“I didn’t even think about it when I got dressed, plus I didn’t want to damage your eyes. These bad boys are pale and blindingly bright,” he said, pointing toward his legs. “The real question is, what would you like to do, and where are we going now?”
I jabbed my thumb in the library’s direction. “I wanted to do some research about New Orleans, but it seemed like you might have spontaneously combusted if we’d stayed in there much longer.”
He looked thoughtful for a moment, and I wondered what was going through his head. It was then that it occurred to me, I hadn’t heard a peep out of Echo all day. It made me wonder why. So, I turned my voice inward and asked her while Drew was in his own mind thinking about—well, I wish I knew.
Echo, are you ok? You’ve been quiet all day. What gives?
Nothing gives Eden; I’m just trying to give you some time alone in your head while you are with Drew. She answered in a whisper like she was scared Drew might hear her.
It wasn’t like Echo to be considerate, but I wasn’t about to question it, so instead, I let the feeling of my gratitude spread, telling her thankyou without saying a word.
“Eden,” Drew asked as he stared at me with worry etched on his face. “Are you ok? You were just standing there and not answering me like you were in some kind of trance.”
“Sorry, I was spacing off. I do that from time to time.” I cringed because I felt like an idiot. “What were you saying?”
“Man, when you wander off in your head, you're just gone, I wish I could follow you to wherever it is you get lost at in there,” he said tapping my head lightly. “Anyhow, I think I got a compromise for us. One where you can still research, and I'm not trapped in a building that might as well be made of books, none of which I want to read. How about the coffee shop? I’ll buy the coffee. We can hook my tablet up to the free Wi-Fi and research that way.”
I smiled at the way he was looking quite pleased with himself like he'd just discovered the cure to cancer or something.
“Okay, but I want a mocha frappe, not hot coffee.” I cast him an innocent grin.
“Foo-foo coffee it is then,” he said as we reached his car, and he opened the passenger door.
I slipped in and waited for him to get in on the driver’s side. He started the car and immediately set the AC to high. The cool air blasted me in the face, but I didn’t mind. He just sat there looking at me over the tops of sunglasses he must have put on after he closed my door and walked around the car. Slowly I swiveled my head and glanced at him. He wiggled his eyebrows and winked at me. I couldn’t help it, I had to laugh, which is what I think he was hoping I’d do. He was the slightest bit of a clown. His shades looked like they might fall off his nose, so I leaned over and pushed them back up. When he still seemed to be looking at me, I squirmed. I could see myself in the reflective surface of his sunglasses as we sat there in silence with the AC chilling our skin. Finally, when I couldn’t take it anymore, I broke the silence.
“Well, aren’t you gonna drive?"
He smiled that smile. I was learning it meant he was up to no good. “Remember what I said the last time I saw you, Eden?”
I thought for a moment, and realization of what he was talking about hit me like a flowerpot falling from a second-story window. I tried but failed to hide the panic from my voice. “Oh no, I can’t drive this thing on the road. You have to show me in a parking lot or something first.”
“Fine, but right after we're done researching, you are going to get a driving lesson missy. You brought your license like I asked—right?”
I pulled it from my left rear pocket, “Of course, I had to drive to the library, didn’t I?” and shoved it under his nose.
He sniffed it. “Hmm, it smells like butt.”
“Ha-ha, you're so funny. I’m not gonna ask how you know what butt smells like. That’s just disgusting.” I wrinkled my nose at the thought.
His laughter filled the car as he grabbed my left hand, put it on the shifter with his right, threw the car into first, and then pulled out onto the street. Like the first night, I stared at our joined hands, and it still felt right.
“So, what does your dad think you’re doing this time,” He asked, glancing at me as we drove.
“I told him I was going to the library to research.”
Drew laughed, “Hmm, well, I guess it’s not a lie, right? You are crazy good at being dishonest without—actually being dishonest, Eden. It’s scary.”
“Well, if it bothers you, we can always just go back to the library.”
“Yeah, no thanks I’ll pass, but aren’t you worried your dad will come checking up on you?”
“Drew, he’s a cop. Trust me, he has better things to do. Besides, he works almost two hours away.”
As if the universe was trying to tell me something, Drew pulled up to the four-way stop just a block from the library, and when I glanced to my right, my Dad’s car was pulling up. I shrunk down in my seat until I was just below the window’s edge. My heart rate spiked as the fear of getting caught consumed me because I was pretty sure Dad saw me.
“Eden?” Drew asked, looking down at me with a smile, “What
