The coast on the map

Chapter 2

𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝙾𝚕𝚍 𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍,

𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎. 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝙸 𝚜𝚊𝚠 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚙𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚕. 𝙰𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚢, 𝚠𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐.

"It's like she's left me with all of this unfinished business. I’m feeling really-” Oakley throws the letter near the messy open box “-manipulated.”

“They’re not dated.” Jay places the letter he was reading back to the center of the table. “I can’t even believe you kept them this long. It’s been three weeks. I would've thrown them away a long time ago.”

''You wouldn't have hidden them around the city, huh? That doesn't sound like fun?”

''She wants you to go after her. Wishes you’d marry her. You should find out where she is and leave them around there- that would be a good way to get her back. ''

''It’s not about getting her back. She doesn't think I'd actually go after her. Always assumes she knows how I’m going to react."

''Remember when we really didn’t want you to talk to her?''

"Yeah, I should've listened."

"Told you. So you think it's Oregon?"

"I don't know. That was where she said she wanted to go."

"Probably Portland. That’s like a planet for artists. My dad's actually got a property for sale in Portland. Takes forever to sell. We could literally go all the way there and chill if we wanted to. I actually think that sounds like a good time. Do you want to get out of here for the fourth? I don't work that Monday and the shop is closed on the fourth anyway."

"That’s like two weeks away? I’ll have to see what’s going on with work. She could be anywhere honestly. Small town, big city, and I don't need to know.”

“No, you don’t, obviously.”

“I lost touch with her for a reason.”

"Get rid of the letters then. Don’t even read them. I‘m uncomfortable just staring at them. You remember that argument she was having with me around the campfire?"

"Yeah. That was hilarious though, what you were saying about the heartbreak music she was playing. ‘Like that’s our shit- why do they have to play it like that and perform it all over the world?’"

"It's true. Anyway, I have to go but I'll see what's up with Portland. You know he's cool with it so be ready to hear back from me about this weekend.” Jay picks up his keys and places his sunglasses on top of his head.

Oakley closes the box having not finished the letter he had began to read. After Jay leaves, he opens up the map on his phone and stares at the towns along the Oregon coast.