04
e n d l e s s

I PULL MY gaze away from his wrist almost immediately, my head starts throbbing. I don't know what happened to him, the scar might just be a birthmark or he got that by accident.

I should just mind my own business.

"Noah?" Before I notice, his name already slips out of my mouth.

"Yeah?"

Why exactly does Noah travel in the first place?  I've met so many people throughout my trip, but I've never seen anyone like him--he has a certain charisma. Perhaps it's his sense of humor, it's his get-up-and-go attitude. All I know is that I want to learn more about him.

I think of his scar again. "Do you think that travelling is actually an act of escapism?"

He taps the steering wheel with his finger. "Why'd you ask that?"

"I feel like people travel because they want to escape from reality, from everything weird, basically," I reply.

"Let's put it this way, did you travel because you wanted to escape?" he asks.

I pause, because I really don't know. For some moments it feels like I am escaping, but most of the time I'm just confused. But there's one thing for sure—I travel for my own good.

"I'm not sure," I finally say.

"You know, I don't think we're escaping."

I look at Noah, curious about his answer. He continues, "I think we're trying to discover new things and bring them back to our old lives. We're hunting for the things that are missing."

Then what caused the scar? I almost ask.

I look at the highway in front of me, it stretches so far that I can't see the end. It's endless, but there's no endless journey in life. There will always be a destination, though I wonder if my life will ever have one.

»»————-　➴　————-««

When my eyes open again, I find my head leaning against the hard window next to me. I sit upright and press my palms against my eyes, attempting to rub the sleep away. I finally register what has happened when I see Noah turning his head away from me, wearing a smirk while focusing on the road again.

I've fallen asleep.

"How long have I been sleeping?" I mumble, a wave of nausea suddenly engulfs me.

"An hour or so," he says.

"Guess my coffee didn't work." I stretch my neck.

As if something has grasped my head and spun it, I feel a tingling sensation slowly corroding into my skull. I quickly chug my bottle of water. This shouldn't have happened--I've been travelling forever, and motion sickness is a huge taboo for travellers.

It's not long after when I feel my stomach lurching.

"Noah?" I manage to croak out. "Can we maybe pull over real quick?"

He snaps his head toward me and scowls.

"Are you okay?" he asks as he turns his steering wheel and stops the car at the shoulder.

"Yeah I'm fine, it's just-- I just need some time--" I clutch my empty water bottle in agony.

Before I can finish my sentence, I feel a touch on my forehead. I watch as Noah takes back his arm and touches his own forehead with his backhand, comparing our heat. He lets out a breath.

Meanwhile, I'm holding my breath. Gradually brushing my forehead with my fingers, I fumble my hair with them when I feel Noah's glance.

He unbuckles his seatbelt and gets out of the car. His tall figure travels across the front windshield and stops outside the window next to me.

He opens the car door. "Get some fresh air."

I blink and nod. As I plant my feet onto the solid floor, my surroundings start teetering before my eyes without tottering back. An arm lifts me up before I fall onto the ground.

"Jeez," Noah mutters. "You're not okay."

I wave my hand in the air fervently. "I am okay, it'll be over a few minutes later."

"When did you wake up this morning?" he suddenly asks.

"Three." I stand up straight and notice how his gaze softens. "Why?"

"And when did you sleep?"

I recall the clock at my hostel last night. "Twelve... I think."

Noah snickers and tilts his head. "Three hours of sleep and only three pieces of croissant for breakfast. You need some rest, Riley."

"I was about to sleep on the plane!" I protest.

"Here," he says as he takes out a bottle of water from the car, his warm hand still attached to my arm. I stare at my arm and freeze. When he realizes, he swiftly pulls his arm away.

I clear my throat, feeling his warmth that lingers on my arm. "Thank you," I say as I get the bottle from him.

I quickly pour the water into my mouth. "You know what? I'm fine, let's go."

"Are you sure?" Noah whispers and frowns.

"Yes." I nod a few times, though the nausea is still here, I don't feel like collapsing anymore.

"There are still fifty miles to go, you can sleep for another hour," he says.

"Oh, no, I'm fine." I think of how rude it is to fall asleep when he's the one who has to drive, he sacrifices his day because of me after all.

"No, seriously," he replies and smiles. "We still have so much ahead of us to see."

My eyes light up just by thinking about the Grand Canyon. "Okay then," I say. "Thanks, Noah."

He opens the car door and winks at me. I look at him with my wide-eye gaze--how can someone be this attractive?

"Also, do you like fast food?" he asks as he slides into the car seat.

"Oh." I realize that we won't have time to have a proper lunch. "Yes," I answer.

"Alright, now go to sleep," he says and starts the car again. "I won't kill you, I promise."

I laugh. "I told you that I trust you, remember?"

Noah gives me a knowing gaze and smiles. Gradually, I drift to sleep again.

»»————-　➴　————-««

I feel a touch on my elbow, realizing it's an hour later.

"Riley," Noah urges me.

I turn and look out of the window. Bands of coral, red, orange and gray pile up into millions of mountains.

Yes, it's the Grand Canyon in front of me right now.

"Holy shit..." The words slip through my lips.

I hear Noah's snort behind me, but my mind is occupied by the plunging layers of rocks outside. I press my hands against the window and watch as our van moves along the path that is parallel with the canyons.

And when Noah pulls into the parking lot, I almost jump out of my seat. "Oh my goodness Noah, let's go!"

He tilts his head toward my lap. "Lunch."

I stare down and notice a McDonald's takeaway bag. A smile creeps on my face, but nothing can stifle my urge of hopping out of the car now. "Can we eat later?" I beg.

"Well, if you'd like to pass out again, sure," Noah says.

I frown and humph. I sit upright immediately after I realize what I've done.

"C'mon." Noah pats the top of my head and rubs my hair softly. "It only takes a few minutes."

My heartbeat accelerates drastically as I feel his touch on my head. I pray that it's not too loud, because I certainly don't want Noah to know that I'm panicking.

I hold my breath and fake a cough. "I— okay, okay, I'll eat now," I say, feigning the nonchalance in my voice.

Noah takes away his hand and in my peripheral vision, he balls his hands into a fist. I'm still trying to process what just happened. Is it too fast for us to have physical contact? Nonetheless, the tingling sensation still lingers on the spot he just touched, and I find myself not hating it.

He clears his throat. "Anyway, we're here!"