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THIRTY-EIGHT - PART 3

"Do you have the keys?"

It was such a simple ask.

And yet I stood there like a lovestruck idiot, unable to form a sentence.

In my defence, it had nothing to do with her question.

It had everything to do with that dress she was wearing.

"Hello? Earth to Hunter?" the sound of her voice pulled me out of the trance. "Do you have the keys?"

I held up the car keys in my hand. "Got 'em."

"Good. Let's go."

It wasn't my fault that dress she had on was fucking with my head. The lighting was at fault for making it appear crisp white instead of the light pink shade it was meant to be.

Dylan looked like a bride.

"Fucking hell. Are you coming?"

I blinked, forcing myself back into reality. Spotting her at the end of the hall, I quickly got my feet in motion and hurried after her.

"Can I ask why we're in such a rush?"

Dylan pushed open the door, ignoring my question. "Where's the car?"

I led her in the right direction without uttering another word. Of course, I wanted to know why this car ride was needed an hour before the start of the wedding. However, Dylan's frantic, worried glance was enough to signal that I needed to shut up and stop asking questions.

Dylan picked up the hem of her dress, ensuring it didn't get dirty from the dusty, gravel road as we crossed the parking lot and got into the car.

Turning the key and revving the engine, I went to shift the gear into drive when I suddenly realized I hadn't asked the most crucial question. "Where am I going?"

"Pharmacy," she replied shortly. "There's one at the end of the street."

"Left or right."

"Left." There was a beat of silence in the car before she added, "Sorry. I'm just-"

"You don't need to apologize," I said, turning out of the lot. "We'll be there in a few minutes. Don't worry."

Dylan mumbled a response, turning her attention to the window. The silence was making the short drive seem far longer than it was. And assuming that making conversation wasn't the best option, given the stressful nature of the way she sat with her hands fidgeting in her lap, I turned on the radio.

At least the songs playing at a low volume through the speakers provided something to fill the otherwise dead-silent car ride.

Pulling the car into a spot outside the pharmacy, I shifted the gear into park. "I'll wait here."

With a nod, Dylan opened the passenger door and made her way out of the car, quickly disappearing into the store. She seemed lost in her own world, and I couldn't help but wonder what was going through her head.

Yesterday everything seemed fine.

I didn't see much of Dylan during the day due to her helping with wedding preparations. I assumed my lack of presence was a good thing. While she worked on the setup and put out any last-minute fires for the big day, I watched over the kids. We seemed to silently agree to work together to allow Delilah and Ethan a calm day before the wedding.

Our interactions were pleasant at the rehearsal dinner, although sparse. Although, I didn't expect it to be any other way. Once we got the first conversation out of the way during dinner, it was like there was an unwritten rule that we didn't need to spend any more alone time together.