Just Us

A little over an hour later, the exhaustion starts creeping back in again.

The roads stretch endlessly ahead while soft morning sunlight spills through the windshield, warming the inside of the car little by little. The playlist mellows out too, shifting into quieter songs that hum softly through the speakers while the world outside slowly wakes up around you.

At a red light, Jane lets out another sleepy yawn before suddenly unbuckling her seatbelt.

You glance over at her suspiciously.

“What are you doing?” you ask with a laugh.

“Cuddling,” Jane answers like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“At a stoplight?”

“Mhm.”

Before you can stop her, she leans across the center console and curls herself against your side anyway, resting her head briefly against your shoulder while wrapping one arm lazily around you.

“You’re ridiculous,” you murmur, smiling despite yourself.

“And yet you love me deeply,” she replies smugly without even looking up.

“That part’s true.”

The light turns green a few seconds later.

“Okay,” you laugh softly. “Back to your seat before we die.”

“Fine,” Jane sighs dramatically as she sits back down.

Even after buckling herself back in, her hand immediately finds your thigh again like it belongs there.

Conversation drifts naturally after that. Neither of you really has to think about what to say next. The topics just keep changing effortlessly the way they always do when you’re together.

At one point, Jane starts talking excitedly about decorating an apartment together someday.

“I’m serious,” she says while scrolling absentmindedly through Pinterest on her phone. “I need us to have one of those stupidly cozy apartments with plants everywhere and warm lighting.”

You glance over briefly before looking back at the road.

“You kill every plant you own.”

“That is not true,” she argues immediately.

“You literally forget to water your cactus.”

Jane points at you defensively.

“That cactus has emotional problems.”

You laugh so hard you nearly miss your exit.

“Oh my god,” she laughs. “Focus on the road.”

“I am focused.”

“You are absolutely not focused.”

The conversation shifts again a few minutes later.

You talk about concerts you still want to see together, and Jane immediately starts rambling about at least five different artists she wants tickets for.

“If we ever get rich,” she says seriously, “I’m spending irresponsible amounts of money on concert tickets.”

“That’s your rich person dream?”

“Yes,” she replies confidently. “Front row seats and overpriced drinks.”

“You’re so ambitious.”

She smiles and nudges your arm lightly.

“What about you?”

You think about it for a second.

“I think I want a house somewhere quiet,” you admit.

Jane immediately perks up.

“With a big kitchen?”

“Sure.”

“And a giant couch?”

“Probably.”

“And a dog?”

You smile.

“Definitely a dog.”

“What kind?”

You think about it for another second before shrugging.

“Golden retriever maybe.”

Jane grins instantly.

“Okay, that actually fits you perfectly.”

“How?”

“You just have golden retriever energy.”

You look over at her in disbelief.

“That is both insulting and weirdly flattering.”

“It’s a compliment,” she laughs. “You’re sweet. Friendly. Kinda dumb sometimes.”

“Wow.”

“I said sweet first.”

You shake your head, smiling to yourself while she laughs quietly beside you.

Eventually the conversation fades, not because either of you runs out of things to say, but because being together has always been easy like this. The silence that settles over the car feels warm instead of awkward. Jane rests her head against the window while tracing lazy circles against your thigh with her thumb, and the soft music filling the background somehow makes the entire drive feel calm.

Outside, the scenery slowly begins shifting as you get closer to the coast. The air looks brighter somehow, sunlight reflecting faintly off distant water far ahead.

Then, after several quiet minutes, Jane speaks again.

“I’m really glad we’re doing this,” she admits softly.

You glance over at her briefly.

“Yeah?”

She nods slowly while staring out the passenger window.

“Everything’s just been so busy lately,” she says quietly. “School, work, studying… I feel like I’m constantly stressed about something.”

You listen while she speaks, noticing how much more relaxed she already looks compared to the past few weeks.

“And I know you’ve been stressed too,” Jane continues. “I feel like we’ve both just been stuck in survival mode lately.”

“That’s true,” you admit.

She sighs softly before leaning back into her seat.

“I think I need this more than I realize.”

The morning sunlight spills across her face while she looks out toward the horizon for another second before smiling faintly to herself.

“Honestly,” she says quietly, “I feel most relaxed when it’s just us.”

Something about the sincerity in her voice catches you off guard. There isn’t any teasing behind it this time. No sarcasm. Just honesty. You reach over and intertwine your fingers with hers.

“Me too,” you say softly.

Her smile instantly softens.

She turns her hand slightly in yours, absentmindedly brushing her thumb across your knuckles while the two of you continue down the highway together.

For a while, neither of you says anything else.

The music continues quietly in the background while the ocean slowly grows closer ahead of you, sunlight glimmering faintly in the distance.

And somewhere between the sunrise, the music, and the feeling of her hand resting comfortably in yours, the entire trip finally starts to feel real.

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You and Jane opened up more during the drive:

Relationship Status: +1%

Boyfriend Points Gained: +3

Talking about your future together and listening to Jane open up about her stress leaves her feeling emotionally understood and unusually connected to you during the drive.

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