Page 40 (1/1)

I looked over at hiure it out

"Northwest," I answered, unperturbed

He looked atto knohere ere going and I was holding out

"And how long do we drive northwest?" he pried

I glanced at the time on the dashboard "Another hour and fortyon his fingers I noticed he was a fingernail biter

"I like this car," he said as he closed his eyes "Seats are really coht?"

"Yep M45"

"Wake et there," he said brusquely

"Oh, hell no!" I poked hi "You have to stay awake!"

We were about fifteen minutes away fro lot of the local convenience store and gas station This was the place where my family would stop before every trip to the cabin I backed my car up to the tree line on the far end of the lot so Ryan would reet so the question on Ryan’s face "You want anything?"

"Yeah, would you getin his pocket for nored the ar?" I asked I already had one leg out of the car

"Yeah, ars Here, take this," he insisted, handing a twenty dollar bill to ot it"

"Would you at least let me buy you a damn cup of coffee?" he pleaded I could tell he was a little upset

"Fine," I whispered and ue I slipped thefor the coffees I noticed that his picture was on the front of one of the gossip azines In the picture, behind hiazine and thust the worthless drivel surrounding his pictures was a photo of hicloser to Ryan The two have been spending a lot of alone tih they both deny that they are secretly dating The tere spotted keeping each other co a local club after a late night of partying in don Seaport "Ryan and Suzanne were very close all night and seeazine shut and put it back on the rack I knew the truth; he didn’t pay ht at all – he was too busy watchingin e, egg and cheeseover to hiht be Hey, you need to share!" I leered at hi the second sandhile still eating the first

"Here, take a bite," he snickered, even though he took another big bite of theit toof our trip The last few miles of road were bordered on both sides by tall pines and thick trees; the air was scented with the fresh perfu to turn with fall’s colors and they made beautiful hues on the windshield

I turned onto the obscure drive to ate that blocked cars frolasses off his face; his eyes ith wonder

"Welco shack" I smiled at him as we drove up to the house

"Shack? That isn’t a shack!" he declared, pointing to the house He smiled in a sided A-frame with a wooden deck that wrapped around the sides and past an enormous stone chimney The front of the house was all s that reflected the sunrays breaking through the trees Off the back of the house was a raised, screened-in porch that overlooked the lake

"It’s not that big It only has two bedrooaze I parked the car in the stone-covered car pad right next to the stairs that led to the deck

Ryan helped ave him a quick tour of the house while I turned the power and water on