Chapter 62

Adam

It's still dark when Zane arrives to pick me up. Bleary-eyed and hungover, I grab my pack of water and protein bars and leave the house in a haze.

If Evie were here, she'd have an overstuffed deli sandwich for me.

Once in the car, I close my eyes, hoping for a good half hour of extra sleep. The first few minutes of the drive are blissfully silent and I begin to doze off. Until Zane speaks up.

"Can I talk to you now or does my voice sound like a blow horn?" Zane asks, keeping his voice low.

I have to admit, my friend is stepping up. As much as I hated last night's freezing cold shower, I successfully rolled out of bed with little more than a dull headache.

Okay, very dull. I crack open an eyelid. "Go ahead."

"Maybe I should wait until the grumpiness has passed."

"Good idea." I close my singular eye.

"I think you should go see her."

Unease settles deep in my gut. "Who?"

"Seriously, who? There is no way you're that hungover, bro."

I say, "I don't fly."

"Make an exception. You need to deliver a grand gesture."

"And risking my life is the way to do that?"

Zane shrugs. "Humans have been taking advantage of air travel for over a century. It's far safer than driving."

I've heard that unhelpful stat countless times. Truth is, I've been thinking of doing exactly what Zane's suggesting but?—

"I need to respect Evie's wishes. She is deliberately choosing not to speak with me. Showing up on her doorstep could go very wrong."

"What have you got to lose at this point?"

"You sound like my dad."

"Then it's two against one."

Only Zane could turn a chat about my love life into a competition.

"Just do it," he says, like an athlete endorsing designer footwear.

The parking lot is nearly empty and Zane pulls into the spot closest to the trailhead. Cloud's Rest.

The same place where I met Evie.

The early rays of morning are breaking, lightening up the sky.

"Okay."

Zane turns to me. "Okay?"

I nod. Zane smiles then fist-bumps me.

I reach into the backseat for my pack. "First flight out tomorrow morning."

The two of us zip up our jackets, don wool hats, and stretch. As we start our trek, despite the weight of the pack on my back, I realize my heavy load has finally been lifted.