“Really late. You slept for at least twelve hours. You must have been exhausted,” she says.
I check the time on the clock, and it’s 10 am. She’s right. I did sleep for a while, longer than I have in recent memory.
“When did you wake up?” I ask, turning to her.
“A few hours ago,” she replies.
“And you’ve been watching me like a creep all this time?” I question.
“I was bored,” she says with a shrug. “And now I need you to get me clothes.”
“So bossy,” I tell her shaking my head.
She laughs.
“I would have gone on my own, but I don’t have any money. Where have you been getting money from anyway? You got the medicine and other stuff.”
“Oh, that. I got it from the owner of the hotel,” I tell her.
“And he just gave it to you?”
“Yeah. I don’t know if he’s really nice or just calculating. I told him I’d pay double for everything, and he agreed.”
“Definitely calculating,” Audra says. “But maybe a little kind too. What if we ran away?”
I shrug.
“I’ll go get us some things we need and clothes for you. I’ll pick up some food as well,” I tell her, pulling on my clothes.
“I’ll be back in an hour or so. Don’t leave the hotel.”
“I got it,” she says.
I sense the disappointment on her face as I walk out of the hotel room. I didn’t kiss her or even allude to the fact that we had sex last night.
I feel awful. Now that I’m awake and thinking clearly, I realize what a bad idea yesterday was. It felt right at the time, but Audra is practically a stranger. One I met in a foreign country under challenging circumstances. I took advantage of her grief and loneliness. Circumstances pushed us together, and I took advantage of that last night. Would she have got it on with some random guy in Mexico otherwise?
My gut tells me, no, and that tells me I should lay off her and give her some space.
Before we both get hurt.
Chapter 6
(Audra)
______
I know the look of a man that regrets a one-night stand.
I’ve seen it countless times with men I’ve slept with. I wish I could say I don’t care, but that’s a lie. It really hurts, especially because I thought Ethan was different. I don’t know what’s going through his mind right now. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but when he gets back, he’s going to have to explain himself. We’re both adults.
Right now, though, I’m thinking about Capa. He’s dead, but I’m sure he has parents who wonder what happened to him. According to what he told me, he was abducted when he was about thirteen, which was four years ago. His family lived in a very poor neighborhood. He was sent to buy something but was kidnapped by the cartel. They’ve been using him as child labor ever since.
His parents must be worried sick. Capa gave me directions on how to find them, but I’m not sure how to approach the situation. I want to do something; it’s the least he deserves. But right now, I’m pretty much a refugee. I can’t provide his parents with any comfort until I can figure out a way to help myself first.
When Ethan returns, he’s even more broody than when he left. He hands me breakfast which I quickly eat. Then I get into the bathroom to shower and put on clean clothes. When I return, he’s lying on the bed, seemingly staring off into space.
Maybe I’m reading this wrong, I think to myself. I lie on the bed beside him and lean forward to kiss him. But to my dismay, Ethan dodges the kiss.
