Samantha frowned, hating the fact all this was happening so close to the wedding, but at the same time felt helpless. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Nothing. Well, except get here faster.”
Samantha closed her eyes, because she wanted nothing more. “I’m working on it. Believe me.”
“How’s everything with Tristan…? Are you guys getting along?”
“Everything’s fiiiine,” Samantha said, drawing out the vowels to make the question sound needless. “Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know. I talked to him earlier. He was weird. I thought maybe it had something to do with you.”
Samantha pulled in a deep breath and picked at her fingernail. She wished she knew what he’d said, but asking that sort of question would only make her sound guilty. So she shook her head, stuffing down the frustration for Renee’s benefit. She wouldn’t add to her best friend’s stress by complaining about Tristan. She didn’t have to share what a cocky bastard he was. Not now, anyway. She would save that for later.
“Things are fine, Renee. Better than fine. We’re making good time, and I’m mostly listening to audiobooks.” Which was true. It was all the times in between that felt like hell.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
Renee took a deep breath, as though some huge weight was lifted from her chest. “Okay, good. Where are you guys? How much longer until you get here?”
Samantha’s eyes fluttered with exhaustion, but a curve pulled at her lips as she glanced around the room. “Motel 6. I have no idea where though. I fell asleep.”
“Ahh… Well, go to sleep, Sam. It sounds like you need it.”
Samantha nodded, agreeing completely. “When I get to NY, let’s have a spa day. Just me and you: massages, facials, the works.”
Renee sighed. “Sounds like heaven.”
“It will be.” Samantha let go of the phone, anchoring it in place between her face and the mattress, feeling herself start to doze again. “We should get off the phone and get some sleep. I’ll call you tomorrow?”
“Sounds good.”
“Night Ren.”
“Night Sam.”
Chapter Eleven
Present day
Bright, blinding light streamed into Samantha’s motel room as she sat on the edge of the bed. It was just past nine in the morning, yet a chill lingered in the room, reminding her they were no longer in California. She wrapped her hoodie around her shoulders and zipped it shut. She was in a bad mood.
Not because of the cold, but because she’d been awake for hours, and they were no closer to their destination. Which left her listening, waiting for any indication he was awake. A floorboard creaking, the sound of running water to indicate a shower had started, but there was nothing. All morning, which left her patience incredibly thin.
She inched to the edge of the bed, trying to ease the stiffness in her neck that had gathered there during sleep. She was anxious to be on the road already, to get this trip over with, and be with Renee, but nothing at all seemed to be helping.
The last two months had been especially hard without her best friend. Yes, there were the daily phone calls, even FaceTime every now and then, but it wasn’t the same. She longed for the days they stayed on the couch all day, buried in blankets and sharing a box of tissues as they watched the saddest movies they could find on Netflix.
But the moment Renee had gotten engaged, Samantha’s life had changed forever. Because never again would she live under the same roof as Renee, or fight over the last scoop of ice cream in the freezer. It had all changed with one phone call, and she wasn’t even given time to prepare.
Air. She needed air.
Having been dressed for over an hour she slipped on her comfortable brown sandals and pushed herself from the bed. Maybe she’d even check out the complimentary breakfast while she was at it.
She flung open the motel door, finding Tristan’s Mustang right away, parked just below their joined rooms. Knowing the sight would only make her angry, she ignored it, and gazed out to the bright blue sky and the town she didn’t recognize. In her twenty-three years, she’d only traveled out of California a handful of times. She’d always wanted to, but with family close, travel wasn’t one of her parent’s top priorities.
It was a shame—because there were so many places she wanted to go. So many sights she wanted to see, and now she wasn’t sure she’d get the chance.
The wrought iron banister was chipped and worn, but she leaned against it anyway, taking in the empty road below, and the trees covered with tiny buds she was sure would be gorgeously green in a few weeks.
What was stopping her now? Why not travel now? To Paris, where she’d dreamt of going ever since she was little? To see the sculptures, the architecture, and culture that inspired her even to this day.
It didn’t take long to come up with an answer: she had no one to go with.
Her best friend had moved across the country, and Steven was too busy with his career to even consider as an option. The truth was, that at twenty-three, she was nearly tied down to a man she’d known since junior high; and she had only a handful of wild stories to carry with her into the future.
Pushing all the regrets away, she tucked her hands into her oversized hoodie and walked down to the first floor. In the back of her mind, she knew this was her last adventure. She tried to convince herself otherwise, to believe there would be other opportunities, but she knew the truth. Steven would be too busy with his internship for the next few years, and once she got started with her “real” career, there would be no time for her, either. Yes, this was her last hoorah, one she had planned to take with her boyfriend; instead, she was stuck here with Tristan.
She continued past the royal blue doors to the long corridor, taking in the white paint that had a yellow hue that showed its wear. They’d traveled only a day, yet reminders they weren’t in California were everywhere. She loved it. She loved the age of the place. The fact it showed its wear without being hidden behind a million layers of paint.
In her hometown, the lowest priced home was over a half million. A three bedroom, two bath modest home. Women got Botox at thirty, and graffiti was covered the second after it was placed. All evidence of age or flaws were brushed under the rug and forgotten about. As if they didn’t exist.
To Samantha, it was like erasing history. Laugh lines of happiness and joy or pain that shaped a person to who they were. Painting over this stuff was like sand blasting a Cathedral—criminal. But when she took in a lung full of crisp clean air, she let it all go on an exhale. The money, the perfectionism, the facade of a perfect life. And she took in the refreshing, exhilarating air she couldn’t get in Los Angeles. Fresh, somewhat cool, and without even a trace of smog.
She continued into the main office, where the scent of perfume and dust made her clear her throat. Glancing around the room, she looked for any sign of life, and locked eyes on a little old man sitting at the counter. He wore an oversized brown sweater and wool-lined slippers propped high on the wooden desk. He was fast asleep, peaceful, with deep wrinkles that formed crevices all over his face, and he didn’t show any signs of waking up.
Not wanting to disturb him, she carried on down the hall where a propped up sign with red removable letters told her the breakfast menu: bagels, cream cheese, and fresh fruits.
Perfect.
She made it to the bar, where the factory cut pineapple and too ripe bananas were left on the counter. She wrinkled her nose, then moved to the end of the counter and pushed down two bagels into the shiny red toaster.
It was peaceful here. So quiet she could hear herself think. She filled a mug with steaming coffee, sat down at a nearby table, and picked up a discarded copy of the Salt Lake City gazette.
They’d made it to Utah. She smiled at their progress, and some of the tension from her shoulders eased away. Rocking back in her chair, she enjoyed the quiet, and then a moment later, ate her bagel in solitude, while reading the classifieds and snickering about an old woman who owned one-hundred-and-one cats. Attached was a photo, slightly underdeveloped and dark. All you could see was the little woman’s white fluffy hair, surrounded by nothing but fur and eyes.