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79 miles from Phoenix, Arizona
She sticks her thumb out as the bright red car goes by. Then a van, then a truck. Then a Prius, of all things. It slows down in front of her. Lily Evans swallows– her fear, her pride– and plasters on a smile, all while walking towards the car. There’s a guy in there. Fuck. She stops for a second to consider. How badly does she need to go to her ex-boyfriend’s wedding?
Really, really badly.
After all, it is her best friend, too, and they both need to have their wedding graced by her presence.
Obviously.
James and Sirius deserve a nice wedding, and she’s going to be there for it. She stands in front of the car’s open window. “Where to, darlin’?”
56 miles from Phoenix, Arizona
His name is Regulus Black and he’s going to the exact same wedding she is. The car is sweltering, he’s from Alabama, the ancient air conditioning system has literally no effect on the heat, and he is related to Groom No. 2. “Brothers,” he says. “More or less.”
Lily is pretty sure he’s a pot dealer. She wasn’t sure until he bade her not to sit in the back or touch any of the things in the sealed Ziplock bags. “I’m serious,” he warns, voice a pleasant Southern drawl.
She chortles. “No, your brother is.”
Regulus’s mouth twists into a grim smile. “Yeah, well.”
She doesn’t bring it up again.
32 miles from Phoenix, Arizona
“So why are you riding with me, instead of in your own car or something?” he asks, when they’ve grown tired of the stiff drink of silence, even with the staticky buzz of the background car radio playing Neil Young in a high, screechy voice.
Lily frowns, shifts her hiking boot ensconced feet on the muddy dashboard.
“I mean,” Regulus says, looking down over her legs, appraising her. It should make her skin crawl, but it doesn’t. “You don’t exactly look broke, darlin’.”
She sighs. “The guy I was coming to the wedding with stole my car. I had to walk, or pay for a taxi.”
“Your boyfriend stole your car?” he grins at her.
Lily shakes her head no, hair sticking to the back of her neck in the heat of the car, of the moment. Her silver charm bracelet clinks around in her hand, as she decides whether or not to tell the truth. “No. The date I got off the internet stole my car.”
Regulus looks like he’s trying to hold back a smile. He turns to face her, and bursts out laughing.
“What? It’s not that funny, is it?” she demands. “I needed a date, so I booked one on Craigslist to come with me so that I wouldn’t make a fool of myself.”
Regulus continues laughing, slapping the steering wheel in full-out delight.
“Just shut up,” she hisses, and sinks down lower in her seat.
11 miles from Phoenix, Arizona
“We’re almost there,” he says, tapping her on the shoulder.
“I’m well aware,” Lily huffs at him. If possible, the car has gotten even warmer, even though the AC is blasting more loudly than the speakers right now.
They sit up. “Why are you even coming to the wedding, Regulus?” she asks, wondering now. “If you’re not really close with Sirius, then why?”
He frowns at the steering wheel. “Because– because we’re family, and he invited me. I couldn’t quite say no,” he says, pushing his baseball cap up from his dark eyes. “I owed it to him to come. What about you, darlin’?”
“My name is Lily,” she says crossly, but it doesn’t really matter because for some reason, she actually kind of likes having a pet name.
“Answer the damn question, darlin’,” he smirks, and turns his eyes back to the road. The sun has finished setting now, dark blues devouring the pale pinks and oranges of five o clock.
“Sirius is my best friend,” she answers slowly. “I owed it to him, I guess.”
He nods. “I guess we both know what that’s like, then.”
0 miles from Phoenix, Arizona
Lily sits down in the front seat of the car, hands on the steering wheel.
“Don’t break anything,” Regulus warns.
“Don’t touch any of the bags in back,” she replies, cherry red Chanel painted nails tapping across the thin vinyl of the steering wheel.
He laughs. “Where are we going?”
“Home.”
“And where is that?”
She smiles, not sure how to answer, not yet. But then the words come to her, fast, faster than the time it takes an ice cream cone to melt in the middle of a Southern summer. “Wherever you are.”
258 miles from Phoenix, Arizona
0 miles from home
“Are we there yet?” she asks from the seat next to him, leaning over and looking at the complete road map of the United States, covered in red dots and lines and pins. “Are we home?”
“Well, I am,” he says, looking at her carefully. “Are you?”
Lily inhales for five seconds, looking at the horizon, the one that they’ve leaving behind. Exhales, looking at the horizon that they’re saying hello to. “Yeah. I am.”