Page 88 of Chasing Stardust

“Mom and Ryan. They had this epic romance going, then she dips out the next morning without a backward glance. No explanation. She goes on to the next stop as if it . . . as if he never happened.”

Dash shifts in his seat, stealing glances at me while he drives. “Do you think maybe she knew it wasn’t realistic to expect more with a guy she literally just met?”

The parallels between Mom’s trip and ours hang between us like a thick fog.

“You’d think after having sex they would’ve at least exchanged phone numbers. I get this was before social media, but it’s not like they lived on different continents. And even if they did, they could’ve been pen pals!”

A wide smile takes over Dash’s features. “You wanna be pen pals?”

“Maybe?” I glance at his wrinkled shirt and rumpled hair, falling for him all over again. Our eyes lock, and I slip my fingers through his across the console. Saying goodbye to Dash once we’ve visited all of Mom’s stops will be one of the hardest things I’ll ever do.

“Maybe Ryan lacked a certain . . . finesse?” He locks his gaze on mine and brushes his thumb across my wrist.

Heat climbs up my throat, pinking my cheeks as I replay every glorious moment from the night before. There was no lack of finesse on Dash’s part. In fact, he more than exceeded every expectation. Hours later, my bones are still jelly.

As I contemplate asking him to find somewhere secluded so we can pick up where we left off, a buzz from my bag drags me back to the present. With a wistful sigh, I dig out my phone and glance at the display before pressing it to my ear.

“Hey, Jeanie. How’s the leg?”

She lets out a loud snort. “Hurts like hell. And it’s screwing with my tan lines.” Leave it to my sister to be more worried about her tan than broken bones. “You should be riddled with guilt for ruining my summer.”

I roll my eyes, wishing she could see the gesture. “Did you really call to torment me again?”

“Actually, no.” She laughs. “The Cleveland police just called to say someone turned in your wallet.”

“No way.” My eyes widen, and I turn to Dash. “They found my wallet.”

“I know, right? I figured it was a lost cause. I mean, your money and your cards are long gone. They totally cleaned you out. But apparently your license and your library card were still inside. I can’t believe you actually filled out the stupid ID card that came with the wallet. That’s how they knew to call the house.”

“That’s what it’s there for.”

“If you say so.”

“Are they mailing it home?”

“That’s why I called. They said they could send it, or you could swing by the police station and pick it up. I checked your location on the app and saw you were a few hours away, so I figured I’d see if you wanted to grab it before they stick it in the mail.”

Ignoring the fact that my sister is openly stalking me across the country, I turn my attention to Dash. “They said I can pick it up.”

“Where?” He glances at our location on the display.

“Cleveland.”

He smiles. “It’s on the way.”

With my temple resting on the passenger window, and my wallet—and license—back where they belong, I count the mile markers as we fly down the highway.

Dash pulls his gaze from the road and quirks a brow. “Food or sleep?”

“What?”

“That look. Are you fantasizing about food or sleep?” Less than a week together and he already gets me better than Damian did after several years. And if the grin is any indication, he knows it.

As if answering for me, my stomach rumbles. Other than splitting a few stale graham crackers and half a chocolate bar that escaped the pee-bomb, we haven’t eaten since breakfast.

He chuckles. “Dinner it is.”

He takes the next exit and pulls into a diner that reminds me a lot of BB’s. All it needs is a giant guitar on the roof and it could be the same place.