Page 11 of Exposing Colorado

“How much farther?”

I glance at the GPS on my phone. “Couple more blocks.”

“Fucking finally,” he starts to mutter, but I tune him out and press on the gas.

The RV itself is damn near complaining when I finally ease into the lot we’re renting for the week. Gravel crunches beneath the tires. A neon-lit sign at the entrance reads Shady Pines RV Park, but there’s nothing pine-y about this place. Just long rows of RVs, some looking like they’ve been here for decades. A single, flickering streetlamp casts shadows over the lot when Taylor pulls up beside us in his bright yellow truck.

Killing the engine, I rub the back of my aching neck. The silence in the cab grows thick between us, filled only by the distant chirp of crickets and the faint hum of the highway.

Arya is the first to move, popping the door open with a dramatic groan. “I swear to God, if I don’t get a real meal in the next ten minutes, I’m eating Devon.”

She disappears into the humid Tennessee night, stretching like she’s been folded in half for hours—which, to be fair, we all have. Devon, on the other hand, doesn’t move. He sits rigid in the passenger seat, knuckles white against his knees.

“Are you getting out?” I finally ask, desperate for a moment alone to myself.

He exhales sharply through his nose. “I will when I fucking feel like it.”

Jesus Christ.

I bite the inside of my cheek and push away the thousand things I want to say, exiting the RV instead. Damp asphalt and cigarette smoke hit my nostrils. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barks, causing a few porch lights to blink on, but the area is mostly quiet.

Dev finally gets out, slamming his door harder than necessary before stalking toward the front office without a word. I watch as he disappears, my chest tightening painfully. The moment a red Audi crawls into the lot beside us, though, Devon is the least of my concerns.

Huckslee barely has time to shove his door open before Taylor collides with him, wrapping around his body like a koala. Huck grunts in surprise, stumbling back against the car with a low laugh.

“Missed me, huh?” he teases, but his hands tremble where they grip Taylor’s hoodie.

“Shut the fuck up,” Tay mumbles into his shoulder. “You already know asshole.”

The tension I’d been holding eases slightly at the sight of them—the way Taylor clings like they've been separated for years instead of a few months, and Huck just… lets him. For all the bullshit those two have been through, they deserve all the good in life, even if it means leaving the rest of us in their dust.

Christian snickers, flopping against the hood of the truck next to Arya. “If I had to listen to him whine about missing his stepbrother one more time, I'd drive us over a cliff.”

Taylor flips him off without looking, and Huck grins so wide I’m surprised it doesn’t hurt. When his dark eyes meet mine though, that grin wavers.

“Hey,” he says, scanning me like he's assessing for damage. “Where's Salem and Dev?”

“She's asleep,” I answer, choosing not to address Devon. “I'll go wake her up.”

I practically run back inside, closing the door before leaning against it, feeling my lungs spasm.

The air inside the RV is just as thick as outside. My pulse roars in my ears, and I force my feet toward where Salem is curled on one of the bunks, face half-buried in her arms.

She looks… peaceful for once. Serene. I always loved watching her sleep, the way her brows pinch slightly and her full lips curve into a soft smile. I used to love kissing them early in the morning.

Waking her up feels cruel, but she'd want to see Huck, so I nudge her shoulder gently. Even if I wish I could crawl in beside her and sleep forever. “Salem. Wake up.”

She groans, rolling away from me. “Fuck off.”

That makes me smile, despite myself. “Can’t. Huck’s here.”

She stiffens, blinking at me bleary-eyed before bolting upright. “Jesus. What time is it?”

“Late,” I answer, rubbing the back of my neck. “But we just pulled in, so…”

With a sigh, she drags a hand down her face before swinging her legs to the floor. “Alright, alright, I’m up.”

I step back to give her space but as she passes by, her eyes narrow on me. “You look like shit.”