Page 112 of What Remains

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked.

Seth just shook his head, the answer is obvious.

Cara emerged from the Suburban, pulling a blanket tight around her shoulders. She walked over, her expression soft with understanding. "We were wondering how long it would take you," she said.

Jay nodded. "We knew you wouldn't make it all the way. You haven't really been with us since you left."

Seth looked between them, caught somewhere between disbelief and embarrassment. “That obvious?”

Jay laughed and shook his head. "Seth, I've known you almost 6 months. Subtlety is not your strong suit."

"I left."

"You physically left," Jay said, gesturing at him with the coffee cup. "Mentally? You never stepped off that porch."

Seth dropped his gaze to the gravel, working his jaw against the words he'd rehearsed all night. "I can't leave you two."

Jay's smile faded, and he stepped closer, his voice losing every trace of teasing.

Cara rested a gentle hand on Seth's arm. "We have each other we will be fine we are heading straight home,” she said.

He closed his eyes against the truth of it. "I made a commitment."

"You kept it," Jay said. "You helped us gather supplies, watched our backs the whole way, and got us safely onto this road. Now it's our turn to tell you something." He waited until Seth lifted his head, then folded his arms across his chest and nodded toward the west. "If you keep driving with us, you'll spend the rest of your life wondering what might've happened if you'd turned around."

"And that's no way to live," Cara added.

No one spoke for a long moment. Birdsong drifted through the trees, and somewhere in the distance a crow called once and went quiet.

Finally, Seth released a slow, unsteady breath.

"I think she might be my last chance."

Jay didn't laugh. Didn't tease. He simply nodded. "I know."

"I've never wanted anything the way I want this."

"I know."

"And I'm terrified I'm already too late."

Cara stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, holding on with a strength that said what words couldn't. "Then don't waste another minute," she said against his shoulder.

When she stepped back, Jay held out his hand, and Seth took it—but instead of a handshake, Jay pulled him into a hard, wordless embrace, clapping him on the back with enough force to steady them both.

“We consider you family,” Jay said. "That doesn't change because we're taking different roads."

Seth swallowed hard, the words catching in his throat. "I'll miss you."

"You'd better." Jay pulled back, holding him at arm's length, his expression serious for a moment longer. Then the familiar glint returned to his eyes. "And if I ever find out you let that woman slip away because you were being stubborn..."

A small, raw smile finally touched Seth's face. "You'll never let me hear the end of it."

"Damn right."

Cara laughed through her tears and gave him a gentle push toward his vehicle. "Go."

Seth nodded once, slung his pack into the passenger seat, and climbed behind the wheel. Across the clearing, Jay and Cara settled into the Suburban, and Jay gave one short blast of the horn. Seth answered with one of his own.