choice, mostly because it gave her a few extra miles to spend in Matt’s company. It was only 45 minutes worth of traveling time, but she was hoping to make it count.
“Where will you go after we get to Portland?” Matt asked as they watched the Oregon countryside whiz by the bus windows.
“I don’t know,” Holly admitted. “I will probably just close my eyes and see where my finger lands on the map. What about you?”
She asked the question more out of politeness than anything else. She wasn’t really interested in the answer. All she was interested in was the fact that wherever Matt would go next, it wouldn’t be on her path, and that knowledge was making her sadder than she probably had a right to be.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Seattle, maybe. But I won’t go anywhere until tomorrow morning. Tonight I just want to check in to a motel, have a decent meal, and a decent good night’s sleep.” He hesitated visibly. “Would you care to join me?”
Holly arched a blond eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
For the first time, it was Matt’s turn to blush. He went scarlet, panicking. “I meant for dinner!” He croaked. "Not for the rest!”
“Oh.” Holly grinned, amused by Matt’s embarrassment. “Sure. I’d like that.”
“Really?”
“You sound surprised.”
Matt shrugged and gave her a shy smile. “I’m always surprised when a pretty woman wants to go out with me.”
Holly stared at him. Maybe she had been all wrong about him; maybe he did have a softer side. He sure looked soft enough now, acting so shy and insecure. And then something he had said finally registered.
Go out?
Holly felt her heart pick up the pace.
“Hold on,” she said. “When you say ‘go out’, you mean…like a date?”
“Yes. I mean, we don’t have that much time left or that much to lose if things go wrong. We can just have a nice evening with no strings attached.” He cleared his throat. “Unless you don’t want to, of course.”
“Oh no, I want to,” Holly said quickly. And she really did. She had not realized just how badly she was crushing on this man until now. Oh God, listen to me. I haven’t used the word ‘crush’ since I was fifteen. “I’d love to go out with you.”
Matt smiled and visibly relaxed. He found her hand again and held it all the way to Portland.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
They checked in to a motel not very far off the bus station. Neither of them had any idea what would happen the next morning or where they would be traveling the next day. All they knew was that right here, right now, they wanted to be with each other.
Holly had never done this before—she had never gone on a date with a perfect stranger, that is. She didn’t go on many dates to begin with; it was just such a hassle to sneak around her parents, who of course didn’t like the idea of her dating anyone they hadn’t pre-approved, if not chosen themselves. She felt abuzz with a pleasant sense of nervous anticipation she had not felt in a long time, if ever. Besides, this wasn’t just some cute guy who had picked her up. This was a very special man she had met on the bravest, craziest journey of her life.
She took her time to shower, washing away the dirt from two and half days on the road as well as the last remaining doubts. Now more than ever, she felt like she had made the right decision. Matt’s confidence and firm beliefs on the free will of people had finally convinced her that to follow her own path was truly the only option. What kind of life would it be otherwise?
By the time Holly stepped out of the shower stall, she felt energized and self-confident. She truly could do this. It wouldn’t be easy, but she could do it. She could learn to rely only on herself and her own means. Everyone else did, after all. She could do it, too. She had to do it. Failure, Holly decided right then and there, was simply not an
“Where will you go after we get to Portland?” Matt asked as they watched the Oregon countryside whiz by the bus windows.
“I don’t know,” Holly admitted. “I will probably just close my eyes and see where my finger lands on the map. What about you?”
She asked the question more out of politeness than anything else. She wasn’t really interested in the answer. All she was interested in was the fact that wherever Matt would go next, it wouldn’t be on her path, and that knowledge was making her sadder than she probably had a right to be.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Seattle, maybe. But I won’t go anywhere until tomorrow morning. Tonight I just want to check in to a motel, have a decent meal, and a decent good night’s sleep.” He hesitated visibly. “Would you care to join me?”
Holly arched a blond eyebrow. “Excuse me?”
For the first time, it was Matt’s turn to blush. He went scarlet, panicking. “I meant for dinner!” He croaked. "Not for the rest!”
“Oh.” Holly grinned, amused by Matt’s embarrassment. “Sure. I’d like that.”
“Really?”
“You sound surprised.”
Matt shrugged and gave her a shy smile. “I’m always surprised when a pretty woman wants to go out with me.”
Holly stared at him. Maybe she had been all wrong about him; maybe he did have a softer side. He sure looked soft enough now, acting so shy and insecure. And then something he had said finally registered.
Go out?
Holly felt her heart pick up the pace.
“Hold on,” she said. “When you say ‘go out’, you mean…like a date?”
“Yes. I mean, we don’t have that much time left or that much to lose if things go wrong. We can just have a nice evening with no strings attached.” He cleared his throat. “Unless you don’t want to, of course.”
“Oh no, I want to,” Holly said quickly. And she really did. She had not realized just how badly she was crushing on this man until now. Oh God, listen to me. I haven’t used the word ‘crush’ since I was fifteen. “I’d love to go out with you.”
Matt smiled and visibly relaxed. He found her hand again and held it all the way to Portland.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
They checked in to a motel not very far off the bus station. Neither of them had any idea what would happen the next morning or where they would be traveling the next day. All they knew was that right here, right now, they wanted to be with each other.
Holly had never done this before—she had never gone on a date with a perfect stranger, that is. She didn’t go on many dates to begin with; it was just such a hassle to sneak around her parents, who of course didn’t like the idea of her dating anyone they hadn’t pre-approved, if not chosen themselves. She felt abuzz with a pleasant sense of nervous anticipation she had not felt in a long time, if ever. Besides, this wasn’t just some cute guy who had picked her up. This was a very special man she had met on the bravest, craziest journey of her life.
She took her time to shower, washing away the dirt from two and half days on the road as well as the last remaining doubts. Now more than ever, she felt like she had made the right decision. Matt’s confidence and firm beliefs on the free will of people had finally convinced her that to follow her own path was truly the only option. What kind of life would it be otherwise?
By the time Holly stepped out of the shower stall, she felt energized and self-confident. She truly could do this. It wouldn’t be easy, but she could do it. She could learn to rely only on herself and her own means. Everyone else did, after all. She could do it, too. She had to do it. Failure, Holly decided right then and there, was simply not an
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