No More Wasting Time

Chapter 16

After cleaning up the cabin back to its normal state, we knew it was time to leave. We had to say goodbye to Charlie and Rosaline right then and there since we were going to get home late as is. Max and Caden were in the front once again and Hector and I were in the back. It was a quiet ride at first, all of us just comfortable with silence. Even Caden seemed to be in a calm state, just staring out the window and keeping to himself. Every now and then Hector would tell Max that he made a wrong turn or some mistake but that would be the only communication.

The car ride was quite long and sleep was on my mind. At the same time, I didn't want to sleep because I always wake up cuddled up next to Hector and something told me this time wouldn't be different. Our dinner consisted of taco bell along with a warning to not make a mess in the truck from Max. It was a bit difficult since even with the smallest touch the taco shells would break but it wasn't a big surprise that Caden was the one to accidentally drop his taco. 

"What did I just say?! You have to pick it up, all of it. Every last drop of meat, lettuce, and cheese!"

"I'm trying but your horrible driving isn't letting me!"

"Why don't you pull over and we can switch. It'll also give you time to eat, Max. I'm done anyway," Hector offered, trying to make the two stop before they could continue on with their banter. "Plus, it'll give us a chance to pick up any messes."

"Yeah Max, let's switch. I'm getting car sick from back here anyway," I said to convince him more.

With a grumble, he pulled into a shopping center and parked in the back of the parking lot. It was a quick switch, Max moving to sit behind the driver's seat and Caden moving behind the passenger seat after picking up his mess. They argued for a bit but then Caden shoved a piece of the taco in Max's mouth to shut him up. Hector was content on ignoring them and focusing on driving where as I was looking out the window and focusing on trying to ignore them. It still amazed me that Caden and Max fell for each other. They absolutely hated each other from the very beginning. Sometimes I feel like they still do hate each other, but that hate is also love. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. It sounded like they were each other's poison, each other's drug. 

"You're my sunshine, aren't you?"

He was my poison, my drug. Truth be told, I've done a good job at ignoring him, but the fact is, I had intimate moments with him and those would stay in my mind forever. He was my first boyfriend, fake or not, he was my first. Sometimes I want to talk to him, hear what explanation or excuse he has. I want to hear if all of it was fake or not. Caden said towards the end was real and it did seem that we were more intimate and close in the end of our relationship. But I still had doubts.

"It's getting dark already."

I looked over at Hector and he had a smile on his face, every now and then he'd be glancing up at the sky. Sometimes I wished Hector would have asked me out back when I was first suspicious of Victor. Part of me believed that I would have at least thought about it and went on a date with him. I felt that I would've bonded with him immediately and we would've clicked. But the other part of me knows that my crush on Victor was gigantic and I would've jumped for the opportunity to be with him like I did. In the end, maybe it still would've turned out the same. Or maybe I would've lost Hector along the way too if he asked me out. 

"Do you want to switch? Are you tired?"

"No, I'm fine. Plus, I'm enjoying the view," he said with a grin and glanced at me before turning up the stereo a bit more and relaxing himself even more in the car seat. "Perfect."

"Perfect," I mumbled back, staring at him.

That's what he was, perfect. The only thing wrong with that was me though. I didn't need perfect in my life right now. I needed time, to grow and heal. Further down in the road I'll want perfect and if he still allowed it, I'd jump at the opportunity. However, if he found someone else then I'll be happy and content. That's what he deserved, happiness.

"Get off!"

I jumped and looked back to see Max shoving off a sleeping Caden who jumped in surprise and look around with wide eyes. He shook his head a bit then took a second to blink his eyes a few times. He mumbled an apology and leaned his head against the car window, immediately falling asleep again. Max rolled his eyes and leaned his head on his own window, closing his eyes and falling asleep within the next couple minutes. Though, what they didn't know is that their hands searched for each other in their sleep, content with simply holding hands while asleep. That's what I wanted in the future, to know that I was in love even in deep sleep.

"The stars are coming out now," Hector whispered and pointed at a big one. "That's you."

"Are you calling me big or bright?"

He chuckled and shook his head at me. "I'll keep it to myself. But you're definitely that one."

"Who is Max?"

He looked around a bit while trying to focus on the road at the same time. It took him about two minutes before he pointed at a normal sized one with a small one right next to it, almost like they were attached. 

"The normal sized one is Max and you can guess who the other one is. That small one over there is Charlie because it's small but still so bright."

"Which one is you?" I asked, looking around at all the stars.

"I'll leave that for you to decide," he replied with a smile. "I think you'll find one that represents me well."

I didn't say anything after that but instead looked at all the stars. Many of them were similar to each other, the difference either being their shine or their size. But they still were all the same. None of them were Hector, none of them represented how special and unique he was. Then my eyes landed on the moon and I saw how beautiful it looked.

The moon.