Author's note: Guys, I have so many feels for the rest of this. Please review and let me know what you think. And thank you so much for continuing on this journey with me. We are just under two months away from the release of Silver Shadows, so we shall see what the actual series brings us. Are you excited? I know I am!

Happy reading!

Chapter Twelve

"Did he tell you where we're going?" Sydney asked as she took the outfit Jill picked out for her.

"No." Jill said evasively.

Sydney placed a finger on the side of her head and gave the girl a questioning look.

"Okay, yeah. I saw all his research. And you have to give him a bit of a break. He thinks it's sweet." Jill implored. "I think it is, too, of course."

Sydney nodded. "Okay. Now, get out so I can get changed."

Jill chuckled. "Yes, ma'am."

Sydney donned a knee-length khaki skirt and a floral print blouse. She opened the bedroom door and Jill walked in. She nodded appreciatively.

"What do you think?" Sydney asked as she looked in the mirror. She smoothed the front of the blouse down.

"I love it. I have a pair of flats I think you can wear. They are super comfortable. I'll go get them."

Adrian tapped on the door frame as Jill scurried out. "You look great."

Sydney looked down. "Thank you."

He reached over and lifted her face with his finger. "Please don't look down. I like seeing those beautiful golden eyes."

She smiled. "So where are we going?"

"It's a surprise. But I think you'll like it."

They stared into each other's eyes for several long, transfixed moments. Jill cleared her throat and Adrian's hand dropped. The two stepped apart.

"I'm ready whenever you are, Sage." Adrian said. He watched her another moment and then walked away.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Jill asked as she watched Sydney run a brush through her hair.

"No, I think I'll be fine. I survived being alone with him before."

Jill nodded. "You should cover your tattoo, though." She hurried out of the room and came back with a few different containers. "Don't worry, you just need some concealer on you cheek."

But a few minutes later, Sydney not only had concealer on her cheek, but also a bit of blush on both and mascara for her eyes. "Any maybe try to keep your sunglasses on when you're outside."

Sydney nodded. She stood and took a deep breath. "I don't know how long we'll be gone."

"Not too long, I hope. We have to stay close in case we have to leave again." Jill picked up Sydney's phone. "I'm putting my number in your favorites so it's quicker to get to. And Eddie's. But you should be fine. Just relax and have a good time. Call or text if you're uncomfortable, though."

Sydney nodded again. She felt that that was all she could do. She was so nervous. She really would have liked to bring Eddie and Jill along, but at least Jill would be there in some capacity anyway. And it would just be too much work for Eddie to keep an eye on all of them.

They walked outside the house. Adrian smiled proudly as he led her to a yellow Mustang.

"Not the Ivashkinator?" Sydney asked with a grin.

He shook his head. "That's still in transit somewhere between California and Pennsylvania. It was a big hassle to get it transported. But I was able to find a place to rent this beauty." He patted the roof and took out the keys. "Want to drive?"

"I don't know where we're going." She reached for the keys anyway.

"Don't worry, I'll navigate." He closed her fingers around the key ring and opened the door for her.

With a giggle, Sydney eagerly climbed into the driver's seat. She started the engine and let out a sigh as it roared to life.

Adrian laughed and then closed the door. Their destination wasn't very far from the house they were renting. Adrian pointed to the little white building. "There's our ultimate destination."

Sydney looked where he indicated. "Is it a church?"

He shook his head. "For a while it was a set of small apartments. But before that, it was something else." He hopped out of the car and ran around to her side. He opened her door and held out his hand to help her out.

"It was a school, wasn't it?" Sydney asked as she walked beside him into another building.

"Yes, it was." Adrian gave her a smile. "You know so much."

She blushed and tentatively threaded her arm through his. "I'm still trying to figure a few things out."

He paid their admission to the museum. They went together to the schoolhouse. Sydney let go of Adrian's arm and took several steps forward to look at the outside.

"It wasn't until relatively recently that children completed school through twelfth grade as a requirement to move on in life. Did you know that?" She said as she finally led him into the schoolhouse.

"No, I didn't."

She continued, "Most kids would only go long enough to learn to read and write and do some basic arithmetic. But school wasn't required. They usually learned the basics at home. After just a couple years in school, they would leave to help out with their families on the farm or in other business to make money. The girls would learn to help around the house and take care of the younger children in preparation for marriage and babies of their own."

Adrian watched in wonder as Sydney continued to rattle off facts as she wondered around the small school room and into the next. She looked everything over with great interest and marveled at the simplicity of it all.

"Would you have liked to learn in this environment?" Adrian asked as he moved closer to her.

She grinned. "You know me; I love to learn in any environment."

He laughed and twirled a piece of hair around her finger.

They wondered around the rest of the complex, looking at the Native American artifacts and others left behind by explorers to the area. It was a lovely afternoon. Sydney was finally able to relax.

After the museum, Adrian drove to a small French restaurant. They sat outside and looked out onto the water. Adrian watched Sydney more than he did anywhere else. She looked over at him and caught his gaze. He smiled and leaned closer.

"Hey." She said with a nervous smile.

"Hey." He held out his hand palm up. She shook her head and he turned it back over. "I've had a great time today, Sage."

She patted the back of his hand. "Me too." She sat her hand close to his, but not touching. "Thank you. For not pushing. I know this must be hard for you."

"I can only imagine how hard it is for you too." He returned.

"I want to… I want to be with you again, Adrian. But I don't know. I just don't." She looked back out at the water.

"I don't either, Sydney."

The rest of the evening was spent in peaceful silence. Adrian drove back to the house and Sydney went immediately to her room.

After dressing for bed, she lay staring up at the ceiling for a long time. The other inhabitants of the house moved around and talked. She heard very little from Adrian until he announced he was going to paint in his room for a while.

Sydney made a decision then. She knew it was necessary. She opened her bedroom door and peered out. Everyone was still milling about in the living room. She looked to the room just across the hall. She door was closed, but she could hear Pink Floyd playing softly behind it. She closed her door softly and took the few steps to the other room. She tapped on the door and it opened. It hadn't been latched completely.

Adrian stared at her a moment. Neither said a thing as she walked in and closed the door firmly behind her.

She sat down on the bed. "Do you mind if I sleep here?"

He shook his head. He reached over and turned off the radio. "I don't mind at all."

"You could have left that on." She pointed out as she got under the blanket.

He chuckled. "I don't know that you would get much sleep with that playing."

She suppressed a yawn. "I'm sorry you had to leave all your records behind."

He smiled and shrugged. "Hopefully they will make it to Court with little damage."

"Mm-hm." She rolled away and pulled the blanket over her shoulders. "Good night, Adrian."

"Good night, Sage. I love you."

"I love you." She mumbled as she finally drifted off to sleep.

Post-story author's note: So for some clarification, I did some research and this takes place in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The schoolhouse museum that I mentioned is a real place and I hope I can go see it myself someday.