Page 28 of Stay Awhile
“Didn’t you say I wasn’t a prisoner? I should be able to pick my own things.”
I stood silently as we entered a staring battle. I knew if I really wanted to, I could have won, but I also knew I needed to regain her trust. I still didn’t get why it mattered to me so much, but it did.
“Grab the hat and the sweater. Tuck your hair into the hat good and you listen to everything I say. No back talk. Understood?”
She smiled big before rushing to grab the items she had just removed. I watched as she stood in front of the mirror, making sure not a single strand of her hair could be seen beneath the hat. Once she was ready, we made our way to VC’s room so I could let him know we would be back and to get a list of things he may need.
Once we had everything, I blocked her frame with my own as we passed a few cameras. VC was blocking the footage as we left, but I could never be too careful. It was already risky that I was allowing her to leave this damn hotel. Once we made it to the car, I opened her door, then closed it before walking around to the driver’s side.
I had our short drive planned down to the lights we would take to avoid street cameras. We just needed a place to lay our heads for one night before I could figure out how to get her to safety.
“Can I ask you a question?” she asked. I glanced over at her briefly before nodding. “You’re not telling me much. Who are you? I feel like that’s a weird question to ask after we’ve fucked already, but clearly it’s the perfect question.”
I released a sigh and did the one thing I hadn’t been able to do in years. Tell the truth.
“My name is Knox Bolden. I don’t have any family outside of the others who I grew up with. I won’t speak on them becausetheir story isn’t mine to tell. My life was nothing like yours. Let me guess, you grew up in one of the nicest houses on the block, you have family dinners every week, and a brother or sister to argue with, but there is really a lot of love there. Am I right?” I asked.
She crosses her arms against her chest and sat back in her seat.
“Yeah, so, how does that correlate to yourself and being a kidnapper today?”
I chuckled because she was so blunt, but I loved it.
“I’m sorry about that. I swear that wasn’t my intent with you. When I walked away that night, I planned to stay away. I knew the drama I could bring into your life and I wanted to avoid it. I should have kept it moving after we bumped into eachother—” I paused as a flash of hurt crossed her features. I watched as she looked out the window instead of at me.
“Hey, I didn’t mean it in the way you’re taking it—” I started before she lifted a hand to stop me.
“Don’t worry about it. I get it. I was just a blimp in your travels. No need to keep explaining that to me. I understood that clearly by the cool sheets and note you left behind. Actually, I don’t care to hear anything else. Just fix this situation and get me back to the people who actually give a fuck about me and are probably going out of their minds with worry. I was supposed to be back today, yet I’m sure it will be a shocker when only my luggage makes it without the person.”
I opened my mouth to refute everything she said, but closed it just as quickly. Maybe it was for the best that she believed I didn’t care, so when the end came for me, she would be safe. Safe from expectations or hurt.
We pulled into the parking lot of the closest convenience store. I parked the truck away from cameras. Before I could remove the keys from the ignition, she hopped out of thepassenger seat and slammed the door closed behind her as she rushed toward the entrance.
“Fuck,” I said underneath my breath as I rushed behind her.
The moment I got close enough to her, I grabbed her arm and pulled her into the confines of my chest. The fire in her eyes as she stared up at me without a smile in sight caused my heart to ache.
“Don’t you ever do that again. Do you think we’re going through these lengths so you can fuck it up over an attitude? No, so calm the fuck down and let’s get what you need so we can get out of here.”
She snatched her arm away just as an older man walked into the aisle with us. He looked at us with a question in his eyes, but I saw the moment where minding his business kicked into his eyes. I followed behind her silently as she leaned down to grab a basket, which I took from her hands. I could tell she wanted to talk shit, but she let it go.
Instead, she threw everything she could think of into it. I knew she was being spiteful and most of it she wouldn’t need, but I didn’t call her out on it. I had done more than enough where she was concerned. So, as she threw things into the cart that I deemed she didn’t need, I put them back on the shelf. By the time we made it to the register, everything I felt she actually needed was there.
I pulled out cash and paid for everything before we silently made our way back to the truck. Once back inside, we drove silently, but I couldn’t allow her to believe I didn’t give a fuck about her. If this was the end for me, I at least wanted to go out being myself. Or at least the self I knew.
“You took what I said wrong earlier. You were never a blimp. You’re the light in a world of darkness, a glimmer of hope that a man like me can never afford to have. The only reason I mentioned walking away was for your safety, but If I was purelyselfish, I would meet you in every lifetime to feel the way you made me feel for a few days for the rest of my life. But I’ve never been that lucky.” I could feel her eyes burning into me, so I continued before I lost my nerve. “I’m an orphan, Skye. I’ve never had family outside of VC and the others.
“I was tossed around between different foster homes and orphanages until I landed at the Void. It’s a federal program that took in kids and trained them to be killers. We were sent out to handle the missions that the military and other officials couldn’t. It was a way to keep our countries hands clean. My last mission was something I wasn’t okay with, so I walked off the job. They’ve been after me ever since.”
The sharp inhale caused me to look in her direction briefly to make sure she was okay, then I focused back on the road. I didn’t want to see any sympathy in her eyes. These were the cards I was given, and I learned to play them to the best of my ability.
“I don’t know what to say.” She finally spoke up.
I parked in the back of the lot and hopped out to grab the bags we got before I walked over to her door to help her out. She stayed seated, never hopping out of the car. I stood for a moment in front of her, waiting for her to make a move. She turned in her seat to fully face me, then leaned in, kissing me with everything within her.
I wanted to pull away, but I couldn’t. Raising my mouth from hers, I gazed into her eyes for a moment. She finally slipped from the seat and walked ahead of me toward the door of the motel room. I placed my hand against my chest and said a silent prayer. I followed close behind her as she fumbled with the room key to get the door open.
The moment we stepped through the doors, I placed her things on the table next to the window. The prolonged anticipation was almost unbearable as our eyes locked onto oneanother’s. I ran my tongue against my bottom lip, remembering the taste of her.
