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Chapter Thirty-Seven:
Four days later
| Hollis |
“Borta bra men hemma bäst”
A very young Hollis, maybe four or five at the most, used to chuckle quietly when Margot would sigh this Swedish saying under her breath after their family returned home from a long outing or extended vacation. It’s literal translation in English sounded positively ridiculous at the time, making it impossible for the little girl not to giggle into her tiny hands—often staring up at Dalton’s equally amused expression as she did so.
“Away is good, but at home is best.”
The spent twenty nine year old felt completely different about that peculiar proverb now as she stood in front of her full length mirror in solemn silence; Especially since “there’s no place like home” didn’t quite make the cut. Dull grey eyes blinked at a reflection Hollis couldn’t recognize while she f
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Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Thirty-Eight:
| Hollis |The last time Hollis felt this tense gazing out front of that picturesque light blue town home her girlfriend shared with Kendra, it had been the dewy morning she found herself parked about 50 yards away waiting for Whitney just before they went on their first official fishing trip together. Hindsight 20/20, it really wasn’t the huge deal Hollis had hyped it up in her head to be. Back then, they were just two brand new friends with a wild attraction to each other, enjoying a nice outdoorsy morning with nothing but two fishing poles, a couple of folding chairs, and their respective choice in coffee.While the events of that gorgeous outing felt like they transpired only yesterday, in reality it had been nearly a whole year since the day Hollis and Whitney shared their very first of many magnetic kisses to come—right under an abundance of lively Juniper trees overlooking a scenic, sparkling riverbank. The tr
Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Thirty-Nine:
The following morning | Kendra |“Huh. I guess Holl wound up staying over last night.” Kendra muttered softly with worried moss green eyes fixated on her best friend’s blue corolla, which was parked on the gorgeous property adjacent to Whitney’s black Prius. Having just pulled in following an exhilarating evening at Vivian’s, the small punk rocker was a little put off that Whitney didn’t shoot her a ‘heads up’ text like she normally would when Hollis crashed at their place. Had she known at least a little ahead of time, there’s no way in hell she would’ve spontaneously invited her new girlfriend over for what was supposed to be a romantic brunch. She’d planned an entire day for the two of them too; Eating great home cooked food and settling in to study for a few finals they had coming up.So much for THAT relaxing, drama free day.
Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Forty:
| Hollis |After sleeping off a wicked painful withdrawal spell, Hollis finally stirred from her repose several hours into the early evening —drenched in sweat—to find a very frightened Whitney seated at the edge of her ultra soft bed wearing one of the most tender expressions she’d ever been met with. The bewildered blonde had no idea how long her concerned lover had been there and felt guilty as hell for being the cause of so much added stress. Whitney tucked a few stray black curls that’d fallen into her line of vision behind an ear before leaning over to cradle Hollis’ warm, fatigued face in two trembling hands. She started to croak as the rich honey shade of her eyes darkened with distress.“...Thank gawd. You kept mumbling to yourself for like, five hours straight and I wasn’t sure what to do. Kendra told me to just let you sleep...I was so worried, babe.”Hollis’ first instin
Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Forty-One:
Eleven years prior, Auburn Maine | Hollis |“I don’t get why I can’t just stay at our apartment while you’re gone over the weekend. This is wicked stupid. I’m seventeen, not seven." An annoyed Hollis grumbled, turning her back to Dalton so she could peer out of his white Chevy truck’s window with a soft huff. It was a bitter, cold February afternoon in Auburn and the heater was going full blast, making all four glass barriers fog up relentlessly. The windshield wipers were working diligently to keep Dalton’s ability to drive safely consistent. Hollis felt like she was observing her surroundings submerged under water, despite squinting as hard as she could. Still, the familiar outline of their parent’s woodsy street almost made her want to pass out from sheer anxiety.I don’t want to be here...I really DON’T want to be here. “It wa
Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Forty-Two:
| Hollis |When it finally became clear as day Chad didn’t intend to up and leave as originally planned, Hollis set her sharp jawline with indignation and shifted her intense gaze to a very quiet Dalton. She’d since let go of Whitney and Kendra’s hands, and was resting her elbows on two shaking ripped jean clad knees. Her tattooed fingers were intertwined, and she kept lightly tapping at her left cheek with both fists. Nervous, and fidgety as hell. She spoke hoarsely, already exhausted from the sudden outburst.“...I’m not ready yet. C-can someone else go first? Please?” Whitney’s widened honey colored eyes were pleading with Kendra as she carefully leaned back in her seat, begging for some sort of direction. The petite blonde nodded silently to let her worried roommate know they needed to let Hollis react organically, and emphasized it by rubbing the back of her best friend’s head briefly before st
Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Forty-Three:
Roughly a month later| Dalton |An unexpected summer rain storm swept over Auburn during the earliest hours of June 25th, somewhere between four and six A.M; Leaving behind a pleasantly cool fog and dewy touch in the air several hours later. An abundance of white cedar trees surrounding the Androscoggin County Superior Court rustled and swayed gently in the calm breeze. Blanketed by hovering clouds, the massive judicial branch was especially frenzied today.An arrogant Preston Clay, accompanied by his ridiculously wealthy parents, sauntered into their assigned courtroom wearing a dark grey suit worthy of any ‘Daddy’s little rich boy’. His icy blue eyes fell on the opposing side to where they’d be sitting, and he scoffed outwardly at the native Mainer who turned down his father’s millions and for what? To embarrass himself no doubt. At least, that’s where his narrow minded brain had stretched
Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Forty-Four:
| Jakob |“Simmer it down, everybody! We don’t want the police raining on our parade.” Evan Richardson joked to his rambunctious, chattering employees at Ringo’s around seven that same evening. It was lightly drizzling outside, a complete night and day difference from the warm atmosphere he’d just walked into not ten minutes ago. ‘Mäkelän Sulon Polkat’ by Floating Sofa Quartet was playing at a comfortable volume, and the quirky Finnish Polka beat only added to Ringo’s already jaunty ambience.Black and white streamers had been tastefully decorated throughout the popular pub, and a few hired caterers and bartenders from a local Mexican place in town were happily serving Ringo’s staff along with the friends and family they brought with them. A large buffet table had been set up in the back, and was loaded with ingredients for build your own nachos, taco shells, separate containers of ground beef, and a neat
Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Forty-Five:
| Kendra |The goodbye party turned celebratory victory lasted for another three and a half hours as everyone continued drinking and helping themselves to various refreshments. Hollis, Whitney, and Kendra had been the first to depart. It’d been an exhausting day, and a very drunk Hollis in particular was begging Kendra to make her famous no-bake strawberry cheesecake non-stop.No, really. Non. Fucking. STOP. The whole time they were making their rounds before leaving, and even in the Uber on the way back to her town home. Drunk and with no plans to relent, Kendra and Whitney both had to sit there and listen to her plead over and over for the tasty, fluffy treat as she made herself comfortable against the smallest girl’s shoulder.Just like always, whiny Hollis got her own way and was groaning with gratitude from where she was draped across Kendra and Whitney’s couch an hour later.“Thank you, Ken Dollllll.&rdq
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- Not All Who Wander Are Lost A Word From The Author:
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- Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Forty-Five:
- Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Forty-Four:
- Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Forty-Three:
- Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Forty-Two:
- Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Forty-One:
- Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Forty:
- Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Thirty-Nine:
