Whit bites down on his bottom lip and nods. “You’re welcome.”
I move to the bathroom, and Whit watches as I pack my toothbrush and deodorant.
“Toothpaste,” he says, and I shove it in my bag too. “Can I ask where you’re going?”
“Dunno. Somewhere.” I suddenly feel like an idiot. I kind of don’t want to go anymore. The toothpaste falls out of my overstuffed bag, and I shuffle it around the floor with my foot like a tool.
Whit bends down and picks it up, placing it inside my bag once more, and I simultaneously love that he’s helping me pack and am devastated that he’s not fighting for me tostay.
“How long will you be gone?”
“Tonight and tomorrow,” I say, and Whit shifts on his feet, his hands in his pockets.
“That’s all?”
“Yep.”
“Can I…can I come with you?” he asks softly, and my heart thumps wildly in my chest. Thank fuck. The point of this whole excursion was for me to get some space from Whit, but I’m not sure I want to go anymore. I’ll sleep like shit without him.
I’ll miss him.
“Yeah, man. You can come with me. If you want to.”
Whit doesn’t even dally. He just jumps into action, grabbing his suitcase.
“We’re just going to be gone for a night,” I say, watching as he carefully folds a multitude of clothes and places them inside.
“I know, but it’s always good to be prepared.” He grabs the lube, and my cheeks flush because, yeah, I’m easy, and I’m sure I'll let him do whatever he wants to me tonight.
He moves to the kitchen and packs a bag full of water and some food. It’s like he thinks we're going on a survival hike, but I don’t say anything. Just let him do his thing. There is a method to his madness, I suppose.
Ten minutes later, we’re buckled in his hundred-thousand-dollar car, and Whit asks, “So where are we going?”
I shrug and feel my cheeks heating. “Dunno.”
“You don’t know?”
“I was just winging it, man. Had no plans. Just wanted to get away.”
“Okay, well, can I make a suggestion then?” he asks, and I side-eye him.
“Yeah, Whit. Go ahead.”
“I know a place, and I’d like to experience it with you. Does that work?”
My mouth twitches into a small smile. “Yeah, babe. I’d like that.”
He types something into his phone, and then we’re on the road.
Whit flips on some music and says, “It’s about two hours away. Is that still okay?”
“Yeah.”
I lean back in my seat and rest my head against the window, watching cars pass but mainly just staring at Whit.
Fuck that man. He’s so damn smooth. He wiggled his way into my solo trip. And I didn’t even blink twice.
We make our way out of town, changing freeways, and I watch as our scenery becomes more arid. But I barely notice because I just think about Whit the entire time. I work myself into such a state of neediness that I barrel into him when we exit the car, pulling him into my arms and smothering him against me.