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digger down in LA, and are quite content to wander through life only caring about your career, mansion, and designer clothes. I don’t even know why you begged to come with me tonight. You would have been better off in your town car talking sports with your fancy driver. Did you just want to see if I would still be hopelessly in love with you? To stroke your ego? Well you came, you have now seen, and can go back home with your curiosity satisfied. ” ”
”
    Half of my brain cheers at my sassy comeback, but the other half feels a guilty sting at my harsh words. I quickly drown out the naysayer side, by reminding myself that I am finally moving on with my life, and do not need a giant, Brandon-shaped roadblock in my way.
    Brandon’s nostrils flare and I can see the heat in his eyes. “Fine, if that’s what you want to think. I won’t try to change your mind. But just for the record, I’ve avoided this town, even just to visit, since we broke up because just being here makes me crazy. Every single thing reminds me of you. Honestly? I was hoping I wouldn’t see you during my visit. I was hoping to have a little peace from all that. But when I saw you tonight, I don’t know, I guess I figured it meant something. That it was more than just a coincidence.”
    He pauses to look at me. I try not to meet his gaze, but I can feel him staring at me.
    “I see you’re nothing like the girl I knew. So, you want me to leave you alone? Fine. I’ll leave you alone.”
    He folds his arms across his chest and turns his face towards the passenger window.
    I feel a little pang of regret for my angry words, but I quickly flick the volume of the radio back up to drown it out.
     

Chapter Seven
    The rest of the car ride is quiet, each of us seemingly lost in our own thoughts and regrets. We are about five miles from town when I realize that I don’t even know where I’m supposed to be taking him. I hesitate to break the glassy silence, not wanting to force us back to reality, when there seems to be so much to deal with from the past.
    Am I supposed to drop him off and then just go back to my life the way it was before? How can I even think that would happen? It’s like everything I knew about life has changed in a matter of seconds, and my brain can’t process the information fast enough.
    I feel dizzy.
    I steal a glance at him. He looks just as miserable as I feel.
    “Are you staying with your parents?” I finally venture, flicking off the radio. My voice gets swallowed up by the sudden silence.
    Brandon’s parents live a little ways out of town, but I know the area well. I cannot even count the number of times I have been there. And although it’s been years since I was last there, I can close my eyes and see every last detail: the long driveway, low rock wall surrounding the borders of the yard, the homey looking yellow house with a porch swing. It’s like something out of a movie.
    “Uh, no, actually I have a room at that inn off Briar Lane. You know the one? I have the address on my phone,” he answers, and turns in his seat to dig around in his carry-on bag in the backseat.
    Watching in the rearview mirror, I smile sadly as papers fly through the air while he struggles to find his phone. He had never been a very organized person. He used to joke that he was marrying me because I always knew where to find things. I guess he has a personal assistant for this kind of thing now. I frown at the thought and turn my attention back to the road.
    “I know which one you are talking about, it’s called the Beverly Inn.”
    “Aha, yes. That’s the one.” He shoves everything back into the case and then rights himself in his seat. “I’m hopeless when it comes to remembering that kind of thing.”
    “Yeah, I know,” I say, trying not to let the memories take over again.
    “Right.”
    An awkward silence falls as we both fidget and shift in our seats.
    “Why not stay with your parents?” I ask, desperate for a subject