"So, what made you come?" Boston's deep voice asked. I was thankful for the topic change considering bringing up my father gave me anxiety tenfold. Once my father finds out what I've done he's liable to blow a gasket or want to murder Boston. Probably more of the later.

Let's not think about that. Focus on the question, Monica. 

I look over to him and examine his dark hair, a stark opposite from Carter's platinum color. The ink swirling up each arm is similar to arms that had cared and comforted me my whole life; my father's. Except their ink is completely different. While my father has color in his, Boston has none.

"You did." His lips twitch and I can tell he wants to smile.

"What about me?" He glances over to me before changing lanes.

"Just what you said to me last night. I had thought for so long that that was the life I wanted. Carter and I—" As if on cue my phone goes off with a message from Carter apologizing for last night. He also asks if we can meet up for brunch.

"What's up?"

"Nothing." I click out of our conversation with a sigh.

"Was that Carter?"

"Yeah."

"Did you tell him you were leaving with me?"

"Yeah right." I can't help but snort out a laugh at that. "I'm sure that's going to go over like a lead brick. He's going to be really upset and probably really mad at me for leaving with another guy."

"He has no right to be mad at you for anything." Why does he sound so angry?

"Uh, yeah he does." I eye the side of his face incredulously. "Would you be thrilled if your girlfriend just up and left you to go on a road trip with some guy she just met?"

"Can't say that I would be, no." 

"Plus, I kneed him in the balls last night."

His jaw ticks before he grits out, "he deserved that."

"I don't know. Maybe I—"

"No." He looks at me seriously. "He one hundred percent deserved that. I'm surprised you haven't broken up with that prick already. You deserve better than him, Monica, better than that." The way he said that, my name, all defensively and protective made my cheeks warm.

After a few moments I counter with, "you don't even know me. How do you know what  I deserve?"

"You don't deserve someone fucking around with another girl last night because you wouldn't give it up. Kneeing him in the nads was the appropriate response for him trying to manhandle you when he fully fucking knows you're not ready to do that yet. You can't force someone to give up their virginity even if you've been with them for three years."

"What!? He told you that!?"

He nods his head with a, "yup." The confirmation makes my cheeks flare with embarrassment.

Carter had told him I'm an inexperienced virgin. What else he could've told him and whoever else makes me cover my face in pure humiliation. I can just hear his voice in my head— She's never given a blow-job or a hand-job. Only ever lets me get off by dry humping her or over the pants stuff.

"Hey," he reaches over and tugs one of my hands away from my face, "it's nothing to be embarrassed about or anything, Monica."

"We don't even really know each other and you know that I'm a virgin." I deadpanned. "You knowing that without me even having to tell you is embarrassing." Not to mention whatever else Carter may have said.

"No we don't know each other really but the fact you're a virgin doesn't matter to me. It's not like I care."

"Why would you?" That's the moment I realize his hand had still been clutching mine because he immediately pulls it away.

"No reason." He focuses on the road after that, both hands firmly on the steering wheel. The other part of his statement sinks in.

"Wait, you said Carter was fucking around with another girl last night?"

He bobs his head. "Mhmm. Your guy is a real piece of work."

"No, that can't be right." Carter isn't the cheating type. I know we haven't had sex yet but he wouldn't do that. He loves me. "Are you sure it wasn't Eric you saw?"

"It wasn't Eric."

"Well, it's either that or you're lying."

"You think I'd lie about that?" An irritated breath blows from his nose making his piecing glisten in the sunlight. He reaches in his pocket and grabs out his phone. A few clicks later he hands it over to me. "Does that say I'm lying?"

With a shaky hand I reach over and take the phone from him. On the screen is a picture of Carter lying in bed, shirtless, arms wrapped around a girl who, thankfully, has a shirt on. But who knows if they have clothes on beneath the sheets. I feel like a bucket of ice water has been dumped on me. I hand the phone back over to him silently with tears pricking my eyes. 

"Did they, uhm..." I have to pause to collect myself. "Did they have sex?"

"No. I don't think so, at least." He puts his phone back in his pocket. "But there was definitely some heavy petting going on and a lot of kissing." Heavy petting. The visual in my head makes me feel nauseous. "Like I said, Monica, you deserve better than that asshole."

I can feel the tears start really pouring out of me so I turn away from him. I look out the window and think of all the times my father questioned my relationship with Carter. He'd always said something felt off about him.

I guess he was right.

✩✩✩

We hit up a service station about an hour and a half into our drive. I desperately needed to use the bathroom and Boston's stomach had been grumbling pretty much from the second we left. Even though I hadn't eaten, I hardly felt like it after seeing that picture of Carter and whoever she was.

"So," Boston chews around the fries in his mouth, "instead of driving straight to Nashville I was thinking about staying a night in Roanoke. What do you say?"

"It's up to you, really. I'm just along for the ride." I push around the lettuce in the salad I'd ordered, not wanting to eat it. 

"No, you're part of my decisions from here on out." I quirk a brow at that. "I mean for the trip. You know?" If I didn't know any better I'd say he looked nervous.

"Well, I'm up for it but," I chew my lip for a second, "where are we going to be staying, like sleeping?"

"My dad has like a gazillion Marriott points and he gave me his card for the trip. I figure we can just stay at different properties along the way."

"Well, I don't have the money to be staying at really nice hotels."

"There's an air mattress I can blow up and put in the back of the truck for you, if you want." My mouth hangs open at that. "Kidding. I'm kidding. You can stay with me."

"Uhm," I fidget in my seat, "I'm not going to share a bed with you."

"Obviously." He grabs his phone out of his pocket and starts clicking around a bit. "I can book us a room with two queen beds. You get your bed. I get mine. Cozy place to sleep. Free of charge."

I toss around that idea in my head for a bit. He's unfamiliar and I probably should be saying no to staying in a bedroom with him. All alone. At night. But we'll have our separate beds...

"There's always the air mattress."

"Yeah no. I'm not sleeping in a parking lot, in the back of your massive truck, all by myself. That screams dangerous."

He finishes the rest of his burger and then sits back and eyes me with a smirk. "But sleeping in a bedroom with me doesn't?"

I look him over and answer honestly, "no, no it doesn't."

He grabs his phone and begins typing. "Alright, I've booked it." He eyes my salad. "You need to eat. Just because your boyfriend is a loser doesn't mean you shouldn't eat."

"I know. I just—" My phone goes off, interrupting me. When I look down I see it's Carter calling for the umpteenth time today. "I should get this."

"You going to break up with him?"

I don't answer him I just get up and walk outside. I hadn't picked it up in time but he'd left a voicemail this time. I click on it and give it a listen.

Monica, I just went to your room and met Marcella. Apparently you went on a road trip with some guy? Are you fucking kidding me right now? Are you really going to throw our relationship in the trash and cheat on me over a misunderstanding? How could you do that to me, to us? I spent the whole night miserable thinking about you and—

I hang up, not being able to listen to any more. I feel a presence come up behind me. "So, how'd that go?"

"Can you do me a favor and send me that picture of Carter from last night?"

He lets out a little laugh. "Yeah, no problem."

Once I get the picture I send it to Carter along with, Yeah, looks like you were really miserable about it.

Three dots appear and then disappear several times. I roll my eyes and put my phone in my pocket as I follow Boston back to the truck. He doesn't say anything he just starts the engine and punches in a new destination into the GPS.

My phone pings once we're back on the highway.

She just needed a place to sleep. Nothing happened between us. It was nothing, babe. You know I love you. One text after another of excuses rolled in and then one final one. Wait, are you with Boston?

A/N:
Happy Saturday!
I hope you're all enjoying the weekend and the double update!