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When George Shaw tries to find a plan for the last fifteen days to spend with his best friend, who he's had a crush on for as long as he can remember, all he needs is a map to plot out a road trip and his daily h...
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EN ROUTE I WAS STILL THINKING ABOUT WHAT SHE SAID.
She'd mentioned Susan's pregnancy before. That was probably related to the reason why she was suffering, but she didn't want to bring it back because it was a silly thought. She had a sibling, and that was all that mattered. I knew she didn't like Susan, and she didn't support their marriage since the beginning, for it always felt like a betrayal to her mother, but she had to let it go after some point.
Susan was never going to be her mother; however, she could still give her a chance to be a part of her life. I kept these thoughts to myself, though, staring out of the window. The last thing I wanted was to stir drama between us again because of an unrelated reason. In this case, her emotions drove Abby, and even if I spoke some sense to her right now, she wouldn't take it to heart. She had to live through it by herself.
As she mentioned, the road off to Blue Hole didn't take long. When we arrived, I realized I hadn't questioned the meaning of Blue Hole: it was indeed a huge hole full of water within a deserted place. However, as I got out of the car and walked closer, I noticed that the water was crystal clear that you could see beneath the sea.
When Abby stood beside me, I noticed she was changed into a clean t-shirt. The view sort of unnerved me, for I hadn't liked her walking around in a bra, but it wasn't something I would like to speak out about at all. "Hey," she said casually, throwing me a knowing grin. I guess she was amused about keeping me in the dark about her so-called 'suffering.' "More beautiful than I'd ever imagined."
"I didn't imagine anything at all," I replied laughingly. "So, do we get in or what?"
"Should we? Wouldn't it be so cold out there?"
"Scared, aren't we, Whittaker?"
"I know this is your way of getting me worked up, but seriously, I think I'm better off here, but you can swim if you like." I didn't push it, but since it was boiling, I could use some cold water—well, if not also for calming myself. I quickly removed my clothes and handed her. "Wait," she said, as I was about to jump in, "are you going to get in like this?"
"Why?" I asked. "Should I take my boxers off, too?"
I didn't need to look into her eyes to know that she was caught off guard. "No," she said abruptly. "I mean, you can change into your swimsuit instead."
"I'm okay," I replied, and before she could protest again, I jumped in. The water was indeed cold, rendering me paralyzed for a few seconds until I adjusted to the temperature. However, the clarity of it was worth the swim, for you could see everything beneath. A few divers were preparing to dive in with their tubes as I swam past them.
Then, I looked at Abby, who was watching me at the edge. "You should join me," I yelled, approaching closer so that I didn't need to yell my lungs out.
"I'm okay here," she replied with a grin. "And if I get in, who will bring you dry underwear and a towel?"
