18 Hours To Us

by Krista Noorman

  “Aren’t you?”

  He shrugged. “Not really.”

  “I figured you’d want to meet up with your friends. Obviously, Lexi wants you there.”

  “We’ll get there,” he replied. “Right now, I want to take you to one of my favorite places.”

  Shouldn’t his favorite places be reserved for someone he’d known for more than four hours? But she was intrigued, and knowing he wanted to share a place that meant something to him made her feel special.

  “Is that cool?” he asked.

  “It’s cool.”

  “Good.” He drove on contentedly.

  Natalie looked out the window as they passed by a little country church. The sign outside read “Honk if you love Jesus. Text and drive if you want to meet him.” It totally reminded her of the silly signs outside her own church back home.

  Colton soon turned into the parking lot of a little restaurant called Harborside Grille, which was apparently a popular place as evidenced by the parking lot filled with cars. She stared at the simple white building situated next to a marina with its wrap-around porch and a two-story deck off the back for outdoor seating.

  This is Colton’s favorite place?

  A text came in just as Colton pulled into one of the last remaining parking places.

  Livvy:

  Where are you?

  Natty:

  Ohio.

  Her door opened, and Colton stood there with outstretched hand. She took it, and he helped her out of the car then closed the door behind her. It suddenly felt very much like a first date.

  She raised an eyebrow at him. “Not out of the way, huh?”

  He shrugged and walked on toward the restaurant with a smile.

  His arm brushed against hers, and she wanted very badly for him to hold her hand. But that was ridiculous. He had a girlfriend. And he was Colton Daynes.

  She tucked her hand in the pocket of her jeans as he opened the restaurant door for her. He was more of a gentleman than she expected.

  Inside, he put their name in for a table. When she sat on the bench in the waiting area, Colton said something else to the hostess that she couldn’t hear. Then he fist-bumped the girl before joining Natalie on the bench. That was odd.

  Natalie’s stomach growled so loudly that she crossed her arms in an unsuccessful attempt to muffle it.

  Colton cracked up.

  “Stop. You drove, like, thirty minutes out of our way when I was already hungry. This better be worth it.”

  “Or what?”

  “Or …”

  “Cole?” A tall handsome man with the same honey-brown hair as Colton walked toward them with a huge smile on his face. He appeared to be in his mid-to-late-thirties and was dressed in a blue polo shirt and khaki pants like some of the staff she had seen waiting on tables.

  Colton and the man met in a hug, patting each other on the back. “It’s good to see you, Neil.”

  “You too. What are you doing here?” He looked over Colton’s shoulder at Natalie. “I thought you were on your way to Virginia Beach.”

  “We are. Long story.”

  Neil’s head bobbed in a nod. “OK. Well, let’s get you fed.”

  Colton motioned for Natalie to join them. “This is my friend, Natalie, from school.”

  She held in a laugh. They had never been friends.

  “Very nice to meet you, Natalie. I’m Colton’s cousin, Neil.” He shook her hand.

  “Nice to meet you too.”

  Neil led them to a table upstairs on the deck overlooking the marina. “Missy will be over in a minute to take your order, and I will be right back.” He took off down the stairs and a waitress showed up seconds later with menus and took their drink order.

  “Get anything you want,” Colton told her as they perused their menus.

  “Oh, I will.” She grinned at him. “So, we came to see your cousin?”

  “Yeah. And free food.”

  Natalie’s eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.

  “Neil owns this place,” Colton explained.

  “Oh, that’s cool. So, you’ve been to this area a lot then?”

  “We have family here, and my parents are members of the yacht club.”

  This didn’t surprise her in the least, but she still fought the urge to roll her eyes, knowing he was Richie Rich.

  The waitress returned with their drinks, took their meal order, then left them again.

  “The yacht club, huh?” Natalie wondered what that kind of life was like.

  “Yeah, we spend summers at the club and out on the boat.”

  “Sounds wonderful.” She envisioned the warm sun on her face, the splash of the water as the boat cut through the surface, Colton at the helm.

  “I guess.” He shrugged his shoulders.

  Imagining herself with Colton was nothing new, but she’d never done it with him sitting mere inches from her. She took a sip of pop and filed her crazy fantasy away with the rest of them. “Don’t they have a restaurant at the club?”

  “Yes.” Colton rolled his eyes. “This place is more my style.”

  This surprised her. Despite his nice car, nice clothes, and unlimited cash flow, he’d rather be at this simple bar and grille than at the yacht club with his own kind.

  “You don’t like spending summers there?” She wanted to know more.

  “My parents are more into status and their social calendar than anything to do with me. I was left on my own a lot.”

  “So, you hung out with Neil?”

  Colton nodded. “Yeah, Neil and his wife, Heather, live not too far from here. I used to hang out at their place a lot and help out here when they were first getting it up and running. They’ve always been good to me. Especially after …”

  She noticed his eyes go soft and sad as his words trailed off. “After what?”

  “Uh … after, well …” He seemed to scramble to find words. “Just whenever I needed them.”

  He looked pained, and she had the urge to comfort him. “It’s nice to have close family like that to get you through hard times.”

  “Yeah.”

  She wondered what had happened, but she didn’t want to pry. He obviously didn’t want to talk about it, especially to someone he barely knew.

  Neil returned then, grabbed a chair from a nearby table, and pulled it up to the end of theirs. “So, tell me why you aren’t on the bus with your class.”

  Colton and Natalie exchanged glances, then Colton filled Neil in on the events of the day.

  “How’re you feeling, Natalie?” Neil asked after Colton’s story came to an end. “A collision like that can cause a lot of aches and pains. Not to mention a concussion.”

  She turned her head side to side, and her neck still felt stiff. “I’m a little achy, but I took some ibuprofen. I’m all right.”

  “You didn’t mention that.” Colton immediately appeared concerned.

  “It’s no big deal, Colton.”

  “If you feel sick at all, you have to tell me, Nat.” He reached across the table and touched her hand. “OK?”

  She could barely respond as the butterflies took off in her stomach, flitting this way and that. His hand was warm on hers, and she hoped he hadn’t noticed all the hairs on her arm standing up. It took a few extra seconds to register that he had called her Nat. When people called her that, it reminded her of the pesky bugs. Definitely not her favorite nickname. But when Colton called her Nat, it somehow had a different ring to it.

  “OK?” he repeated.

  “I will. But honestly, I’m fine.” It wasn’t the whole truth, but she didn’t want to worry him unnecessarily.

  Colton let go of her hand as the waitress returned with their meals.

  “If you two need a place to stay for the night, you know you’re always welcome to stay with us,” Neil told them.

  “Thanks, Neil, but we’re trying to catch up with the bus so Natalie can get back to her friends.”

  “All right, well, I’ll leave you t
o it then.” Neil stood and returned the chair to its original table. “Come and say goodbye before you head out.”

  “We will,” Colton replied.

  Neil departed, and they dug into their meals. Natalie tried not to devour her chicken sandwich and fries like an animal, but she was so hungry. Colton must’ve been feeling the same because neither of them spoke while they ate.

  Colton took the last bite of his burger and patted his stomach. “So good.”

  Natalie nodded as she set her napkin on her empty plate. “I feel so much better now.” She washed down her food with the last few sips of her pop, then opened the camera on her phone and snapped a picture of the harbor and marina. She pointed her phone at Colton, and he held out his hand to block his face.

  “Nah, you don’t want a picture of me.”

  “Seriously? The king of selfies doesn’t want his picture taken.”

  Colton’s eyes fixed on hers, his expression turning deathly serious. “Why’d you call me that?”

  “I don’t know. Because you’re always posting selfies with Lexi and your friends. Everyone in the school knows that.”

  “Just don’t call me that, OK?”

  Natalie’s stomach turned a little at the thought of upsetting him or offending him in some way. “All right. Can I ask why?”

  “No,” he snapped. He wiped his mouth with his napkin and wadded it up, standing abruptly and heading for the stairs.

  Natalie said nothing more, only followed him downstairs to say their goodbyes to Neil.

  “I hope you’ll come back again, Natalie.” Neil gave her a friendly handshake.

  “I’d like that.” She looked over at Colton, who still seemed upset.

  “Have you thought any more about this summer, Cole?” Neil asked.

  “I haven’t decided yet.”

  “We’d love it if you came. We need an answer soon, so think about it seriously.”

  Colton nodded. “Thanks for lunch.”

  Natalie wondered why he didn’t seem to want to answer Neil’s question, but she wasn’t about to ask him now.

  “Anytime.” Neil turned to Natalie. “Don’t let him drive through the night.” He gave Colton a warning look. “You let her drive some too, Cole.”

  Colton grumbled under his breath.

  “Promise me.” He pulled Colton into a hug.

  Neil seemed more like a dad to Colton than a cousin, and Natalie wondered if that was part of why Colton came there, because he didn’t have a great relationship with his dad.

  Colton hugged him loosely, and Natalie heard Neil quietly tell him to be careful.

  “I will.”

  “Have a good trip.” Neil gave a friendly wave and went back to work.

  Despite whatever she had said to tick him off, Colton still opened the doors for Natalie.

  She stopped by her open car door. “Are you sure you don’t want me to drive?”

  When he stood there without a reply, she climbed in, hoping the rest of the trip wouldn’t be as awkward as it felt at that moment.

  6

  Regret

  Natalie stared out the window at the lovely lake houses, wondering why her use of the phrase king of selfies had upset Colton so much. She wanted to broach the subject and apologize, but she wasn’t sure what she would be apologizing for. If she could go back to the restaurant and take back what she had said, she most definitely would. This silence was absolute torture.

  Natalie’s phone chimed, and she was relieved to see a text from Olivia.

  Livvy:

  Where are you now?

  She typed a quick reply letting her know they had stopped for lunch.

  Olivia wrote again.

  Livvy:

  Lexi is fuming. She’s mad that Colton won’t answer her texts.

  I think she hates not knowing what happened.

  I so want to go tell her and rub it in her face.

  Natalie typed as fast as she could.

  Natty:

  Do NOT do that.

  Livvy:

  I would never. But it’s tempting, right?

  Natalie looked over at Colton. His eyes were fixed on the road. His phone was going off again too.

  “Do you want me to get that for you?” she asked.

  He shook his head.

  “It’s from Lexi.”

  He shrugged.

  “You don’t seem to care very much about your girlfriend.”

  “I care.” He finally broke the silence.

  “I can write her back for you. I don’t mind.” That was a lie. She did mind. She minded that he was dating Lexi, because he could do way better than her. Besides the fact that she was beautiful and leggy and put out, she wasn’t a nice person. She used to be. But middle school had changed her from the sweet friend she had grown up with to someone she didn’t recognize—someone selfish and bossy and rude to just about everyone in the school who didn’t do what she wanted them to do.

  “I mind,” he snapped.

  “What is wrong with you?”

  “Nothing.”

  “That’s a lie. You were fine when we got to the restaurant. I’m sorry if what I said offended you. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  His eyes were sad again. “I know.”

  “I know we don’t know each other very well, but I’m a good listener. If you need somebody to talk to—”

  “I don’t.” He turned the radio up louder.

  Natalie reached for the volume button, and he grabbed her wrist.

  Her eyes met his, and she saw a warning there.

  She lowered her hand to her lap. This was such a huge mistake. She wished she understood what it was that had set him off like this, because up until now she had been enjoying the trip with him. Very much. But now she wished he would let her out so she could catch a bus or something. Even hitchhiking would be better than the cold shoulder he was giving her.

  She opened Snapchat and spent some time browsing through her friends’ stories. At least she had something to do to pass the time since Colton wouldn’t talk to her.

  When she came to Olivia’s story, a lump formed in her throat at a picture of her and Trinity posing by the bus that morning with a few of their classmates.

  Trinity’s story featured a video. “On the bus, heading to VIRGINIA BEACH!” she hollered into the camera, then turned her phone around and showed a view of the students on the bus cheering and waving at her phone. The camera rotated around to Trinity again, and Olivia came into view.

  “Without our Natalie.” Olivia pouted. “Natty, we miss you so much.”

  Tears burned behind her eyes as she typed a message to Olivia.

  Natty:

  Wish I was on the bus with you right now.

  Livvy:

  What’s happening?

  Natty:

  Colton is a jerk.

  Livvy:

  Not surprised. Are you?

  Natty:

  I was hoping I was wrong.

  7

  The Falls

  Another hour in Ohio passed when Natalie saw a sign for Brandywine Falls in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. “Hey, we should check that out.”

  Colton said nothing.

  “Maybe stretch our legs for a bit.” She looked at him questioningly. “You shouldn’t be the only one who gets to decide where we stop.”

  He stared at the road ahead.

  “Colton, get off at this exit!” She’d had it with the silent treatment.

  He jumped at her sudden outburst. “Fine!”

  Colton drove the ten minutes to Brandywine Falls without another word and got out of the car.

  Natalie watched as he stood there stretching. He didn’t bother to open her door this time. She climbed out and took a deep breath, immediately feeling refreshed. She brushed past him on her way to the trail, bumping his arm harder than she meant to.

  “Hey!”

  She walked on without a word, hearing his footsteps behind her.

  They walked i
n silence along the boardwalk path. Natalie’s steps slowed as she took in the beauty of the trees around them, the squirrels climbing and dodging back and forth along the forest floor. She pulled her phone out and stopped to take a picture, not realizing Colton was walking so close behind.

  He ran straight into her causing her phone to drop onto the boards at her feet.

  “No!” She scrambled for it and crouched down to see the damage. The hairline spiderweb cracks across the surface made her cringe. “Crap!”

  “Oh man, I’m really sorry, Nat.”

  She waved him off. “It was my fault.”

  “I’ll get you a new one.”

  “You’ll get me a new phone?” Her eyebrow raised.

  He nodded.

  “That’s crazy talk. You don’t buy something like that for someone you barely know.”

  “No big deal.” He shrugged.

  “It is a big deal.” Surely, he was joking.

  “I broke it. I should replace it.”

  “You’re serious.”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “Well, thanks for the offer, but I’m good. The phone still works, and I’m sure the screen can be replaced.”

  He shrugged his shoulders again and walked on.

  Accepting something so expensive from him felt very wrong. But she wondered what it would feel like to be able to toss money around like that with little to no thought.

  Natalie watched him walk away, admiring him from a distance as she always had. With his tall stature, broad shoulders, and muscular physique, he was made to play football. She turned her phone to silent and snapped a picture of him walking along the boardwalk as it stretched out ahead, surrounded by towering trees. A part of her wanted to share it on Snapchat, but she wouldn’t. It was just for her. Besides, she didn’t want to start anything with Lexi.

  They strolled along the boardwalk that wound around rough, jagged rock formations until they saw the falls ahead.

  “Oh, it’s so pretty,” Natalie gushed.

  “Very.” Colton looked back at her and smiled for the first time since lunch.