited to do this with you.” As soon as I say it, the matching emotion runs through my veins, like adrenaline but sweeter.
“I appreciate you letting me tag along. This’ll be the perfect way to tell you our story.” Paul pats the side of the box. “I’ll bring along the letters and fill in what I can until you have the answers you need.”
I can’t describe the feeling in my chest. It’s not happiness; it’s sharper than that, even though it’s warm and golden, too. It makes my eyes sting. I’ll get their whole love story, an extended game of secret sharing. But I won’t be playing it with Gram.
“Oh!” Paul says, perking up. “I’ll bring my camera along, since you’re bringing yours.”
“Nice, like a photography trip.” Thomas looks at me meaningfully. Not such a lie after all.
Paul’s eyes are saying something, too. They shine with support, and I can’t help thinking of the way Gram used to look at me the same way. Like she was just happy I was trying. “I’m eager to see your work.”
“Well . . .” I let out a nervous laugh. This man is an accomplished photographer with a career I could only dream of. “Manage your expectations.”
Sadie brings her intertwined hands up to her chin, grinning at me. “I love this idea. I’m so glad you’re going together.”
I reach up, fiddling with my earrings, which are, ironically, shaped like little cameras. From inside, Theo’s voice raises, though I can’t make out the actual words. “It’s been a while. I’m really rusty, so let’s just see where it g—”
“The universe is telling you something,” Sadie insists, wincing at the slam echoing from somewhere in the house. “You need to listen to it.”
I snort. “I’d love to know what the message is.”
The screen door screeches open, and Theo’s there, color flagging his cheeks. “I’m coming, too.”
* * *
I’m silent during the drive home.
Thomas and Sadie chat in the front, but Thomas’s eyes keep flicking to the rearview mirror, and Sadie’s hand snakes back to squeeze my knee more than once.
It all happened so fast. One minute I was going alone, and the next I had two extra bodies I’ll have to cram into my Prius. I guess the upside is that from a logistical standpoint, it makes what I told my parents less of a lie. Three people make up a group.
But one of those people is Theo.
He made the decision in anger. I could see it in his slightly shaking hands when he slipped his phone into his back pocket. I’m not even sure he saw any of us, or fully processed Paul’s delight. But as soon as I saw Paul’s smile, the stark relief in his eyes, I pressed my lips together so I wouldn’t ruin his happiness.
I would do illegal things to go on a two-week trip with Gram. I’m not going to take it away from Paul and Theo, no matter how much Theo plucks at every single one of my nerves.
My only attempt to finagle my way out of it was to ask, “Are you sure you can get the time off work?”
His expression soured further, his eyes thundercloud dark. “Yes. It’s done. Not a problem.”
We left not long after, and I heard myself say from somewhere very far away that I’d follow up with them on details.
Thomas and Sadie invite me to spend the day in the city with them, but this is one of those times where I actually want to lie in bed and stare at the ceiling. So that’s exactly what I do after I wave goodbye and trudge through the silent house. My parents are off gallivanting with friends somewhere; their social life is unmatched.
I flop onto my bed with a groan, closing my eyes.
When I’m awakened by my phone buzzing under my ass, it’s dark outside.
It’s a number I don’t recognize. I’d usually let it go to voicemail, but my thumb is pressing the green button onscreen before my brain can catch up.
“Hello?”
“Were you sleeping?”
Theo’s voice is sexy in person, but over the phone it’s lethal. Thank god he balanced it out by being irritating.
“Okay, first of all, hello.” I sit up, blinking into the velvet darkness of my room. “Second of all, how’d you get my number?”
“Got it from my granddad.”
Paul’s a traitor. Noted. “We’ll skip to the third point, then: Why are you calling me? Couldn’t you just text whatever you need to say? What kind of millennial are you? We’re supposed to be afraid of calling people.”
His sigh is all-suffering, leftover tension pulling it tight. “I want to make sure you’re fine with all of this. You were suspiciously without words at the end there, and that’s unlike you.”
It vexes me that he knows me well enough to say that. “I . . . well, I was in shock. It’s one thing for Paul to want to come, but you?” I pick up steam as my thoughts finally crystallize. “You weren’t even into it. Are you going because you’re running away from something, or do you not trust me on the road with Paul? Are you chaperoning us in case I lead us astray and we stumble off a cliff? I promise I’m not that inept.”
I stumble to a stop with a grimace. Maybe a little too revealing, Noelle.
“I don’t think you’re inept at all,” he says. I don’t know if it’s the timbre of it or the steel behind his words, but I actually believe him.
“Then what is it?”
He hesitates, reluctant. “My granddad was right. I need to get away from the city for a couple weeks. It’s been a long time since I had any kind of vacation.”