It was a funny word. Not like he’d never heard it uttered before, but it almost seemed like something out of a fairy tale, or a dream.
It reminded him of when he was a little kid, and he’d sat on his father’s shoulders, trying to reach out and grasp the air as the wind caressed his face. It wasn’t something you could touch; it wasn’t obtainable.
But now it was finally here, and at first, Scott didn’t know how to feel about.
Sure, everyone always talked about being free of this place and what they would do and how and when, but now that the time was finally (actually, really!) here, he was dumbfounded. There wasn’t a manual for “What to Do When the City’s Crazy-Ass Tyrant That Has You Captive Finally Kills Himself.” As much as he awaited the day, he wasn’t prepared for it. Fantasy and reality were two very different things. After he and Autumn had decided to take a “realistic” approach and pulled their heads out of the clouds, he didn’t fantasize about the fateful day and what they would do. And then it seemed like he blinked, and it was here.
Now that it was an actual thing that was happening, and not just an idea, there was so much to think about. And, frankly, all this thinking made his head hurt.
There had been a lot of arranging (which Autumn is very good at) and devising (also very good at) until they’d decided on a plan. To be honest, Scott didn’t really care where they went, or when, as long as he was with her. She’d always had a path she wanted to follow, and he just felt lucky to be along for the ride. Besides, they were going to New York—people always found something for them in New York.
They were driving across the country (in his car, of course), making a bunch of stops along the way—his aunt’s ranch, Six Flags Great Adventure, you name it. After all, the two of them couldn’t cross everything off on their bucket lists in New York alone. And there was so much out there.
He never found out what’d happened to Hayley; he’d gone to her apartment to tell her the good news, only to find her gone. She must have left immediately after the doors opened, but she never said goodbye. He tried not to think too hard about it.
Scott let out a breath, shaking his head to return to reality, his blonde hair tickling his forehead. He knocked lightly on the front door before entering, not really asking for permission but rather telling her he was coming in. It wasn’t like he didn’t have a key at this point.
“How’s the packing going?” he asked, closing the front door behind him. He eyed her exhausted appearance. That bad, huh? Scott crossed over to the edge of the couch and nudged her legs to the side, sitting in their place before resting them on his lap.
“Well, look at it this way,” he reasoned, turning his head to face her. “At least we’ll be gone for awhile, so the amount of time you spent packing is nothing compared to how long we’ll be away.”
Packing . They were leaving.
“It’s all so...surreal, isn’t it?” He sighed, resting his arms on top of her legs as his eyes turned to the wall. “I still can’t believe it.”
