We stopped at Parks for late breakfast. Abby went for pancakes but I had French toast and a smoothie. When she smiled at me, I smiled back but then she started chuckling. "What?" I asked.

"You have a mustache of smoothie." I quickly wiped it off with the back of my hand, then my hand with a napkin. "Damn, I found you more attractive when you've got a mustache."

"I can grow one if you like," I said, though I wasn't so keen on that.

Abby actually considered the idea, which made her pause for a while, then she shook her head no. I decided to use a straw to avoid another smoothie mustache. The waiter brought two so I dipped both into it and pushed the glass a little so that she could drink, too.

She leaned in to take a sip through the straw and I did the same, causing our foreheads to bump together, and she let out a light chuckle but reserved her position. We were drinking from the same glass as a couple. A couple. Was it what we were now or was it too early to talk about this stuff? I was so useless at these things, and I had to google it sometime.

We lifted our gaze at the same time, our faces still close. Looking at her made me smile uncontrollably, causing me to feel funny for no reason. I felt drunk, drunk on love, drunk on happiness. Then, she suddenly pecked me and retreated, as if it hadn't happened. "You're cruel, Whittaker," I said, taking another sip. "You can't kiss and retreat."

"Actually, I can," she said daringly. "And I just did."

"I didn't peg you as sneaky," I said as we paid the check and walked out of the diner. I slung an arm around her neck and she held my hanging hand.

"I'm not sneaky," she protested laughingly. "I'm just good at using opportunities unlike you." I just pulled her closer without an answer and put a kiss on her forehead. I was totally fine if she wanted to act on opportunities like this—totally no objections. The morning was still lingering in my mind and I was feeling so hot that I didn't know how to cool up anymore.

On our way to Williams, she said, "We need to head to Grand Canyon from there." I nodded. "And it says the road is a bit twisty so we'd better be careful." Another nod. "You're not sleeping, are you, George?"

"I'm here," I murmured.

"Okay. If you don't want to visit Grand Canyon..." Then, she paused. "Never mind."

"Wait, is that an option?" I could use a break now. I could use a break for the rest of our trip.

"No," she said firmly. "It's not." I heaved a loud sigh and gained a laugh from her. "Sorry, big boy but I just thought...and we should visit Grand Canyon." She was probably nervous to stay alone with me after the morning. I didn't blame her; I was like a ticking bomb.

So, when we reached Williams, we altered our way and off to Grand Canyon. I had been there once with my family but I was little so the memory was vague. I bet Abby hadn't been there before since they didn't really travel around much with her father. It became scarcer after Susan entered their lives. We could travel around the world together if she wanted; everything was just more fun with her.

"Did you get a rejection from other colleges you applied for?"

"No," I replied. "From some, I did but some are still pending."

"Maybe you'll get admitted to a better college, who knows?"

"I think I'll settle here." I didn't have to look at her to see the disappointment. She was probably waiting for a miracle to happen and I would be closer to her. That was also my wish but it didn't seem possible with the changes in my hand. Besides, I didn't want to think about it right now; I wanted to focus on the moment. She loved me and I loved her. This was what should matter. I suddenly reached for her hand and rubbed the back of her hand with my thumb. "I want to live today."

"Yeah, me too," she said softly and I spared a glance at her to see her smile but the worry was still visible in the background. They were going to be there, until the day, but the more we ignored the happier we would be until the end. She suddenly placed her head on my right shoulder. "Do I disturb you?"

"No," I replied with a smile. "Not my driving." She nudged me in the gut next, but she didn't seem furious about it. I winked at her when she retreated, and she blushed even more. "It's all right when you kiss me but it's not when I'm stating the facts?"

"Get your mind out of the gutter."

"You, too," I replied, catching her off guard. With a huff, she folded her arms and looked out of the window. It was my favorite activity to embarrass her. Though I was teasing her, I was nervous about what was going to happen next. I didn't want to make her do something she didn't want to or she wasn't ready. I didn't really mind if we didn't...sleep together. I'd wait.

Damn, we were heading to Grand Canyon and I was thinking about sleeping with Abby. God help me. Hope today went in a blur or I was going to lose my mind. Luckily Abby was looking at her phone a minute later, the earlier topic long was forgotten. "I posted our photo before the Arizona sign." She showed me briefly and I figured she was talking about our selfies. "And I put a heart emoji."

"Won't they think differently?"

Shooting me a look, she said, "I want them to think differently." I smiled. "Is it okay for you? You don't mind, right?"

"Not at all," I replied. "I'll post one later, too."

"Really? Which one?" From her tone, I could sense her curiosity.

"Surprise."

An hour later, we arrived in the Grand Canyon. When she wanted to watch the scenery beforehand from the top of a hill, I pulled over in a position where the front faced the cliff. "It's gorgeous," she breathed as we sat on the hood. Little did she know, she was the gorgeous one. Today, she was wearing jean shorts and a white t-shirt with straps. Her cowboy boots were matching with her cowboy hat.

I slung my arm around her and she rested her head against my shoulder for a while. We stood like that, speechless but peaceful. I was having that relaxing feeling that came with weight going off my chest. "Do you know when I figured out that I love you?" I waited for her to go on without an answer. "In Rachel's party—that we went before the trip. When you said you will come back with drinks but Roy showed up instead, I felt...so hurt. I mean, the talk was nice, and he acted really civil, but I was dying to know why you didn't come back. It didn't take me long to learn that you were with Rachel. Upstairs."

I remembered that night vividly, and the mistake I'd almost made. I should have never gone there with her but I was jealous. Seeing her laughing with Roy killed me out there.

"I had an aching feeling—like my heart literally broke into pieces. I didn't know why I felt so, but it was just there and my mood instantly went down. I couldn't stop thinking about it until you came down and explained that nothing happened. I felt so jealous and there I knew you were the only one who could make me feel this way. Heartache."

"I only went upstairs because I saw you with Roy," I replied. "I know, it's no excuse but I wasn't thinking rationally—I never do most of the time. You know, I'm generally controlled by my emotions. But up there, when she leaned over me, I knew what a mistake it was. I immediately went downstairs but the moment I saw the disappointment in your eyes, I thought you were angry to be left alone."

"That, too," she said, pulling slightly back to look at me. "But I was mostly angry because I thought you were with Rachel."

I stroked her cheek and smiled. "I didn't think I'd ever say this but jealousy doesn't look good on you. I hate seeing those eyes blurred. I swear I'll never make something that will make you jealous again. I only see you, you know that, right? Only you."

"I know," she assured softly. Then, she let out a laugh. "George Shaw is trying to convince me that I'm the only one in his world—what on Earth is this?"

"This is love." My reward was a firm kiss on the lips, sealing the promise between us.

Abby had two recommendations to do in Grand Canyon: Safari or ride mules into the canyon. "I want to ride a mule," she said. "It's such a great experience. But would you be okay or are you scared of mules, too?"

"No," I said as we walked into the visitor center. "I'm not."

And it was settled. With a group of ten people, we got on the mules and started to ride toward the canyon rim. The weather was getting hotter as we descended and standing on the top of a mule didn't feel safe at all. However, I knew if I showed off my fear, Abby would make fun of me so much.

She suddenly passed by me on the mule, steadying her cowboy hat with one hand and gripping the robe of the mule with the other. We were riding on a very rocky path and it was a miracle that this tiny thing could carry me and deal with rockiness at the same time. "Abby, wanna race?" I suddenly called after her and earned an annoyed glance from our guide, who was in the middle of introducing a place. Abby winked at me though, and then, we both started laughing as silently as possible.

If this was a horse, I could make it go fast or slow but I was useless in this business. Abby was going ahead of me but I was sure she also had no idea how a mule worked. I tried a few tactics but it didn't seem to notice at all. I gave up when a strange sound came out of it.

For the rest of the ride, I didn't do anything out of the line and certainly didn't get on the guide's nerves. However, it didn't stop him to glare at me at the end, after thanking everyone for listening to him. I was just trying to have fun and I paid for it, what was wrong with that?

By the time we decided we had enough of the Grand Canyon, it was already seven in the evening. It'd been a long day, and we had dinner there. I could feel myself dying of fatigue, ready to faint anywhere but I needed to drive off to Seligman, our stop for the night.

"How long will it approximately take?" I asked Abby, once we settled in the car and I reclined the seat a little to lean and close my eyes. If she asked me to sleep there, I'd be totally down for it but she seemed keen on arriving in Seligman.

"One and a half hour or so," she replied, looking at the phone. "I can drive if you want," she offered then, and I think she figured my eyes were closing up so when I said I could manage, she insisted again and I gladly lend my seat to her. I didn't hear the engine sound—that was how fast I fell asleep.

I woke up again with Abby's soft voice. "George." Rubbing my eyes, I tilted my body but flinched when I felt my body stiff. It wasn't a good idea to sleep in the car but I couldn't keep my eyes open. "We arrived."

"Hmm."

I heard her chuckle before she leaned over me to unbuckle my belt—I heard the sound—and pulled me forward by my waist. "Let's get you up, big boy. I promise you'll sleep much better there."

I felt so exhausted like I was carrying the world on my shoulders. I slowly parted my eyes, temporarily, to see her smiling down at me and helped her by getting out of the car as she snaked an arm around my waist again. "I feel so exhausted," I murmured, my eyes shut. "I just can't keep my eyes open."

"It's okay," she replied as we sauntered to the hotel or motel, whatever. I didn't really care about the difference at the moment. All I cared about was a bed that I could fit into and sleep again. Rubbing my face, I ascended the stairs with her.

I felt relatively awake when we entered the room. The sight and decoration reminded me of my own room, making me feel homesick. I missed my own bed. It was close; we were heading home soon. I approached the bed, feeling the fatigue sink in once again, and pulled Abby with me when I dropped myself on the bed.

"George," she yelped as I snuggled her closer, burying her face under my chin.

"Shh," I said sleepily. "Let me sleep." Her breath tickled my neck but I didn't release my grip. I found her once, and I wasn't letting go of her again. Soon, she eased into our position and placed her hand on my chest. I brushed my nose against her hair, breathing her scent in. "You smell like heaven," I murmured. She gripped my t-shirt tighter.

"You're home." When she slightly tilted her head up, her nose brushed my cheek, soon followed by her lips leaving a fleeting peck on my cheek. Our eyes met, then, and words lost their meanings in the presence of the stars within her eyes.

I suddenly turned back to turn the lights off and immediately eased back, looking at her. I love you were ready to leave, waiting on the tip of my tongue but who would bother with words when you could convey your emotions from lips to lips?

So, I caught her within my lips, relying on the encounter of tongues to convince her that she was my home, too.

Hello!

Thank you so much for reading! I'd really love to get some feedback. What do you like about this story the most? What don't you like? Please don't hesitate to tell me.

❤️

Love,

Sev xx