Accidental Surrogate, Chapter 385: Long Miles

A few hours later, I gasped when a gigantic RV pulled up in front of the clinic.

"Seriously?" Hank said, crossing his arms and staring at it, a mixture of impressed and revolted by the extravagance. "The gas mileage on that thing must be horrible."

"Ohhh," I said, laughing and swatting his arm with one hand while the other held Rafe's carrier. He was already bundled and ready. "Don't spoil my fun, Hank—you're just jealous because you're not coming."

"Yes," Hank murmured, giving me a good-natured side-eye. "Yes, there's absolutely nothing I want more in the world than to be cooped up in a tin can with Roger and Cora for forty-eight hours. You're right."

I laughed, stepping closer and wrapping him in a one-armed hug he probably would have preferred to avoid. But we'd grown closer in the past few days, working together, and if he was going to be my friend, he'd have to get used to a lot of affection.

"You'll be all right here while we're gone?" I asked, pulling away.

"Ah, don't worry about me," Hank said with a smirk and a shrug. "You guys have bigger things on your plate."

"When I come back," I said, looking at him seriously, hoping he understood how much he meant to me—to all of us. "We're going to do big things, okay? Help a lot of people. With the gift, and with your skills."

"That's all I want, Ella," Hank said seriously, nodding and offering a small smile—likely the most emotion I'd see from him anytime soon. But then his eyes drifted to Cora and Roger entering the clinic, and I knew… I knew what Hank said about that being all he wanted was a little white lie. My heart ached for him because I knew, for sure, that he'd never get it.

I pursed my lips, trying not to show my pity. But he caught me.

"Don't," Hank sighed, shaking his head. "I'm good, Ella. I really am."

"I know," I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. He gave me a sad little smirk before returning to the clinic, clearly intent on keeping busy to avoid thinking about Cora. Cora and Roger briefly said goodbye to Hank before joining me to admire the RV.

"It's huge," Cora said, her eyes wide.

"It's not that big," Roger said with a shrug. Cora and I rolled our eyes as Sinclair parked and climbed out. Cora and I hadn't grown up with much, and we'd certainly never been on a vacation like this—with a whole fancy vehicle reserved just for us.

I was so incredibly excited I could barely contain myself.

"Ready?" Sinclair asked, opening the RV door and pushing a button that activated a small metal platform lowering to the ground for Henry's wheelchair.

"Yes!" I said, taking Cora's hand and pulling her to Sinclair's side. "Is it nice? Are there enough beds? Is there a kitchen? How do you—"

Sinclair laughed, shaking his head as Henry maneuvered onto the lift. "Just go in, Ella," he said, nodding towards the door with the short flight of stairs. "Explore. Let yourself be surprised."

I eagerly followed, hurrying up the steps and gasping again at the interior. It was absolutely gorgeous, everything so shiny—

"Oh, wow," Cora said, her eyes as wide as mine. "This is… amazing."

My sister joined me as we explored the gorgeous kitchenette with its white leather table, the small living area, and the cleverly designed bathroom that made the most of its space. But I truly gasped at the bedroom tucked away in the back—with its king-sized bed and plush linens.

"Oh my god," I said, quickly unbuckling Rafe and groaning as I sat down with him on the bed. It was as comfortable as it looked. "Oh, I missed big beds—"

"Um, Ella," Cora said, smirking. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Huh?" I asked, confused.

"That's my bed," she said, her smirk widening.

"What!?" I gasped, then groaned remembering Sinclair's promise to her—a big bed for her and Roger. "Well then, where do I sleep?!"

"Out there," Sinclair said, appearing in the doorway behind Cora. "The couches transform—one into a queen for me and you, and the other into a twin for my dad—"

"Noooo," I moaned, tossing my head back and settling deeper into the pillows. "Can I sleep in here with Cora and Roger? I won't take up much space—"

"No chance in hell," Roger declared, pushing past Sinclair with small travel bags containing his and Cora's belongings (not much, considering they'd had limited access to their possessions since leaving the bunker). He placed the bags down and snapped his fingers at me. "Up, Ella. That's my bed."

"No, I need it," I whined, pouting.

"Ella," Cora said, unable to hide the mischief in her eyes despite pretending to be serious. "I'm pregnant. I need my rest."

I sighed, glaring at her for playing the pregnancy card.

"Fine," I growled, making them all laugh as I huffed to the living room. "But this queen-sized bed better be comfortable," I told my mate as I passed him.

"Fit for a Queen," he replied, following me and giving Roger and Cora a moment alone.

To my surprise, Henry had already settled at the front, locking his chair into the passenger seat space. He waved before returning to a set of maps. I admired the vehicle's ingenuity and accessibility for wheelchairs.

"You two ready?" Sinclair asked, putting an arm around my shoulder and looking down at Rafe.

"Yes," I said, smiling. "How long do you think it will take to get there? To the temple?"

"We'll probably get there sometime tomorrow," Henry called over his shoulder, and Sinclair nodded. "Oh," I said, surprised. "So where will we sleep tonight?"

"A campground somewhere," Sinclair said with a shrug. "We have to see how far we get. It's part of the adventure, and part of staying anonymous. No reservations for people to know where we'll be staying."

"Do you think," I said, glancing out the window, "that we'll be followed?"

"I don't," he said, lifting my chin to face him. "It's all right, Ella," he said softly. "You can relax. Enjoy it. You've worked so hard lately—let me… let me give this to you, as well as to Cora."

A soft smile touched my face as I realized Sinclair's willingness to take this trip was about ensuring Cora and Roger got the answers they needed, but also about me. About us. About giving us a few days to breathe. To have a nice couple of days.

I nodded, letting him know I understood.

Roger emerged from the bedroom, Cora close behind, and clapped his hands, asking if it was time to go. I settled onto one of the small gray couches, eager to see what happened next, and Cora sat beside me, equally excited.

Then, as one, our mates turned towards the front and started towards the driver's seat.

"Um," Sinclair said, placing a hand on Roger's chest, stopping him. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To…drive," Roger said, as if it were obvious. Sinclair let out a sarcastic laugh. "Funny," he said, gesturing towards Cora and me. "Go play checkers with your mate, Roger."

"How can I do that, Dominic," Roger said deadpan, "it will be very distracting to be playing a game while I'm driving."

And then they started to bicker about who would drive, making Cora and me dissolve into laughter.

"Do you think there's really checkers?" I asked Cora, looking at the clever compartments.

"I hope so," she said, opening a drawer which, to my gasp, was stacked with games—mostly magnetic, playable while driving. "Because I'm going to need a distraction if we're going to listen to that all day," she said, nodding towards the still-fighting brothers.

It took about fifteen minutes to reach a driving plan they both found equitable, and Roger sat down next to Cora in a huff, letting Sinclair take the first shift.

"Red or black?" Cora asked with a smirk, unfolding the board.

"Black," he sighed, scowling slightly and looking jealously at his brother.

"Poor baby," Cora cooed, running a hand through Roger's hair. "Don't worry—you can have your turn soon."

His scowl deepened, making me laugh, and then—with a lurch—we were on our way. My stomach twisted with excitement. A road trip! I couldn't imagine anything better right now with my family.

"I get the winner," I declared, leaning back with Rafe happily in my lap as Roger and Cora began to play. I looked forward to this relaxing vacation, but deep down? I was most excited about Cora getting answers to her questions. Soon, I thought, my stomach giving an excited twist, we would know the answers to so many mysteries about this baby. Mysteries I was absolutely dying to have solved.