With the slight motion of the vehicle, my eyes grow heavy, sleep tempting me like a carrot dangling in front of a rabbit. But the thought of sleeping next to a man I met a whole five minutes ago feels weird. With everything ending, and the adrenaline slowly depleting, my body, mind, and soul are exhausted. Utterly exhausted.
I fight like hell to force my eyes to stay open, but I lose the battle.
With a jolt, my eyes fly open and that’s when I realize I had the best sleep in what feels like ages. Even if it had only been minutes.
“We’re almost there.”
With heat rising from my neck meeting at my cheeks, the embarrassment pours out of me, and I straighten in my seat. At least there’s no drool evidence anywhere.
I turn my head to yawn when I notice the thick oak sign readingSunlight Creek.
Well, damn, that’s convenient. This is the same town Lana lives in. The town I was headed for. A slight weight lifts off my shoulders.
Out my window, the side-by-side businesses blur by, giving me a quick surge of nostalgia.
Lana moved here right after graduation and that was the last time I visited. The last time we could ever really hangout. Not that I had options. Even so, the guilt punches me right in the gut.
The rattly noise from the truck heightens as we turn into a gravel lot with an average-looking building that reads:George’s Tow Service.How generically simple. You can tell it’s not a vast company, but a small, single owner business just by how it stands. But I’m not entirely surprised. Most businesses here are mom and pop stores.
Mr. Grump exits first, circles the truck, then opens my door. I just about fall out, figuratively speaking, of course. It’s from the shock alone. To be honest, I don’t believe this man to be mean, maybe a tad rude, like he woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but not cold-hearted.
His broad back faces me as he heads toward the garage. Opening my door was an unanticipated gesture, but I would have welcomed it. And would it have killed him to wait for me?
As I catch up to him, he unlocks the front door and flips on the light, revealing a counter with a register almost dead center. On one side, there’s a couch, and opposite stands a long table by the wall, featuring a coffeemaker and to-go cups. There are complimentary chips as well, which don’t exactly go with coffee but can’t be meticulous with free snacks. It’s the thought that counts.
“Wait here while I get the new tire on. Shouldn’t take too long.” He nods over to the couch with the same straight-faced expression, and I plop down half expecting it to be comfortable, but my spine immediately jolts in pain.
“Thanks, George,” I tell him as I rub the pain out of my lower back.
His shoulders go stiff as he glares at me. “My name’s not George.”
Confusion strikes me. “Oh. Sorry. I thought—”
“I’ll be back in a few.”
The door closes, and within minutes, I hear the start of the chain lift.
I strum my fingers on the sticky couch, realizing I’m going to need a serious shower when I get to Lana’s place. Not just to wash off the uncomfortableness of the couch, but to get rid of all the shit I’ve gone through. With these distractions, I haven’t been able to fully process everything, but as I sit here in the silence, I’m reminded that while I am a grown ass woman, being on the run is extremely terrifying.
With the ticking of the clock on the wall and nothing but clanking noises from the back, my eyes grow heavy. It’s not just physical exhaustion, but mental as well. Knowing damn well I’m going to fall asleep again, I accept it.
It felt like I was out for hours when a gentle shake on my shoulder wakes me. With panic rendering me frightened, I frantically scan the area, forgetting for a half second where I am. Two bright eyes stare at me, leveled with mine and I realizenotGeorge is crouching down by the couch where I sit. He’s studying me. His eyebrows furrow the tiniest bit. And if I move an inch, my leg will brush his knee. The air is suddenly thick, my throat has never been dryer, and it’s significantly harder to breathe.
“Done,” he says nonchalantly while still holding my gaze.
“Great,” I say in a fast tone. “Thank you.” I swallow, rubbing the haziness from my eye and probably smearing last night’s makeup.
He stands and I follow suit, him handing me my keys.
“What do I owe you?” I hope for a reasonable bill since I don’t have my credit card, and I only brought so much cash.
Saving up for the escape was the simple part. I used the tips Iearned. Even when Jason held out his hands at the end of the night for me to place the money into, I was able to sneak a twenty here and there.
NotGeorge hesitates before answering, “Nothing. I had an extra spare. But you’re going to have to replace all four of your tires at some point. And soon.”
My mouth gapes open. He is seriously not going to charge me. Is he for real?
“But… you drove all that way to get me, towed my car to your shop, and now you’re giving me a new tire. I don’t understand.”
