"Amaya. Pull over. You're falling asleep."

I ignored him and kept on driving. We needed to get to Louisiana and soon. There was no time for any interruptions.

A few minutes passed before he was yelling at me once again.

"I'm serious, Mya. You're tired and you can't be driving. Just pull over so I can." He shouted.

I could hear Gracie whining from the back seat. It was almost as if us arguing made her sad. Like a child crying when parents were in the middle of fighting.

"Oh, Gracie." I sighed while I quickly glanced into the back mirror.

I put my blinker on and pulled off to the side of the road. After putting the car in park I rested my head against the steering wheel and let my eyes flutter shut.

I was exhausted. With the whole Mike situation, the tension of seeing my family so soon, and the one event I knew had to take place before I went home. That's the one thing that had me the most nervous.

The fact that there were only hours left till that moment took place had even more on edge. I still hadn't told Theo about the surprise visit I was going to make and I felt like I was going to have to tell him sooner or later.

Right now I was going to keep that little secret locked up safe and for a better time.

"Mya?" I heard Theo whisper beside me.

I kept my head down, not wanting to show my face. I could already feel the teardrops streaking their way down my neck and onto my shirt.

"Princess?" I felt his hand rub my back in a soothing and comforting way, but someone feeling sorry for me was the last thing I needed right now.

It wasn't a foreign feeling anymore. Being at the receiving end of the never-ending pity was the absolute worst. Everywhere I went I was forced into to conversing with people who were trying to be supportive, but really were just suffocating me with their attention.

I thought moving away to a distant college would free from the prison full of constant sympathy and sad looks, but it seems to have climbed in my suitcase and traveled the whole way with me.

Now Theo too?

I know he had no idea what was going on. Theo had no idea why my emotions had more than doubled with every mile we got closer to my hometown. For all he knew he probably just figured it was nerves about seeing my family.

I wish that was all, but sadly the truth was much worse.

The whole situation that had just happened with the Mike kid had only brought down my spirits even more. He was just a troubled kid looking for a way to help out his mom and it all went down the drain. His peers pressured him into doing something extremely ignorant, and now he'll have charges permanently tagged with his every move.

I felt bad for him. I really did, but I guess the past is the past, right?

Which is why I shouldn't be making such a big deal about coming home. Because your previous actions shouldn't define who you are or predict your future. But in my case, it's really difficult to get past everything that's happened. Especially since my actions nearly destroyed my own family in the midst of it all.

I lifted my forehead off the wheel and whipped my head in his direction.

A hateful glare was sent his way before I turned away from him and was about to put the car back into drive when he reached his hand out and stopped me.

He turned off the ignition before I could retaliate and stuck the keys deep into the furthest pocket.

Anger immediately flared through my body and I immediately held out my hand waiting for him to drop them back into my palm. The longer I waited the longer I didn't get the keys back.

"Listen. I know I was falling asleep, but Theo I need to get home. We don't have time for pulling over and fighting. We should still be on the road right now, so let's go!"

I watched his face to see if his facial features had changed at all, or to see if he was at least considering. Unfortunately he wasn't budging and that was the last straw of sanity I had packed myself for this trip because that's when the waterworks began.

"Theo. We need to go right now. It's already getting late and that's another day away. We're wasting time!!" I blubbered before the sobs eventually broke out.

All the stress and anxiousness had finally gotten to me. I couldn't hold it in any longer and there was no taking it back.

The dam had been broken, and there was no immediate repair that I could initiate to make this embarrassing moment end.

Unexpectedly, Theo leaned forward and wrapped me up into a warm embrace. His two broad arms held me tightly as I continued to bawl like a baby.

Theo held me in his arms for as long as I needed to calm down and drift into a state of near serenity. He was patient with me and didn't once open his mouth until he knew I had gotten what I truly needed: comfort.

I felt his hand glide along my hair in equal motions as he hushed me until I was relaxed. It was then that he separated us and held me from a half arms length and watched me with a small smile on his plump lips.

He tenderly wiped away my tears that were remaining on my face while he rested one hand on my cheek and slipped the other into my right hand.

"I know I don't know everything about you, Amaya, and that's completely okay. I wish you would tell me so I could be able to help you with whatever it is you're going through, but I know you, princess. I know that you don't ask for help...ever. You always toughen up and make it through on your own, so you don't have to inconvenience people. But let me tell you what, Mya, you can inconvenience me all you want. Any time and any say and I'll be there for you. All you have to do is ask. You can tell me everything you want me to know whenever you feel the time is right, and I trust you. If the situation is good or bad, present or past, I'll be there for you. I'll always be there for you."

My face felt like it was literally going to rip in two from the biggest grin that I was now sporting on my lips. I couldn't help it. Theo literally always knew what to say and when to say it.

He's always saying how I'm making him a better person, but really it's the other way around. Theo is the only guy I've ever met that has stuck by me through my tough times. We may have only met a few months ago, but it's felt like we've had each other's backs for as long as time had started.

He was the perfect guy and I was so lucky to have him.

I leaned forward and pressed my mouth to his cheek leaving a sweet kiss for a sweet boy. "Thank you, Theo. I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have you."

I climbed out of my door and walked round the front of the car and ended up on the passenger side. I opened Theo's door and watched as a confused smile made its way onto his face.

"Whatcha doin'?" He chuckled as his eyes crinkled at the corners with true humor proving it to be as real as it could get.

"Better question is: what are you doin'? And what you're doing is driving me to Louisiana. I, on the other hand, am going to take a much needed nap."

I leaned over him and unbuckled his seat belt for him before standing poker straight again. Theo remained glued in his seat with an amused look on his features that for once had no signs of mischief.

"Theo?" I asked with raised eyebrows and crossed arms before I pointed to the currently unattended drivers seat.

"Oh! Right! One trip to Louisiana comin' right up, madam!" He saluted before bolting out of the car and behind the steering wheel.

I barely got in the car again before he was turning the key in the ignition.

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Oh my gosh!! A new chapter!!!

After weeks of writers block, it's finally here!! I stayed up till 3am on a school night writing this, so I really am hoping you guys enjoyed this chapter.

How was it?? Let me know in the comments!!

#Themaya

Thanks for hanging in there,

~K