Slowing down the Chevy Silverado as they approached a speedbump, Peter glanced over at Gwen in the passenger seat with the same smile glued to his face that he'd had on their wedding day and throughout the two weeks they'd spent in Paris for their honeymoon. Feeling his eyes upon her, she glanced up from the book she'd been reading throughout the journey and returned the smile. Though it was quickly replaced when she opened her mouth to speak, then quickly closed it again. Placing the bookmark in between the two pages, she closed the book and shoved inside the glove compartment on the passenger side.
"Is that a gas station?" She asked, pointing up ahead to a little building in the near distance.
"Yeah, why? The tank's pretty full since we stopped at the gas station like three miles back." He answered.
"Oh, right. Well, do you mind pulling in anyway? I kinda need the bathroom." She asked.
"Again?" He questioned in disbelief. "Didn't you go when we stopped for fuel three miles back?" He added.
"Yeah, but it's cold out and with the heater in the truck broken and the amount of juice we've consumed on this journey, I need to go again." She told him.
"Alright, I'll pull in." He sighed, turning into the small station and pulling up on the side of the curb.
"Sorry." She muttered.
Peter turned to her and reached out his hand, stroking it against the smooth skin of her cheek. He hated it when she apologized without having done anything wrong.
"Don't be. It happens." He shrugged.
"Right. I'll be like two minutes." She promised, opening the truck door and closing it again behind her as she walked away toward the beyond gross bathroom.
While waiting for her to return, he drummed his fingers against the steering wheel and began whistling a melody that he made up in his head. This was the fourth time throughout the journey that they'd stopped for a bathroom break; once for himself and the other three times for her. She wasn't wrong when she'd mentioned it being cold. Even with the engine of the truck running, his fingers had stiffened against the bitter frost of February. Spotting Gwen coming back towards the truck, he shuffled in the driver's seat and prepared to reverse. With a gust of icy air, the door opened and she hopped back into the passenger side, closing the door again quickly.
"All good to go?" He questioned.
"Yep. Good to go." She confirmed.
Satisfied with her answer, he put the truck in reverse and set out once more on the highway. On the wider stretch of road, the traffic was little and it wasn't long before they reached a small back road surrounded by forest on either side.
"Gwen, I should probably come clean and tell you something..." He began, his mind flashing back to the truth he'd omitted over a year ago. It had been too long, and he hoped that it wouldn't upset her as much after all this time.
"Yeah... Me too, actually." She admitted.
Peter's smile wavered for the first time in two weeks, and was replaced with a frown. Though not one of anger, but confusion. Try as he might, he just couldn't think of anything that she'd need to come clean about. He knew everything that had happened and she was always honest with him, the thought of her hiding something was one that had not crossed his mind.
"You first." She prompted.
"No, it's okay. I wanna know what you need to say." He protested, struggling to keep his eyes on the road as he continuously sneaked glances at her.
"Well... I don't want you to worry. It's not a big thing- I mean, it is but it's not something to be worried about." She began.
"Come on, saying that does make me worry. A lot. Please stop rambling." He pleaded, his eyes no longer on the road.
YOU ARE READING
The Afterglow
FanfictionSEQUEL TO SHOWING HER THE ROPES. 1 Year after they left for Oxford, Peter and Gwen are now back in New York City and newly married too. They had left thinking that Venom was gone, along with Harry Osborne. Harry is dead. But Venom could still return...
