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Salt Lake City, Utah
December 23
11:14 pm

I feel someone shaking me followed by a voice.

"Bella." Another shake.

Startling awake, I sit up straight. I'm disoriented and drooling… I think. I bring a hand up to my mouth, and yep. Definitely drooling. Fucking perfect.

Edward's sitting in the driver's seat, hesitant smile playing on his lips. I look out the window, squinting against the harsh lights that are shining through the glass.

"Where are we?" I groggily ask.

"Salt Lake City. You fell asleep."

"Yeah, no shit… Thanks for not killing me, by the way."

"I thought about it. Mostly because you snore," he quips.

Well, that's fucking embarrassing. I play it off with, "Whatever, dude. So what are we doing?"

He scratches the back of his neck. "I got us a hotel room. I figured we can stay here for the night, then hit the road early tomorrow morning." I'm still stuck on the part where he said he got us a hotel room. I think he catches on to my unease because he adds, "I got us each our own room."

The look he gives me makes me feel bad. Just a little. I know he's not a bad guy, I just like teasing him. He obviously doesn't give off a skeevy, serial killer vibe, otherwise I wouldn't fucking be here right now.

"You didn't have to do that. Pay for mine, I mean."

"It's not a big deal. I did try waking you up like, five times, then got tired of waiting."

"Well… thanks."

"Don't worry about it." He holds up two card keys. "Do you want room 227 or 228?"

I grab one out of his hand. "Don't care."

"You can go ahead and get settled. I'm gonna drive around and try to find a store."

I unbuckle my seat belt. "What do you have to get?"

"Beer."

"Oh. Okay."

"You can come with if you want. I just figured you'd want to finish your dream about Kid Rock."

My eyes narrow at this. "I didn't have a dream about Kid fucking Rock."

"You most definitely had a dream about fucking Kid Rock."

"Dude, no."

"Dude," he mocks, "yes. You talk in your sleep. Best entertainment for the past hour."

I don't know if he's teasing me or not. I can't remember having a dream about Kid Rock, but who fucking knows. I decide to get out of the car so I can wallow in this shame alone.

When I make it to my room, I immediately dive face-first onto the bed. I lie there for a couple of seconds before realizing I'm not even tired anymore thanks to my accidental nap. I turn on the TV and flip through the channels, stopping on one that's playing Jingle All The Way. It's bad. Awful, really. But that doesn't stop me from watching twenty minutes of it.

I'm getting really into it when there's a knock on my door. I check the peephole, then open the door when I see Edward.

"You forgot this." He places my suitcase in front of me, then looks past my head. "Jingle All The Way. Nice."

"It's awful."

"That's what makes it great."

I shift from foot to foot. "Thanks for bringing my suitcase in."

"No problem." We stand there awkwardly. "What time do you wanna leave tomorrow morning? It's gonna take us around eleven hours to get to Portland, so the earlier the better, I guess."

"Jesus fuck. Okay. Seven, I guess?"

"Seven it is."

He lingers in the doorway. Or maybe I'm the one who doesn't make a point to move. It feels weird to be standing here with him, without a console between us or the road ahead of us. I don't really know how to act.

"Did you get beer?" I ask, glancing down at his empty hands.

"Yeah. A six-pack." His eyebrows pull together when his forehead creases. "You didn't need anything from the store, right? I forgot to ask."

"No, I'm good."

"I guess I'll see you in the morning, then."

"Yeah. Unless… you want to watch Jingle All The Way. And share your beer with me."

With a grin he says, "I could do that."

"You should."

"Okay. Gimme a second."

He comes back a few minutes later, carrying the six-pack of white IPA. He uses a bottle opener that's attached to his keychain to open a beer before handing it to me. I sit on the edge of the bed, grasping the cold bottle.

"That's cool." I sip my beer and point toward the opener.

"Thanks." He holds it up, and I lean in to get a closer look. "I made it," he says, sitting down beside me.

"No shit. You made that?"

I stare at his hands, watching his fingers as they glide across the wood. "Yeah, I carved the handle out of some scraps I found at the shop where I work."

"That's awesome."

He feigns a look of surprise. "What, no smartass remark about me dealing with wood all day?"

I snort out a laugh. "Dammit. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you couldn't think." His smile is smug as he adds, "You were too busy being mesmerized by the wood in my hand."

"Okay." I point toward the TV, fighting a smile. "Watch the movie."

She's warming up a little bit 'cause she had a nap, okay?

Merry Christmas Eve, y'all!

Thank you SO much for reading.

Kim and Vic are the best!