Page 21 of Nine

Trig settles back into his seat and clutches me closer. I stay silent because I don’t know what else to do. I remain in his arms because it’s the safest I’ve ever felt in my life. There is something about the way he said the words I see you. With my head resting against him, I look out the window and watch as we drive away.

***

The car pulls to a stop. Finally, I think. We’ve been driving for hours, and I didn’t care to talk about what just happened, so instead, I’ve been pretending to sleep. I crack open my eyes just enough to realize we’re parked at a gas station. I watch Bones get out of the car, and then I see his body work its way around the vehicle toward Trig’s window. I quickly close my eyes. Tap. Tap. Tap. His knuckles hit against the glass. Trig rolls down his window.

“I’m going inside to pay for gas. Do you want something?”

“No, I’m good. She might be hungry when she wakes up. Find something in there that girls like.”

“”What? Like Starburst or somethin’?”

“I don’t know. Use your best judgment.”

Trig’s clearly irritated.

I hear the window go back up, and then I feel Trig take his fingers and gently play with the ends of my hair. He thinks I’m knocked out, so I do my best not to move. He adjusts his body slightly as he continues to stroke my hair. My internal thoughts are battling with each other and at this point, I’m not sure which side makes more sense.

Why am I letting this happen? Where is that no tolerance girl at that I used to be?

But this feels nice. He feels good. He saved you. He’s still saving you.

Pull your shit together. What the hell are you thinking? Get your head out of your ass and make a run for it.

“You are definitely trouble, girl,” Trig says to himself. “You’re gonna get me killed. Crazy thing is…”

Tap. Tap. Tap. He gets interrupted. I hear the window being rolled down again.

“Okay. I got some Slim Jims, a Butterfinger, and some powdered doughnuts.”

“This is what you thought she might eat? This food is shit.”

“Excuse me. I’ll ask them for their fine dining menu next time. Asshole,” Bones says.

“Whatever. Just get in the car and watch her. I have to go take a leak.”

I feel Trig slide out from under me, and then I hear his door open and shut. I crack open my eyes to see Bones upfront stuffing his face. He turns on the music low. I wait for a while, and then I slowly slide over and quietly open my car door. That’s when I jump out. My bare feet hit the concrete and I take off running toward the little mini mart. I begin to scream for help. The worker inside looks out of her window. Bones dashes out of the car and grabs me by my waist. We are now wrestling near a gas pump when a shirtless Trig runs out. His eyes fill with worry as he sprints over and grabs me. He tosses me over his shoulder and then he throws me in the back of the car. I’m fighting him this entire time and yelling at the top of my lungs. If I can just get one good punch in then maybe I can jump back out of this car. Bones hops in on the driver’s side and squeals out of the lot.

“Are you crazy?” Trig yells. His face is beet red and he’s breathing hard.

“You can’t keep me as your hostage. Like I’m your personal pet or something,” I shout.

“Is that what you think I’m doing?” Trig snorts. He turns his attention to Bones. “Step on the gas. That little stunt is going to screw up everything. If a cop catches up to us, we’re toast. They now have surveillance tape of a battered woman in just a T-shirt screaming for help, while two men wrestle with her to get her back into a car, which they now have the license plate for.”

He turns his attention back to me.

“Congratulations, Nine. Shit just got real,” he yells.

I look confused. These two a-holes might be going to jail, but me – I’ll just go home.

“Maybe for you, but certainly not for me,” I say.

“Oh, you think you’re off the hook? Think again! What are you going to tell the police about your face, about your body? Will you tell them you’re a call girl, and that a dead pimp beat you? Will you tell them that I know where Victor’s body is? Because that makes you an accessory to the crime, pumpkin. Or will you lie through your teeth and say that we did this to you?”

I swallow the lump in my throat. I don’t know how to respond, so I stay silent as I search for the right words. I notice Bones is now driving down the road as if he’s operating a racecar. He’s weaving in and out of lanes, and the tension inside the car is thick. I decide to keep my mouth shut as I digest what Trig just said. I scoot as far away from him as possible and focus my attention outside the car. The sun begins to set as one-mile turns into many. Tree. Bush. Sign. Those are my only visuals at the moment. I’d turn my head and stare forward, but then I’d probably get a side-eye mega death stare from Trig.

It’s almost nightfall by the time we get to the cabin. It’s tucked away, all by itself out in middle of nowhere next to a lake. The boys get out first and then I follow suit. Trig walks up the steps to the wide porch. He takes the keys out of his pocket and opens the door. He waves for me to go in. I start to walk through, and then I feel his fingers wrap around my arm.

“You’re bleeding,” he says, and motions to my side. “You might’ve busted a stitch with your gas station performance.”

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