Chapter 7
“Just relax,” Coda breathes, his hands finding their way to my waist.
I lean back further against his car, a scowl on my face. “easy for you to say, you’re not the one with a crazy sister who is about to kill you for missing that plane.”
Coda rolls his eyes. “You guys are going like a month before the wedding as a mini vacation anyways so it’s not like you’re going to be late or anything.”
The smell of gasoline fills my nose and my gaze flickers down the gasp pump beside the car as it fills the tank.
Oh dear, we were really going to cross the entire country.
Coda’s dark hair falls over his eyes as he peers down at me, a calm mask on his face as he cages me in.
“Do you have any DUI’s or reckless driving tickets?” I ask, scrutinizing him.
He snorts and I am vaguely aware that from this position, we look like a couple.
Yeah right, a couple- with this moron?
“I am a very capable driver,” he says.
I tap my chin nervously with my pointer finger and Coda smirks at me, knowing that his persuasion has won me over.
“Fine,” I grunt. “But if I die, I will personally smite your butt with a roll of thunder and lightning.”
Coda laughs lowly, a sultry smile playing on his lips.
“Right, well if you die, it won’t be from my driving,” Coda chuckles, pushing off the car to turn and take the gas pump out of the car.
I gape at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Anything you want,” Coda mutters, opening the drivers door and slipping in.
Huffing, I stomp around the car to the passenger seat, yanking the door open and slamming it shut.
Coda winces. “Really? Show a little respect.”
“To the car?” I snap.
Coda glares at me, a frown on his face. “This car is a classic. It took forever just to restore and refurnish-“
“If you don’t stop talking, we’ll get there by the time I’m all old and wrinkly,” I interrupt him, snapping my seatbelt.
“If I wait just a little bit longer, maybe you’ll get so old, you’ll die,” he retorts, throwing the car into gear.
Two hours and fourteen minutes later, I am feeling carsick.
I close my eyes, resting my head against the window.
“Are you okay?” Coda asks.
I sigh. “Yeah, I just get car sick.”
When I don’t hear Coda say anything, I open my eyes, glancing over at him.
“Just don’t puke in the car,” Coda says wincing.
“Just because you said that, I am going to do that,” I say, annoyed.
He glowers at me, skillfully maneuvering the car. “Don’t be stupid. I’d rather have you risk a head decapitation when you roll down the window and puke.”
“How charming,” I bite back sarcastically.
Silence fell in the car and I watched Coda as he gripped the steering wheel, his jaw set.
Reaching over, I flick on the radio absent mindingly, only realizing how rude that probably was, after the deed.
Static white noise blares out from the stereo and I jerk in surprise.
Shooting Coda a petrified look, like somehow I thought he would reach over and slam my head into the dashboard, Coda does nothing but shoot me an annoyed look.
“Are you going to turn that off or is static one of your lady jams?” Coda asks, his face serious.
I gape at him, quickly scrolling to a station playing 'Sweater Weather'.
“You’re disgusting,” I mutter, my cheeks a flushed red.
He shrugs, resting his arm on the window, one hand maneuvering the wheel.
“You turn on people’s radio without asking...” he drawls.
“Well sorry,” I say sarcastically as I roll my eyes.
“Not accepted,” he murmurs, absent mindingly running a hand through his hair.
I groan, slouching in my seat. “There’s no way we can pull this off.”
“The trip?”
“This relationship,” I deadpan.
He’s silent for a bit, a contemplative look on his face.
“Well, I doubt they’ll know if we act convincingly,” Coda says, glancing at me.
I give him a bland look. “Oh yeah, I can totally pretend to be in love with you when in reality, we can’t even be civil to each other in the car.”
He sighs in exasperation stopping at a stoplight, the muffled chatter of people walking in town filling in like background noise.
“This is being civil,” he finally says. “We’re not killing each other-“
“Amen to that,” I snort.
“-And unless your acting is as bad as your attitude, then I think we’ll be okay.” He finishes.
“How do you do that? How do you manage to sneak in an insult at me every time you open your mouth?”
“It’s a complicated art,” Coda responds, completely calm.
I groan in frustration. “This,” I say, motioning around us. “Is why they will know we’re a scam. “You insult me every time-“
“They might take it as flirting,” Coda interrupts, quirking an eyebrow.
“-And I want to rip your head off,” I finish.
Coda glances at me, amusement in his eyes. “Well then, I guess we have this entire road trip to get you to learn how to control your impulsive anger.”
If he wasn’t driving, I would’ve punched in straight in the nose.
~*~
I shift in the uncomfortable seat, my cheek pressed against the headrest as I try and curl into a more comfortable position.
Still half asleep, I am briefly aware of the sound of the wind whipping against the car as the sound of tires and pavement meets my ear.
I mutter something even I couldn’t decipher before bleakly opening my hooded eyes, shielding my eyes from the sun.
“Well aren't you a pretty sleeper,” I hear an obnoxious voice say in the driver’s seat.
Turning, I sit properly in my seat with a frown on my face and some serious bed head.
Still incoherently drowsy, I peer at the clock read noon. We’ve been driving for five hours.
“How long until we get there?” I ask, my voice raspy from sleep. I pick up a water bottle and uncap it, taking a long swig.
“I don’t know,” Coda says, lightly tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as Fall out Boy plays in the background.
“Do you even know where we’re going?” I ask suspiciously.
Coda’s gaze flickers over to me and I pathetically try and smooth down my bird nest hair.
“Well…I know that we take intersection 101 and just go straight until…” he trails off, pausing as I wait.
“Your brother said something about exiting on 105 or was it 107?” he asks himself.
I sit up straighter, angling my body towards him. “What do you mean my brother? You talked to him?”
Coda scoffs, a smirk on his face. “It was a pretty one sided conversation.”
“Meaning…”
“Well, you should just call him. He said he wanted to speak to you,” Coda says secretly.
I pluck my phone from the cup holder and hit speed dial.
“Yello,” A voice chirps.
I wince, hating that word. “Jer, What did you want?”
“Wow, I can totally feel the sisterly love all the way from here,” he replies sarcastically.
I run a hand through my hair. “Sorry, I just woke up.”
“Mmph,” he says making a noise of agreement before continuing.
“Listen, Haz, if you want me to go and get you, I will. Just say the word,” Jeremy says, lowering his voice.
I smile, feeling the same comfort I’ve felt for years with Jeremy by my side. It was touching that he actually still cared for me…even if he was as annoying as an old granny who gossiped and stuffed mothballs in your pockets.
“Babe, do you want to rest?” Coda cuts in, a smirk on his face.
Glowering at him, I know he did that on purpose.
“Yeah, that’d be great babe,” I say, glaring at him.
“Wow,” Jeremy comments, making me remember he was on the line. “I can totally feel the sexual tension.”
My mouth drops and from the way Coda starts snickering, I’m pretty sure he heard Jeremy.
“Jeremy,” I hiss. “I’m pretty sure that violates the brother and sister code."
Jer snorts. “Just like how you violated the code about not hiding one’s boyfriend from their older brother?”
My shoulders sag and I sigh. “True that. You win.”
“Now, if you get into any funky business with him-“ Jeremy begins.
“lala lala,” I screech, making Coda wince in the driver’s seat. “I’m a Barbie girl, I lalalalala.”
“Haz-“ Jeremy tries to cut in.
“I’m a Barbie girl! Lalalalalalalalala,” I continue. Coda shoots me an annoyed glare, his hand plopping down on my knee to get me to stop.
But I can’t stop…
Just like Miley Cyrus…
“Okay, okay, I’ll stop,” Jeremy, yells over me.
Smiling in triumph, I stop and I hear Coda sigh in relief, removing his hand.
“Really though, do you want me to come and get you? I’ll just make him drive himself over while you and I take a plane back,” Jeremy says.
I purse my lips, seriously debating it.
But what kind of girlfriend would I be if I decided to leave my boyfriend. It wouldn’t be believable.
“I-He kind of got us kicked out of the airport,” I say sheepishly.
“For the love of-“ Coda begins to curse.
“No way,” Jer chuckles. “You really know how to pick them.”
I laugh humorlessly. “You have no idea..”
“Thanks for offering but I’m okay with him right now,” I say, trying to be sincere.
“That doesn’t sound convincing,” Jeremy says bluntly.
I frown, internally wanting to dig myself a hole as the corner of Coda’s lips quirk in amusement.
This was the first test. I was going to have to prove to Jeremy that Coda and I were a couple.
Shooting Coda a death glare, I take a deep breath.
“He makes me happy,” I tell Jeremy. “Every time he’s next to me I feel like I have butterflies in my stomach and I can’t stop giggling,” I say in exaggeration.
Coda bites his lip trying not to laugh and I look away, clearly distracted.
“He’s so sweet to me, always buying me stuff,” I giggle into the phone, feeling like I was going to gag.
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one.
I hear Jeremy gag on the other end of the phone. “Okay, Okay, you stay with him. Just stop all the lovey dovey-“
“You guys are so cute!” I hear my mother interrupt.
My eyes widen. If she heard everything then…
“Jeremy,” I ground out through my teeth. “Please tell me this conversation is not on speaker phone.”
He doesn’t respond.
“Well-er-You see…” he says sheepishly.
“Hi Hazel!” a chorus of voices scream from the other end of the phone, making me wince and pull the phone away.
“You guys heard all of our conversation?” I ask in disbelief.
“Yep. But sweetie, I had no idea you loved him that much,” my mother squeals.
Coda laughs lowly and I try to cover his mouth, knowing he was going to blurt out something embarrassing.
He pushes my hand away as i struggle to keep his pie hole shut.
To no prevail he shoves my hand away, amusement in his eyes. “Baby, I’m hungry and I know you probably need to use the restroom again,” Coda says, containing his laughter.
“Hazel, does he know that you have the bladder the size of a peanut?” my mother exclaims.
Coda snorts, his elbow propped against the window, his fingers curled around his mouth, as he looks straightforward.
The light filters down on his dark hair, streaking a brilliant path of gold across his stupid, handsome face.
I look away, annoyed.
“I'll just peedon him if i can't get to a restroom,” I retort to my mother, lots of squealing and chatter in the background.
I couldn’t have a break. My cheeks were a flushed red and it was blazing hot in this car.
“Oh sweetheart, don’t be bitter, you’re in love! What’s not to be happy about?” my mother says, laughing.
“She’s right sweet chip, I hope he’s handsome.” Someone cuts in. Sweet chip? really?
“He better be sexy eye candy, girl,” someone else cuts in.
I hang up the phone before Coda can inflates his head some more.
Silence fills the car as we both avoid the elephant in the small space. The silence was spent with me sinking lower in my chair and Coda, trying his hardest not to laugh.
“So um…I’m going to assume he said exit 152,” I mutter awkwardly, too embarrassed with everything to even look at him.
Flicking through my phone, I hit the navigation app and type in Point Fortuna. I look at the corner of the screen, squinting to try and see the estimated arrival time.
52 hours.
52 hours on the road with this guy.