The car had gone quiet in a way that felt almost unnatural after everything.
For a while, there had still been small movements—shifting, adjusting, the occasional restless breath—but eventually even that faded.
Kate woke first.
Not fully—just enough to become aware of the weight.
Her head was tilted slightly to the side, resting against something warm, steady. It took her a second to realize it was him. Ray. His arm was still loosely around her, not tight, not intentional anymore—just… there. Like he had fallen asleep mid-thought.
She didn't move right away.
Her eyes stayed half-lidded, staring at nothing in particular, as the memory of everything from earlier crept back in fragments.
The kissing.
The way he didn't stop.
The way she didn't make him.
Her fingers twitched slightly where they rested near his chest. She could feel the faint rise and fall of his breathing—slow, uneven, like he was still somewhere deep in sleep.
For a brief moment, she tensed.
Not panic. Not fear.
Just… awareness.
Then, slowly, something in her softened again.
Her shoulders dropped just a little.
"…idiot," she mumbled under her breath, though there wasn't much weight behind it.
Carefully—almost cautiously—she adjusted, just enough to get comfortable without waking him. Her hand shifted, brushing lightly against his shirt before settling again, closer this time.
She didn't pull away.
Didn't push him off.
Outside, the world was starting to change. The sky had begun that slow transition—dark blue fading at the edges, the first hints of morning bleeding in.
Inside the car, though, everything felt suspended.
Like they were in between something.
Not what they were before.
Not quite what they were becoming.
Ray stirred slightly.
A small movement—his grip tightening for just a second before loosening again, his head shifting just enough that his cheek brushed against her hair.
Kate froze.
Waited.
He didn't wake up.
Her breath came out quieter this time, almost controlled, but not entirely.
"…you better not remember this," she whispered, though there was hesitation in it now—something uncertain, something that didn't quite match the words.
She closed her eyes again.
Not to sleep.
Just to stay there a little longer.
In all this Julia was concentrating on the road, as they were slowly approaching the camp.
Her hands stayed steady on the wheel, eyes fixed ahead.
She glanced briefly in the mirror.
Saw them in the back.
Didn't say anything.
The trees began to thin, the familiar path coming into view.
They were close.
"Finally…" she muttered under her breath.
And... as she probably planned to do all along. She turned on some music on the radio on full.
The sudden blast of sound filled the car.
Ray flinched awake.
A second of confusion—
Then the lyrics hit him.
"WE COULD HAVE HAD IT ALL!!! ROLLING IN THE DEEP!!!"
He shot upright, still half-asleep, but already fully committed.
"ROLLING IN THE DEEEEEEP—"
His voice cracked halfway through, but he pushed through it anyway.
Kate jerked slightly beside him, eyes snapping open.
"…what the hell—"
Ray didn't stop.
"YOU HAD MY HEART INSIDE YOUR HAND—"
He pointed forward, completely off rhythm, like he was on stage instead of in the backseat.
Julia didn't turn it down.
Kate dragged a hand down her face, already done with him.
"…I hate you."
Ray leaned closer, louder.
"AND YOU PLAYED IT—"
Another crack.
He ignored it.
Kept going.
Kate shook her head, but didn't move away.
The camp entrance was already coming into view.
He was asleep seconds ago, Julia muttered to herself, letting out a quiet laugh.
"How do you have so much—"
She didn't finish it.
Didn't need to.
He was still singing.
"—AND YOU PLAYED IT TO THE BEAT—"
Completely off.
Completely loud.
Like nothing else existed.
Julia shook her head slightly, still smiling to herself as she kept driving.
Kate just stared at him for a second, tired, unimpressed—
Then looked away.
"…of course."
Ray kept going.
Louder, if anything.
"WE COULD HAVE HAD IT ALL—"
Kate shut her eyes briefly.
Her jaw tightened.
He didn't stop.
Didn't even notice.
"ROLLING IN THE DEEEEEEP—"
Something in her snapped.
"JUST SHUT UP! I HAD TO HEAR YOU SING, SCREAM AND CRY FOR THE WHOLE NIGHT. SHUT UUUUUUUUUP."
Kate broke down.
Ray froze.
Completely.
Like someone cut the power.
His mouth stayed slightly open, the last note dying off awkwardly as he just stared at her.
"…oh."
Julia blinked, the moment catching her off guard, her hands tightening on the wheel before she quickly refocused on the road.
The car felt smaller suddenly.
Heavier.
Ray looked down for a second, then back at Kate, like he wanted to say something—
Didn't.
Kate turned her face away, breathing uneven, one hand pressed against her forehead.
Julia reached forward and turned the music down without a word.
No one laughed this time.
"See? Was that so difficult? Stupid… acting like a monkey. Grown man."
She kept muttering to herself, not even looking at him now, the words coming out quieter but sharper.
Ray didn't answer.
He stayed still for a second, then shifted slightly in his seat, rubbing the back of his neck, eyes dropping somewhere toward the floor.
"…right," he muttered under his breath, barely audible.
Julia glanced at them briefly, then back to the road, her expression tightening just a little, like she was deciding whether to step in—
She didn't.
Kate exhaled through her nose, still tense, her fingers pressing lightly against her temple like she was trying to push the moment away.
No one pushed it further.
The car kept moving.
"Will you be mad, if I tell you I forgot everything after we left the hospital? It's a blur again…"
Ray said it carefully, like he wasn't sure how it would land, his voice quieter now, stripped of all the earlier chaos.
Kate didn't answer right away.
Her hand stilled slightly against her temple.
Slowly, she turned her head just enough to look at him.
"…you're kidding."
Not loud.
Not sharp.
Just tired.
Ray gave a small, awkward shrug, not really meeting her eyes.
"I mean… I remember some things. Just—" he hesitated, searching for it, "—not… in order."
Julia let out a faint breath through her nose, almost a silent laugh, eyes still on the road.
"Convenient," she muttered.
Ray winced a little at that, like he expected it.
Kate kept looking at him for another second.
Trying to read something.
Then she looked away again.
"…figures."
There was a pause.
A real one this time.
Ray shifted slightly, like he wanted to ask something else—
Didn't.
Julia adjusted her grip on the wheel as the camp entrance got closer, the gravel road starting to crunch under the tires.
No one filled the silence.
"I'm so done with you. I swear."
Kate didn't raise her voice this time.
If anything, that made it land harder.
Ray blinked, caught off guard by how flat it sounded.
"…yeah," he said after a second, nodding slightly, like he didn't have anything to argue with.
Julia's eyes flicked to the mirror for a split second, then back to the road, her expression unreadable.
Kate leaned back into her seat, crossing her arms, gaze fixed out the window.
Done talking.
Ray shifted a little, like he wanted to say something else—
Didn't.
The gravel under the tires grew louder as they pulled fully onto the camp road.
No one broke the silence.
"I did fuck a brunette in my sleep," he said, like it would somehow ease the tension in the car.
A beat.
Julia let out a short laugh.
Not even trying to hide it.
"Wow," she muttered, shaking her head, still smiling to herself. "That's… impressive."
Kate turned her head slowly.
Very slowly.
Just stared at him.
No expression at first.
Ray, for some reason, nodded slightly, like he'd made a valid contribution.
"…what?" he added, quieter.
Kate blinked once.
Then looked away again.
"Don't," she said flatly.
Ray winced a little at that, the confidence dropping just as fast as it came.
"…yeah. okay."
Julia was still holding back a laugh, one hand briefly covering her mouth before returning to the wheel.
The car kept moving.
Somehow even more awkward than before.
The gate came into view.
Julia slowed the car, gravel crunching under the tires as she reached forward to unlock it.
Ray shifted in his seat, glancing toward Kate.
"…so—" he hesitated, like he already regretted asking, "—when did I kiss you?"
Julia paused for half a second.
Then snorted under her breath, looking straight ahead.
Kate didn't move at first.
Just stared out the window.
"…seriously?" she said, quiet, not even looking at him.
Ray scratched the side of his head, awkward.
"I mean—just asking."
Julia pushed the gate open slightly with the car, still holding back a smile.
"Oh, this is good," she muttered.
Kate finally turned her head.
Looked at him.
Really looked this time.
"You don't remember any of it," she said.
Not a question.
Ray shook his head, slower now.
"…no."
A small pause.
Kate held his gaze for a second longer—
Then leaned back again.
"Good."
Julia let out a short laugh as she drove through the gate.
"Yeah," she added, amused, "probably for the best."
Ray frowned slightly, more confused than anything now.
"…that bad?"
Kate didn't answer.
Julia just kept driving.
"Didn't brush my teeth? I'm sorry."
He said it like that had to be the problem.
Julia let out a laugh as they approached the gate.
"Yeah, that's definitely it," she said, amused, slowing the car.
Kate didn't even look at him.
Just shook her head once, small.
Ray glanced between them, confused.
"…what?"
Julia reached out, pushing the gate open as the car rolled forward.
"Oh, nothing," she said, still smiling. "You were great."
Ray narrowed his eyes slightly, not buying it.
Kate finally turned her head just enough.
"You should stop talking," she said, calm.
Ray opened his mouth—
Then closed it.
"…okay."
Julia drove them through the gate, the tires crunching over gravel as the camp came into view.
"But it's really cute, how cocky you are when drunk. And now you look like a puppy who got kicked."
Julia looked at him in the rearview mirror.
Ray blinked.
Once.
Like he needed a second to process whether that was an insult or not.
"…that's not—" he stopped, exhaled lightly, "—okay."
He looked down for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck again, not even trying to argue it.
Julia's smile widened slightly, clearly entertained.
Kate shifted in her seat, glancing at him for just a second—
Then away again.
But not as quickly this time.
"…she's not wrong," she muttered, quieter.
Ray let out a small breath through his nose, almost a laugh, but without much energy.
"yeah, yeah."
Julia drove on, still smiling to herself, as the camp opened up ahead.
"At least I kissed you! Now you're gonna wait for the second one years, because I'm never drinking again!"
He said it too fast—
The moment it left his mouth, it already sounded worse.
Julia raised her eyebrows slightly, watching him in the mirror.
Kate froze for a second.
Then blinked.
The car stopped at the gate.
Ray didn't wait.
He opened the door and got out immediately, shutting it behind him without another word.
Silence.
Kate kept looking at the door for a moment—
"…idiot," she muttered under her breath.
Julia exhaled quietly.
Then, casually—
"Your idiot."
Kate's reaction was immediate.
A small pause—
Then she looked down, fingers shifting in her lap.
"…just—" she stopped, shaking her head slightly.
Julia reached for the door handle.
Kate glanced up again.
Through the window—
Ray was already walking ahead, hands in his pockets, shoulders slightly tense, heading toward the cabin without looking back.
She watched him for a second longer.
Then looked away.