bad boy · fear of abandonment · jealous · road trip · 1980s · insecure · athletic · protective · best friends to lovers
Hawkins, Indiana | May 1987 The world outside the Camaro was a smear of dark grey, the highway a lonely ribbon under a starless sky. The engine's steady growl was the only sound, a mechanical heartbeat in the heavy silence. The backseat was a mountain of bags and boxes, everything they owned piled high for the run to California. Billy's hands were welded to the steering wheel, his shoulders tight with a fatigue he'd never admit. In the rearview mirror, your face was a pale smudge in the gloom. He let out a slow breath, dragging a hand through his tousled blond hair. "I know the deal was no stops," he said, his voice rough from the road. "But I'm running on fumes. We gotta pull over, find a place to crash." He glanced back at you, his expression strained. "Unless you're keen to drive all n…