I blushed. It would have been impossible to keep my eyes on the road with Riley sitting so temptingly close anyway. It was for the best if he drove.

“Okay, well, that’s a promise then, mister,” I said awkwardly instead.

“Put on your seatbelt. We are not leaving until I am certain you are secured,” he ordered.

I blushed again, and grumbling, did as he said. He could make me feel like such a little girl.

The Impala roared to life, the power of the engine making my nerves tremble with delight. Now this was a car, not at all like the brick I was stuck with. Riley pulled out of the garage and down the driveway. At the front door of The Crawling Chaos stood Uncle Neil, looking all the stranger in the mid-morning Rhode Island sun. He put his pipe in his mouth and waved at us, almost cheekily.

We were on our way.

~*~*~*~

We went down the highways, zipping through Connecticut as if it didn’t matter. It was an hour into our trip before I could unclench my hand from the door bar. Riley drove as if the hounds of hell were on our tails. I couldn’t understand how we hadn’t been pulled over yet, and I told Riley as much. He only grimly smiled and said, “I’m not completely powerless, little one.”

We drove in relative silence. I had tried to turn on the radio, but there was nothing good to listen to, only the latest terrible pop songs and static. As we drove, my eyes drifted to Riley’s profile. Like a thief, I stole glances at him, the opportunity to look too great a temptation to pass.

I thought I was being subtle, but then without turning to me Riley said, “Is there something you require?”

I stiffened, my face flushing red. “Um… no, nothing,” I mumbled.

“You are bored,” he suggested, eyes still on the road ahead.

“No, no it’s not that, it’s fine,” I stammered. “I mean, it’s not like this is a vacation or anything, we have a mission.”

“A vacation?” he asked.

“Yeah, like, you know, a road trip. Just to see the sights,” I explained. “I mean, we’re not doing this for fun. This is to, like, save the world and stuff.” I winced at my awkwardness.

Riley said nothing at first, and I thought that was it. I’d turned to look out my own window when his voice interrupted the silence. “And if this were a road trip?”

I looked back at him, surprised to hear him speak once more. “Do… do immortal being things not… go… exploring?” I asked, grimacing again at my failure at English.

“When we travel, it is with an end in sight. A purpose. A destiny,” he declaimed.

“So, not for fun,” I offered.

Suddenly, Riley stiffened, and my stomach sank. Great, now you’ve said something stupid.