Chapter 4: "The Road Trip"

The freshness of the morning was biting at Alex’s face, and all he could do was stand at the curb with his duffel bag by his side. The city was just waking up; the noises of car horns and people had not yet started; only the early birds were out. He glanced at his wrist for the third time within the space of three minutes; there was a cocktail of both excitement and anxiety in his tummy. A white-blue sedan, which he had seen before, appeared on the corner, and Alex felt his heartbeat quicken. Taylor was smiling and waving at me from the driver's seat of the car while her blonde hair was kissed by the early morning light. ‘Hi there, early bird,’ she said, her tone warm and inviting. ”Are you ready for our big adventure?” Alex felt the tension leave him at the sight of her; he couldn’t help smiling. “Certainly,” he said, lifting his bag into the trunk. ”I'm looking forward to getting out of this concrete forest for a while. ” Finally, climbing into the passenger seat, Alex could smell coffee and Taylor’s perfume. The car was packed to the T—snacks in nicely labeled jars, a cooler with drinks in the boot, and maps and guides on the dashboard. Taylor had always been the planner of the two, always planning for all possibilities. "I see you've thought of everything," Alex remarked, noticing a small notebook on the dashboard labeled "Road Trip Playlist." Taylor grinned, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Of course! I made us the perfect soundtrack for our journey. It's not a real road trip without singalongs, right?" As they pulled away from the curb, leaving the towering skyscrapers behind, Alex felt a sense of liberation. The city had been weighing on him lately, his creative block feeling like a physical presence. But here, with Taylor by his side and the open road ahead, anything seemed possible. They fell into easy conversation as the urban landscape gave way to suburbs and then to rolling countryside. Taylor animatedly discussed her latest business venture, a new eco-friendly product line she was launching. Alex listened intently, admiring her passion and drive. "What about you?" Taylor asked, glancing at him as they cruised down the highway. "Any breakthroughs with your art?" Alex sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Not really. I've been feeling stuck, like I'm just going through the motions. But I'm hoping this trip might shake something loose." Taylor nodded sympathetically. "Sometimes a change of scenery is all you need. Remember that time in college when you couldn't finish your final project and we snuck onto the roof of the art building at midnight?" Alex chuckled at the memory. "How could I forget? We nearly got caught by campus security, but watching the sunrise over the city... it was like everything suddenly clicked into place." “Right,” Taylor said, her tone friendly. Perhaps these mountains will do the trick."—that is how one of the characters of the novel thinks. With the streams of songs flowing and changing from the hits of the nineties to the most recent hits, Alex looks at Taylor occasionally. The lighting when it fell on her hair, the shape of her smile while she hummed a tune from her favorite songs—it all appeared to be more vivid and meaningful somehow. For lunch, they went to a small diner by the side of the road, ordered, and sat in a booth made of old vinyl. By the time they sit down to devour their burgers and fries, they look back on their crazy college days and dream out loud about the future. Alex could feel that all-too-familiar sensation of heat in his chest, which he has been trying to dismiss for the past few months. It was more than friendship, and he felt this, and this both excited and scared him. On the road again, the topics turned a bit more grave. ‘Alex,’ Taylor started shyly, “I wanted to discuss something with you.” Alex's heart rate quickened. "What is it?" Taylor sighed and looked straight at the road before her. I have been pondering over our friendship lately, and it is true that you mean a lot to me, but. . . for some reason, I felt that there is something more that I want, something more that we could be to each other, if only... I don’t know if you feel the same way, if I am just imagining it all, or if it is just me, but I felt that I had to say it.” The world appeared to hold its breath for a while. Alex braced himself for a storm of thoughts and feelings that went through his head right now. This was the time he had been waiting for and, at the same time, had been dreading. He took a deep breath, and this was because he was fully aware that his answer would make or break the whole affair. “You are not dreaming,” he said softly, as if that was the only way he could be heard over the purring of the car engine. ”I felt it too, for quite some time now. ” I paused, not able to find the words for a moment. “I was afraid of losing whatever we have going here.” Taylor released her death grip on the steering wheel a little and laughed nervously. “Oh, thank God,” I heard her say; she had been frightened that she was going to embarrass herself completely. “Never,” Alex said, then he took her hand in his own hand and held it firmly. “Honestly, you are the bravest person I know, Taylor," he said softly. “I only wish I had the guts to do it earlier.” They traveled in the car for several minutes without speaking, each of them lost in their thoughts and the revelations they had made to each other. It was not an awkward silence, but the kind of silence that signifies things can happen and will happen. “Well,” Taylor finally said. There was a playful tone in her voice. “What do we do now?” Alex smiled, feeling as if more weight had been lifted off his neck than he had in the past few months. “So, we do not rush things; there is no pressure and no expectations; let’s just hang out this weekend, and who knows?” Taylor nodded, returning his smile. "I like that plan. Partners in adventure, as always?" "Always," Alex agreed, his heart swelling with affection. As they neared their destination, the landscape grew more dramatic. Towering pines lined the winding mountain roads, and glimpses of snow-capped peaks peeked through the trees. They pulled over at a scenic overlook, the vista before them like something out of a painting. "It's breathtaking," Taylor whispered, her eyes wide with wonder. Alex nodded, but he wasn't looking at the view. "Yeah, it really is," he said softly, his gaze fixed on Taylor. She swiveled, facing him, and blushed. This second of time, which unites them, is filled with the promise of the future and a more profound recognition of the world. Alex moved in for a kiss carefully so that Taylor could easily avoid it if she so desired. But she didn't. The passion that was so evident in their eyes finally reached their mouths as their lips touched gently and tenderly to the sound of the soft kisses with hints of sweetness, as if they had finally come home. When they got to the cabin, it was already evening, though the sky had not yet turned completely dark, with brilliant shades of orange and pink in the sky. The cabin turned out to be exactly as they had expected: log-built, cozy inside with a hearth of stones, and a wide porch with great picture book views of the forest. They unpacked with a lot of energy as they waited to begin their weekend. When it was dark, they were together on the porch swing, sipping hot chocolate in mugs. The stars above were shining brightly, much brighter than they could be in the city light. ‘You know,’ Alex said after a while, turning to her and looking deep into her eyes, ‘I think I finally found out what I was lacking in my paintings. ’ Taylor looked at him questioningly, and he continued. "Oh? What's that?" Alex smiled. He extended his hand and took hers. >This feeling. This sense of possibility, of new beginnings. I’ve been so bogged down by what I think my art should be that I lost sight of the fact that I just want to paint how I feel. Taylor took his hand in hers, and her eyes were sparkling in the moonlight. “Well, Mr. Artist, you've got all the weekend to capture that feeling. And I will be here, supporting you.” When they were there, seated and feeling the silence of the mountains, Alex began to calm down until he was overwhelmed by a sense of serenity. No matter what might come in their way, no matter what this new stage of their relationship might turn out to be, he realized they would face it hand in hand. The road trip was not only a drive through beautiful scenery; the road trip was the beginning of the creation of something lovely and tangible. With Taylor by his side, Alex felt ready for anything. The weekend stretched before them, full of promise and adventure. And for the first time in a long while, he couldn't wait to pick up a paintbrush and bring his newfound inspiration to life.