Page 6 of All Our Ghosts

My mouth sets in a firm line and I nod. “Yeah, I can tell,” I say, glancing back out the passenger window. A silence washes over us, filling the cab with unasked questions.

I glance over at him as he focuses on the road. It’s the first time I’ve really looked at him. His hair is tucked back behind his ears, and it shows off the beard that’s clearly hiding a chiseled jawline. Tattoos litter his body and arms, peeking out over the neck of his shirt. I notice a rather large tattoo of a wolf on his forearm; the lettering around it has faded slightly, and I can’t quite make out what it says in the dimly lit cab.

“What brings you to California?” He asks, breaking me from my trance.

Other than running from my abusive ex-boyfriend who murdered my child?

“Road trip,” I answer.

“You from around here?”

“Nope.”

He chuckles again, getting the hint at my short answers. “Not much of a talker, are ya?” Cole glances over to me before looking back at the road. My body is pressed against the passenger door, my eyes glued to the window.

“Like I said, long day,” I say softly.

He nods, not saying anything else.

It takes about twenty minutes for us to reach any sort of life. I see the brightly lit sign that readsWelcome to Pine River, Population 5394.

I never understood the point of population signs. They were littered all over Florida. The town I grew up in was about half the size of Pine River. The only thing population signs were good for was to show the life and death of a town.

“My shop isn’t too far from here,” Cole says, his voice cutting through the tension-filled silence in the cab.

I don't say anything, but as we pull up to the gate of the shop, Cole stops and hops out. I lean forward in the cab, watching him jog over and open the lot so he can pull in. O’Neil’s Towing and Garage is painted on the side of one of the three buildings that are gated in the lot. The other one looks to have Hell Hounds painted on the side of it with a mural of the same wolf tattooed on his arm. My stomach flips for a moment until I see a line of motorcycles parked up against the building.

“Ready?” He asks, climbing back into the cab and pulling the truck in.

“You guys do vehicles too?” I ask, and it sounds stupid coming out of my mouth.

Cole nods. “Cars, trucks, motorcycles… if it’s got an engine, we’ll fix it.” He pulls into one of the bays. “I’m gonna unload real quick and if you want to grab your things from the car, I’ll take ya over to the motel.”

“Thanks, Cole,” I say. He smiles again and it feels comforting and not at all terrifying.

Without another word he jumps from the cab and starts to unload the car for me. I open my phone, feeling it begin to vibrate with messages and notifications.

[maria]:haven’t heard from you. Just wanna know you’re safe.

[maria]:call me, Kade. Please.

I sigh softly. Maria has been keeping track of where I’ve been throughout my trip. Just mainly wanting me to check in every state or so. Maria Santos has been the one person who hasn’t condemned me for what Jeremy did. Never blamed me for the backlash he received, or lack thereof, but helped me stay safe. She’s been the only friend I’ve had in years that didn’t have to be approved by Jeremy.

just made it to California. I’m okay. I’ll call you in the morning.

I scroll through my other messages; there are a few from my mother. New photos of her and Dr. Watkins on their vacation to the Bahamas that simultaneously make my stomach sink and that familiar surge of anger brew. Two weeks. It took two weeks for Janice to sink her claws into him. I should be surprised. But I’m not. I’m sure I’ll get a call in two months, and it’ll be my mother sobbing on the other end about how it didn’t work out. Looking for sympathy that I stopped giving years ago.

I tuck my phone into my pocket and sigh before climbing out, grabbing the suitcase from my car after Cole gives me the okay that it's safe to get near the Comet. I carry it over to the truck, climbing back in, Cole following suit.

The ride to the motel is quiet and I know he’s curious about me. I can feel his questions and curiosity brewing. Instead, hedrives straight to the motel like he said he would. My fingers occasionally wrap around the knife whenever he makes a quick movement or glances over at me.

The parking lot is barely vacant, with a few cars sporadically parked throughout. Cole stops the truck in front of the office and turns towards me. “You want me to wait till you get a room?” He asks, and my head snaps to him, my eyes wide, and I open my mouth, but before I can say anything, he shakes his head.

“No! I mean to make sure you make it in safely. Not for… that…” He waves his hand haphazardly.

“Oh!” I say, shaking my head with a small laugh. It’s the first time I’ve laughed for real since meeting him and he notices. “Uhm… sure. Gimme just a sec.”

I jump out of the truck, heading towards the office. The night receptionist is nice and sets me up with a room fairly quickly. Though more expensive than I would have liked, I don't plan on staying here long. Just long enough for the car to get fixed. He hands me the keys and smiles, pointing to my room along the row of doors. I thank him and head back outside.

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