This Stop, I'm Getting Off Alone

But today, there was really no point.

I gave him a glance and pulled open the back door.

Bertha turned around, and out of nowhere she got all mysterious.

"Don't tell me we're soulmates or something. The snowy mountains you two are headed to? That's the exact place I've always wanted to go. I never would've guessed you'd want to vacation there, Junie, when you can't even ski."

In the rearview mirror, Will looked at me again.

One hand loose on the wheel, he said it like it was nothing.

"We were going to do the beach, but she didn't want to tan, so I planned the whole thing around the mountains instead. June said she wanted to learn to ski."

Bertha listened closely, fishing her hand cream out of the storage box like she'd done it a hundred times.

"Honestly, the beach would've been nice too. I love the ocean."

"All right, can we have some quiet." Will cut in and turned on the music.

It was his alarm tone.

And just like that I was back to a little over a year ago, the second day after Will finally agreed to the road trip.

I'd woken up early because I was so excited.

After I switched off his alarm, before I knew it I'd opened his chat app.

The night before, Bertha had sent him another string of complaints about work.

I scrolled through them without thinking, and then I went still.

*I want a vacation so bad, I want to go to the beach so bad, ahhh!*

*Will, Mr. Harding, if you guys ever hit the beach, take me with you~*

Will had answered her.

*Sure.*

I stared at those messages for ten minutes, until my eyes ached, before I let the screen go dark.

When Will woke up and wrapped his arms around me from behind, all sleepy and clingy,

I said it as lightly as I could.

"Let's skip the beach for the road trip. Didn't you say I don't look good when I tan?"

What I was thinking at the time was this:

I didn't actually mind Bertha coming along on a trip with us.

I'd known both of them for more than ten years, after all.

But why was the place Will chose for the trip the one she loved?

He didn't take long to think about it.

He kissed me.

"Sure, let's do skiing then. I'll teach you."

Remembering all that, I couldn't help laughing out loud in the car.

Will turned and asked what was funny.

I shook my head. Nothing.

I just thought the version of me from a year ago had been so naive.

Thinking it was enough as long as Will was changing things for me.

Even though I didn't like the beach, and I had no real interest in skiing.

I unlocked my phone and bought a ticket to a different destination.

This time, I was going where I wanted to go.

——

We checked in at the little town below the mountain.

We'd planned to ski tomorrow, but I no longer intended to go up.

So I only took my own bag,

and left the gear in the trunk.

Will parked, looked at what was in my hands, and for once he was sharp.

"Why didn't you grab the ski gear?"

I answered offhand.

"Forgot."

But I didn't scramble to turn back for it the way I always used to.

After I keyed into the room, Will came in with the luggage.

He saw me crouched on the floor, going through my suitcase,

and walked over.

"You mad?"

I didn't turn around.

"No."

The next second he pulled me up and into his arms.

Will's arms had always been warm,

ready to take in any mood.

When we were kids I'd only thought of him as the older boy, a year ahead of me,

until he chased off the stalker ex-boyfriend who wouldn't leave me alone,

and held me, soothing me while I was still shaking.

That was the moment I realized how fast my heart was beating.

Nothing at all like the quiet, steady beat of it now.

Will laughed softly.

"You're jealous, aren't you. Because I brought Bertha along too."

"I only did it because she's your best friend. Otherwise I wouldn't have given her a second look."