The following day, the two were back on the road and following Highway 88 into Nevada with no specific destination in mind. After taking in the overlook at Glacier Point, they’d taken their time driving the scenic way through the park and stopping here or there to admire the view and take a few pictures. It had been a relaxing day for both Aspen and Alex and when nightfall finally arrived, they found another small, but clean, motel just outside of the park to stay in. Then after breakfast, it was back on the road and just letting the car take them where it could.

“Let’s play a game,” Aspen suggested, turning her gaze from where she’d been watching the mountains in the distance and over to her companion.

Alex glanced at her. “What kind of a game?”

She shrugged. “Something like Twenty Questions. We’re here together for a little bit, we might as well get to know each other.”

“Okay,” he nodded some, “that makes sense. You start.”

“Alright.” She pursed her lips and mulled over what question to ask him first. “Hm, okay so what is the one thing that you love most about yourself?”

He lifted his brows at that, keeping his eyes on the road. “That’s a good one, though at the moment I don’t love much about myself, to be honest.”

Aspen frowned some. “Why’s that?”

“Because all I manage to do is fuc-mess everything up.” He wasn’t sure why he was being so forward with his insecurities, but it didn’t feel wrong to be telling her. “My friendships, my love life, my family relationships; somewhere along the way I screwed ‘em up, made them hate me, or shut them out of my life.”

She studied him, wanting to delve further into that, but not feeling like it was the right time. “Well, there has to be something you like about yourself.”

He was quiet for a long moment. “My career,” he finally spoke. “I’m good at what I do and so far, knock on wood, I haven’t screwed it up.”

“I’d say that’s a really great achievement,” she enthused. “You guys have been really successful and gosh, you’ve been around for years and years. I used to listen to you when I was in high school.”

Alex got a tiny grin at that admission from her. “Oh you did, huh?”

She giggled low and smoothed her jeans some. “My best friend and I would dance around our bedrooms singing ‘Quit Playing Games’ more times than I can remember.”

“In your underwear?”

Aspen laughed. “Oh of course and then after, we’d have naked pillow fights.”

“Ooh, now that’s a nice mental. Okay, my turn.” He smirked slowly. “In high school, when you danced around in your underwear singing our songs…who was your favorite Backstreet Boy?”

A slight blush crept over her cheeks and she laughed. “You’re seriously asking me this?”

“I’m seriously asking you this.”

“Alright,” she chuckled then cleared her throat, “I’d have to say it was probably Brian.”

“Brian?” Alex made a face. “Brian was your favorite? Why?”

“Well,” she giggled low at the expression he made, “I think it was his chiseled cheekbones and beautiful blue eyes that drew me in.”

He frowned at that. “Heh, well at least you didn’t say Nick. Everyone just loves Nick.”

She held back a laugh. “Do I detect a note of jealousy there?”

“Jealous? Me? Of Nick?” He snorted then scoffed at her. “There’s no way I’m jealous of Carter. If anything, he should be jealous of me.”

“Uh huh,” she watched him with a knowing look, “you just keep telling yourself that.”

“I’m serious.” Alex glanced at her then to the road. “I’m pretty popular with the fans and I got plenty of ladies back in the day.”

Aspen arched a brow. “That something you guys kept track of? Notches on your bedpost? Was it like some competition or something?”

“No,” he shook his head, “I’ll admit that we did let it get out of control with the groupies and fans when we were really starting to get famous and at the height of our careers, but then we grew up.”

“So, it’s not something you do anymore?”

He hesitated and her eyes widened.

“You still do?”

“No,” Alex spoke quickly, maybe a little too quickly. “We don’t go around sleeping with groupies or fans anymore, but I’m not going to lie and say that I don’t,” he trailed off and tried to think of the appropriate way to put his thoughts.

“That you don’t still sleep around,” she finished for him.

This was definitely taking a turn in a direction that he didn’t like. “Not as much as I used to; hardly ever anymore, really.”

“I’m the one person you don’t have to explain yourself to.” She reached over and touched the hand he had resting on the gearstick. “I’m not here to judge you and you don’t have to prove yourself to me.”

Alex glanced over to her again, seeing nothing but warmth and understanding in her beautiful eyes. “I really am trying to control myself and get back on track.”

“That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”

“One of the reasons.”

She smiled and gave the back of his hand a squeeze before releasing it. “But we are way off track. I believe it’s my turn to ask you a question.”

He nodded his head in a ‘go ahead’ motion. “Ask away.”

“Hm.” Aspen pressed her lips together and thought it over, her pointer finger tapping her chin. She wanted to keep the questions light and fun. “Okay, which do you prefer; dogs or cats?”

“Dogs.” His eyes shifted her way. “I have one actually. Cats are alright, but dogs are much more personable and playful. You try to throw a Frisbee to a cat and they’re gonna stare at you like you’re a crazy person.”

She laughed and nodded her head. “I feel that same way. I love dogs; puppies especially.”

“Do you have any?”

At that question, a forlorn expression crossed her porcelain face. “I used to have a border collie; Duchess, but Reid took her.”

“I’m so sorry.” He could have kicked himself for asking her that.

“You didn’t know.” She tried to shrug it off, but he could see a distant look in her eyes.

“Okay, my turn.” Time to change the subject. “What is your biggest fear? And I’m talking like heights, the dark, spiders, kinda stuff.”

She pursed her lips. “Um, claustrophobia. I hate being in tight, cramped places where I feel like I may get stuck. Like elevators; I hate elevators. And those small airplanes with like room for six people.” She peeked her eyes his way. “Wanna know a secret?” When he nodded, she continued, “Sometimes I have to take a sedative if I have to fly on one of those kinds of planes. Big ones, no problem, but if you put me on a twin engine or something, I’ll need some help relaxing.”

“Boy, I bet you’re fun to travel with.”

She chuckled. “Only if it’s a small plane.”

“Well, if it’ll make you feel any better, I hate roller coasters.”

“Seriously?” Her eyes widened at that.

Alex nodded his head. “Dead serious. I hate how they make my stomach dip and some of them make me so dizzy.” He made a little face.

“Wow, I think I can count on one hand the number of people I know that hate roller coasters.”

He stuck his tongue out at her. “We are few and far between, but we are out there.”

That made her laugh. “That sounds like it belongs in some TV show or movie about aliens; we are out there.”

“Are you making fun of me?” He tried to hide his smile, but was unsuccessful.

“I’m laughing with you, not at you.” She reached over and gently nudged his arm. “But on a serious note, roller coasters aren’t for everyone just like small airplanes aren’t either.”

He nodded firmly at that. “That’s right. Amen.”

She giggled then cleared her throat. “Alright, I think it’s my turn, right?”

“Right,” Alex agreed.

“Hm, I want a really good question.” She looked like she was thinking hard.

“Don’t hurt yourself with all that thinking,” he teased her.

She laughed and gently nudged his arm again. “Okay, if you were lost on a deserted island, what’s the one thing you would absolutely have to have with you?”

“Ooh, that is a good question.” It was his turn to think hard. “Well, I’d want to say my phone, but eventually the battery would run out and it’d be useless. Though,” he glanced to her, “if I did say my phone then I might be able to use it to be rescued.”

“What is there’s no service?”

“Hm,” he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and thought it over, “maybe a knife so I could catch fish and clean them or use it to build a shelter or something. Or defend myself against any enemies that might come along,” he added as an afterthought.

“I think that’s what I’d want to have with me too, she agreed. “Something you’d need for survival like that, because as nice as it sounds to have sunblock so you don’t get burnt to a crisp, it’s not going to get you very far in the grand scheme of things.”

He smiled at her. “You’re a smart lady.”

“I do try.” She returned the smile then brushed a lock of hair from her face.

“Ooh, check it out; Welcome to Nevada.” Alex pointed toward the sign they were passing as they exited California and entered into the next state. “We are now in Nevada, my dear.”

“Sweet,” she peered out the windows and took in the sights of the snow peaked mountains in the distance, “it’s all so beautiful. When do we start getting into the more flatlands?”

Alex pushed the car to go a little faster along the single two-lane highway and soon they were flying down it pushing 90 with ease. “Not until you get further east; Nevada, Utah, Colorado are all pretty mountainous.”

“How far east do you think we’ll get?”

“It really depends on what we stop to do along the way and how long we spend doing it. Or,” he looked her way, “we might head north or south.”

“That’s true. Just long as we don’t head back to LA, I don’t care where we go.”

He chuckled and watched ahead at the road that was stretched before them for miles and miles. Just then the sound of another car approaching fast on their tail filled the air around them and Alex shifted his gaze to the rearview to see a red Camaro bearing down on them. “I think we got some company.”

“What?” Aspen twisted in the seat to see out the back window. “How did they find us so quickly?”

She sounded so panicked and Alex bit back the chuckle at her misunderstanding. “No, not the paps, probably some punk teens out for a ride in their daddy’s car.”

The blonde watched as the shiny car got right on their rear then cut into the oncoming lane and pulled up next to theirs. She was thankful for the dark tint on Alex’s windows so they weren’t able to see inside. Expecting the other vehicle to pull on ahead and move back into the correct lane, she frowned as it stayed right beside them, matching their speed. “What are they doing?”

“Challenging us,” came his reply as he gripped the wheel and maintained the same speed as the Camaro. Just like his windows were darkly tinted, the same went for the other car as well, so it was impossible to see who was inside.

“Are they crazy?” Her frown deepened. “They’re gonna hurt somebody. Maybe you should slow down.”

Alex wet his bottom lip and shifted his gaze between Aspen and the Camaro. His foot was itching to push down on the accelerator and show the other vehicle just what he had under his hood, but he didn’t want to alarm or scare his passenger. Reluctantly, he eased off the gas and allowed the Porsche to fall back from the other car.

This didn’t last for long, because soon the Camaro was slowing down next to them, continuing to maintain the same speed as the Cayman. Aspen’s eyes narrowed at that. “What the hell does he think he’s doing?”

“I told you, he’s challenging us.” Alex shifted gears as the car slowed some more. “I don’t think he’s gonna let up until we race him.”

“Then he’s crazy!” She watched the road ahead to make sure no oncoming traffic was headed their way. “Someone is gonna get hurt.”

“Not necessarily.” He glanced to her then back to the road before them. “Do you trust me?”

Aspen hesitated. She didn’t know him well enough to know rather she trusted him or not. Her trust had been shattered in her break up with Reid and it was going to take a lot of time before she would be able to answer that question with a wholehearted ‘yes’ of anyone. “I think so,” she finally relented. So far he’d done nothing to prove he wasn’t good as his word.

“Good, then please trust me; we’re gonna be okay.” And then he shifted gears like a pro and the Porsche surged forward and shot down the roadway ahead of them, leaving the Camaro behind, but only momentarily. It was soon on their heels then gaining ground until it was neck to neck with their vehicle.

“Oh my gosh,” Aspen muttered low, pressing herself into the seat and gripping the edge of it with her hands. Her heart was already beating a mile a minute and the faster Alex pushed on the gas, the faster it seemed to go, soon echoing in her head and her breath caught in her throat. Someone was going to get hurt or even die. So far they were lucky no other vehicles were approaching, but that luck couldn’t last forever and she could already see a fiery crash on the horizon.

Next to her, Alex laughed then pushed the gearstick into another gear and the car flew even faster, the scenery whizzing by in one blur of brown and green. The needle on the speedometer was slowly inching to 120 and unfortunately the red Camaro was matching it with ease. “Shit, he is not letting up.”

“Do you really think he would?” Aspen shouted at him from her seat, afraid to move even half an inch. Her heart had now climbed into her throat and she was watching with paralyzed fear for an innocent vehicle out for a leisurely drive to fall prey in their sick little game.

Alex would have looked at her, but didn’t want to risk tearing his eyes from the road. “Relax, sweetheart, I got this.” Then he pushed the Porsche even further and they inched ahead of the Camaro.

For a moment, it looked like they were going to pull ahead and win. But then everything seemed to happen at once. A blue pick-up came up over a slight dip in the road and materialized out of nowhere about the same time the Chevrolet gunned its engine and gained on the distance put between them. It was neck and neck again and the lone blue truck ahead had nowhere to go. Aspen gave a shriek and covered her face with her hands the same time Alex cursed under his breath and risked a glance at the other vehicle.

“Oh my God, stop!” Aspen cried out behind her hands, but Alex knew they were going too fast and if he touched the brake they’d be fishtailing and spinning out of control. Instead, he downshifted and eased off the gas pedal, hoping the Camaro wouldn’t do the same and would be able to cut in front of him and out of the path of the truck.

But it didn’t look like the red Chevrolet was going anywhere else but straight at the truck, which was responding with loud blares from its horn. Aspen peeked through her fingers and watched horrified as it descended on the truck then at the very last minute, cut back into the correct lane and flew on down the road ahead of them.

“Shit!” Alex glanced to the pick-up as they passed it then back to the road then over to Aspen. “Are you okay?”

She slowly pulled her hands from her face and nodded. “Yeah, I uh, I…think so.” Her heart was still lodged in her throat and the pulse in the side of her neck was throbbing. “Oh my God, please don’t do that again.”

“That punk was a little shithead.”

She pressed a hand to her forehead then tucked her hair behind her ears. “I think I nearly peed a little.”

He laughed at that, thankful for the break in the tension that had mounted in the car since the Camaro had appeared. “Did you really?”

“No, but nearly.” Her eyes were still wide and she watched him with a look that made him feel bad for scaring her so.

“I’m sorry.” He got the car back to a normal speed then reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a squeeze. “If I’d known he was that crazy, I wouldn’t have done that. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She held his hand tightly and could feel herself beginning to relax again. “It’s okay. That, that,” she didn’t really have any words to describe it, “that was crazy.”

He chuckled. “It was and I promise never to do it again.”

“Good.” She settled into the seat again and willed her body to relax even more.

Alex looked between her and the road ahead, thankful she hadn’t been pissed off and yelled at him. The last thing he wanted was to ruin their trip or make her hate him. But he hadn’t been able to help himself when the Camaro had appeared and challenged him and the bit of a thrill that’d shot through him had ignited something inside and left him feeling confident and capable of anything. And at the moment, he really needed that. He needed to feel something, anything other than the self hate and disgust he’d been feeling.

“So,” Aspen broke the bit of silence that had fallen over them. “What should we do now?

Alex glanced to her then let his eyes drift to where their hands were still intertwined. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m getting hungry.”

“I am too.” She looked to the clock on the stereo there in the car. “It’s past lunchtime, how ‘bout we find somewhere to eat.”

“That sounds like a good plan to me,” he agreed as the Porsche continued on down the road, taking them further into Nevada and away from California.

~*~*~*~*~

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Alex frowned at the red Chevrolet Camaro that was parked in the parking lot of the small diner they’d just pulled into. Then realizing what he’d said, he turned to Aspen and apologized, “Sorry. You’ve got to be freaking kidding me.”

She laughed low and stared at the other vehicle. “What are the chances, huh? Think we’ll know who they are?”

He surveyed the lot to see a few more cars and an SUV or two. “I don’t know; it looks like they might be kind of busy. Let’s hope he doesn’t spot us and wait for us or some stupid shi-stuff like that.”

“Yeah, I really do not want a replay.” Aspen waited until he had pulled into a spot on the opposite side of the lot of the Camaro, tucked between an F-150 and a Suburban, and unbuckled her seatbelt.

“Me either.” He undid his own belt then slipped from the vehicle and was at her side opening her door before she could do it on her own.

Thanking him, she exited the Porsche then together they strolled across the pavement to the small diner and inside where smells of burgers and fries and other mouth watering tastes greeted them.

The interior of the place was lively and the atmosphere from the music flowing out of the juke box in the corner and the families that crowded the tables and booths made it seem like a friendly place. The sign at the entrance said to seat themselves, so Alex led the way to a booth in the corner with red vinyl seats and a white and gray Formica table.

They sat opposite each other and Aspen turned in her seat to study the other patrons; a family of five, one of three, another couple off in a corner sharing a milkshake, two teen boys who seemed to be in a fry eating contest with each other, a lady with long legs and red painted nails who was fixing her makeup in a compact, and a guy about her age with a scruffy beard, but dressed in some nice slacks and a polo. “I think it’s the guy with the beard,” she muttered low to Alex.

He leaned up to peer over at the guy then turned to her. “You’re probably right. Though the teen boys are looking pretty good for it, too.”

“No,” she shook her head, “they seem too immature to play chicken with the truck like they did. They woulda cut back in front of us. I think it’s the guy.”

“Should we go find out?”

Her blue eyes stretched at that. “Are you serious? I thought you didn’t want him to know we were here?”

He laughed at her expression. “I’m not serious. Though, it is tempting.”

She laughed low, but was thankful when the waitress approached them. She was young, couldn’t be older than 30, and had dirty blonde hair tied back in a messy ponytail and eyes so green and deep they looked like they could have been emeralds. She wore a pair of black slacks and a white polo with the name of the diner on the breast pocket. In her hand she clutched a small pencil and a pad of paper for the order to be jotted on and the nametag attached below the slogan on her shirt read ‘Gwen’.

“Hey, ya’ll,” she greeted them, her sweet voice thick with a southern accent. Aspen would have thought they were in Tennessee or Mississippi had she not known better. “Welcome to Mama’s Little Diner. My name’s Gwen and I’ll be your server today.”

“Hello,” Aspen greeted her then grimaced inwardly when Gwen’s eyes widened in recognition.

“Oh, my gosh,” she clutched her notepad with both hands and held them to her chest, “you’re…you’re Aspen Grace!”

The blonde shifted her gaze around the diner, slowly sinking lower in her seat to keep from being seen by the others around them. “Yes, but please, can we keep that between us?”

Gwen blinked then pressed her lips together firmly and nodded her head. “Of course, oh Lordy, this is so excitin’. We’ve never had a real celebrity in here before!” Then her gaze shifted over to Alex and she looked between the two in shock. “Oh my word, I don’t believe it!”

Alex rubbed his head and was beginning to think they should have found a drive-thru. “We just want some lunch.”

“I saw you two on the TV yesterday.” She pointed her pencil at them both. “You’re the new Hollywood couple, ya know.”

Aspen was sliding lower and lower in the booth; any more so and she’d be under the table. “Please, we just want some lunch.”

Gwen seemed to snap out of her excitement and stood right again. “Of course ya’ll do. You’re people too.” She nodded her head like she firmly believed it. “What can I get ya’ll to drink? The menu’s are right there.” And she motioned to where they were tucked between the napkin holder and the wall. “If I may suggest, the Cobb Salad is the best in the county.”

The two exchanged a glance and Aspen turned back to the server. “I’ll just take a club sandwich and a lemonade.”

“Do you have any veggie burgers?” When Gwen nodded Alex ordered one of those with a large ice water and a cup of coffee.

Gwen looked like she wanted to say more, but she bit her tongue and told them she would put their orders in right away then hurried away and toward the kitchen.

Aspen watched her go then looked over to her companion. “Ten bucks says she’s gonna go tell everyone back there that we’re out here.”

“I’m not taking that bet, you’re a hundred percent right.”

“Think anyone will ask for autographs?”

Alex tilted his head. “They might; pictures too to hang on the walls since we are the first celebrities to be here.”

She mulled over their options. “Think we could get out unnoticed?”

“We probably could if we left right now, but I thought you were hungry.”

She sighed then pouted. “I am.

“Then let’s stay and eat and hope that no one is going to care that we’re out here.” He reached over and put his hand over hers to still her fingers from where they were nervously drumming on the table.

Aspen thought it over, her nervous twitch going from her fingers to her bouncing leg when he stopped her hand. “Alright, but if they start swarming us, you have to distract them while I run for the car.”

Alex chuckled. “Deal.”

“Thank you.” She glanced around the restaurant, but no one seemed to take note of them. Relaxing a bit at that, she forced her leg to stop bouncing and turned her attention back to Alex. “We never got to finish our game.”

“I know right. That Camaro kind of threw everything off track.”

She nodded some then reached and fiddled with the napkin her silverware was wrapped in. “I still say it’s the guy in the polo.”

Alex shifted his eyes in that direction then back to Aspen. “He’s watching us.”

She wanted to look too, but refrained. They didn’t need to call more attention to themselves. “Does he recognize us?”

“Well, he couldn’t see into the car, if that’s what you mean and I’m not sure if he knows who we are.” He kept his eyes trained on the blonde, but would let them flicker to the man every so often to still see him watching them. “Though he’s staring at us like he might.”

Just then, Gwen arrived with their drinks. “One ice water and one lemonade,” she announced in her cheery southern twang as she set the glasses in front of them. “I hope ya’ll don’t mind, but I had to tell the cooks ya’ll were out here. They promised to get your food made up right away and served as quick as can be.”

Aspen frowned some, but plastered a smile to her face. “Thank you, Gwen, that was very kind of you.”

The dirty haired blonde blushed some and fiddled with the string of the half apron that hung around her waist. “Do you um, would you two mind giving me an autograph? I just…I mean, this is the most excitin’ thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“Not at all.” Alex reached for the pad of paper and the pen she produced from her pocket. Quickly, he scrawled a cute little message and signed his name then pushed the paper across the table to Aspen.

She added her own personal message and name then held it out toward the server. “There you go.”

Gwen accepted it with a soft giggle. “Thank you so much! Your food should be out real soon.” Then she turned and fled back toward the kitchen, clutching the paper to her chest like it was a precious valuable she didn’t want snatched away.

“You do realize we’re going to have to give her a good tip, right?”

Alex looked over to the blonde and chuckled. “Yeah, the thought has crossed my mind.”

She chuckled and within a few minutes, Gwen was setting their food down and making sure they had everything they would need. Thankfully, their meal went undisturbed. The teen girl that left with her parents and two younger siblings stared at them as they passed, but no one interrupted or asked for a picture or autograph.

Since the food had arrived so quickly, it didn’t take long for them to eat and then Aspen paid, despite her companion’s objections. He, of course, insisted on leaving the tip, which was very generous and soon they were exiting the diner and heading for the Porsche; the red Camaro nowhere in sight. The scruffy bearded man in the polo had slipped out while the two had been eating.

Alex pulled her door open and helped her in then rounded the vehicle to his side when a piece of paper tucked beneath his windshield wiper caught his attention. He pulled it out then slipped into the driver’s side and unfolded it.

Next to him, Aspen was watching with an intrigued interest. “What’s that?”

“I’m not sure.” He got it opened and read over the words then gave a laugh and held it so she could see it too.

Nice try back there. Too bad you’re too chicken to really race. You ever change your mind, you can meet us here.

Then it gave directions to some place where they probably did illegal street racing.

Aspen’s eyes widened and she laughed low. “Wow, you’re being invited to join some street racing gang.”

Alex chuckled and read over the note again. “Sure looks that way.” He glanced to her. “Should we check it out?”

“Are you serious?” Her eyes widened. “Have you never seen The Fast and the Furious? The cars they use would leave this Porsche in their dust. You’d lose all your money and probably even your car if you bet wrong.”

“You’re probably right.” He folded the paper back up and set it in the cup holder between the two seats. “Then we’d be screwed with no way back to LA.”

Aspen arched a brow. “On second thought, maybe we should give it a try; not having a way back to Los Angeles sounds like it might not be such a bad thing.”

He laughed at that then started up the car and maneuvered from the parking spot. “I can’t do that. She’s my baby.” He reached out and patted the dashboard for effect.

She giggled low. “Alright, what do you say to getting out of here and going on to our next destination, wherever that may be.”

Alex agreed and soon they were pulling out of the parking lot and heading back down the road. “You still think it was the guy in the polo?”

“I do.” She nodded and pushed some hair behind her ear. “He was the only one other than that family that left before we did.”

“Hm,” he scratched his jaw, “you’re probably right. You sure you don’t want to check it out?”

She peeked her eyes at him. “Do you want to?”

He pressed his lips together and thought it over. “Maybe, if we come back through this way. Right now we have an unknown destination we need to get to.”

“Right,” she agreed.

He nodded at that then shifted gears and pushed down more on the accelerator, sending them down the road and away from Mama’s Little Diner, the red Camaro and Gwen.