When You Least Expect It

25

Ilya, always the troublemaker, leaned forward from the backseat with a mischievous grin. "So... you two are going to be on the road alone for a while. Carson, any plans to serenade Max with your undying love?"

Carson's grip on the steering wheel tightened ever so slightly, but he remained steadfast in his focus on the road ahead. "Ilya, cut it out."

I couldn't help but stifle a laugh at Ilya's antics, but I kept my eyes trained on the passing scenery, pretending not to hear the conversation behind me.

Ilya continued, unfazed. "Come on, cousin, stop being so sneaky. Everyone knows that you have a hidden collection of love poetry somewhere."

Carson shot Ilya a piercing glare through the rear-view mirror. "Yeah, okay, Ilya. I'll be sure to break them out on our next road trip."

I had the sudden urge to sink into my seat and vanish. They were talking as if I wasn't even in the car with them. Ilya's wink in the rear-view mirror confirmed my suspicion that he knew about my feelings for Carson. Trusting him suddenly felt impossible.

We cruised past endless meadows and towering trees, their silhouettes swaying against the horizon as the early morning sunlight painted the sky in soft pastel hues. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the view outside the window. Every passing moment felt like a brief escape from the confines of Belle Haven, offering a glimpse into the vast world beyond. I felt a sense of freedom growing with each mile we travelled.

If I squeezed my eyes shut tight enough, I could almost picture it—riding shotgun with Carson all the way to New York, the wind tousling my hair, the earthy scent of grass filling the air, and the gentle warmth of the sun on my face. Carson's smile at the red light hinted that he understood what I was thinking.

Except for the occasional jab from Ilya about Carson's driving, the rest of us were too bleary-eyed to engage in conversation. Carson had us at the train station in Davenport in less than an hour, driving like he was in a hurry to drop Ilya off.

Ilya had a meet-up planned with a girl from his college at the station. As we bid him farewell by the train platform, he couldn't resist shouting out one last comment as the train whooshed by. "Don't forget to send me pics!"

Ilya gave us a wave through the train's window, but Carson walked off without saying a word, heading for the car. He was always cranky if woken up early.

The scenery opened up like a colourful tapestry as we drove off. A vast expanse of lush fields spread towards the horizon, dotted with groups of towering trees that quivered with a gentle wind. Everything was painted in warm tones of honey and amber by the golden brightness of the morning sun.

I tried to make small talk about the art gallery we were headed to, but Carson seemed distant, lost in his own sleepy world. After about an hour of driving, I couldn't shake the fear that his exhaustion might lead to a crash. We continued in comfortable silence, the only sound the hum of the engine and the occasional shift of Carson in his seat.

Sometime later, Carson looked over at me. "There's a gas station ahead. Want to stop for a snack?"

Relieved by the interruption and the chance to stretch our legs, I nodded eagerly. We pulled into a gas station, and I followed Carson inside. The fluorescent lights flickered overhead as we browsed the aisles for snacks. In the back most aisle by the drink coolers, the owner had a poker table set up playing cards with four other guys. When I walked past, one of them tipped his drink up at me.

After grabbing snacks and refueling the tank, we hit the road again. With three more hours until our destination, we settled in for the long drive ahead.