Glancing over, Warner winces as he wrestles the steering wheel driving us out of town. He looks so good with the moonlight casting across his strong jaw and fierce eyes. I bite my lip watching him. I knew he was trouble the night he approached me. It was like a devil with a letterman jacket and an irresistible smile, but the pull between us was so fierce I must have been the other half of him smiling back.

Blood drips from his arm, staining his jeans. The sight of it bringing me back to reality. His dad hurt him tonight.

“We really need to get that cleaned up,” I frown. It looks worse than before.

Side eyeing me, he rolls up his sleeve, the flesh wound angry and swollen, but the bleeding has slowed down some.

“Well, we can’t really go into a hospital right now. Can we?” he smarts.

“You can’t just bleed out everywhere either! What happened?” I snap back.

“I told you, my dad cut me with a beer bottle,” he reminds me with an angry tone. His dad is an asshole. Warner is in pain and won’t last much longer if we don’t do something about it.

“I hope you punched him in the teeth,” I whisper, taking my eyes away from the gruesome limb.

Yellow lights just ahead catch my eyes and I point to the Dollar Store that sits just outside of town. “Pull in there!” I yell.

Warner jerks the wheel last minute and drives into the parking lot.

“Damn, easy Hulk.” He pokes fun before parking and turning the engine off. His hands now free, he presses his palm on his wound. He’s sweating, his forehead wrinkled with pain. I hate seeing him like this. I got to help him.

“Fuck it stings,” he whispers to himself. Hunching over in pain.

Setting Huey down on the seat in between us, I grab my wallet from my bag and scoot to the passenger door.

“I’ll be back.”

He grabs me by the elbow stopping me from getting out, worry dancing in his steel blue eyes.

“Wait, where are you going?”

“We need supplies if we’re hitting the road and we better get them now before my parents notice I’m gone and turn my credit card off.” Hopefully this place will have something for his arm.

He nods, glancing back to the store. But you can tell he’s still unsure of us stopping during our run out of town. It’s better we do it now because in the morning our parents will definitely be looking for us.

Hopping out, I head inside. An older lady with more wrinkles than an aged dinosaur sits behind the register reading a magazine, giving me a once over before returning back to her Royal Wedding recap. It’s cold in here, the air conditioner on full blast even at this time of night.

I head to the medical supplies aisle and grab a medical kit and some pain reliever. Looking through the shelves of goods, it seems to be the only thing that will help. Unless I want to get Warner some My Little Pony Band-Aids. I grin just thinking about his reaction if I tossed those in his lap.

I get Huey some dry food, a few bottles of water, a leash, and an on-the-go dog bowl. Making sure to hit the snacks Isle I throw chips, cookies, and soda in too. Heading to the check ou,t the lady sits her magazine down, and starts checking my items.

“I was just about to close,” she rasps, her tongue sliding back and forth over her cracked lips.

I run the card and clear my throat, not sure what to say. Looking anywhere but at her, I spot an ATM next to the door. I bite my thumbnail in thought. I should pull some cash. I mean, my parents are going to shut my cards off when they find out I’m gone. My palms become sweaty holding my wallet, they could be looking for me right now for all I know. My eyes dart to the door in worry, but just Warner’s truck is sitting in the parking lot. The lady dangles a receipt in front of my face, and I blink myself back to the present.

“Oh sorry!” I say, snatching the receipt. “Have a nice night!” Throwing my bags in my cart, I head over to the ATM, my heart beating so fast with what I’m about to do.

I withdraw five-hundred dollars. The max amount for my bank.

Twenties pop out from below and I quickly snatch them and push my cart outside. My heart beats so loud it’s all I can hear as I nearly run to the truck. Scared the sound of my father’s strict voice will pop up behind me like a scene from a bad movie and give me a heart attack.

Opening my door, I toss the bags in and jump inside, leaving the cart next to the truck.

“What’d you get?” he starts searching through the bags. He pulls out the safety kit and there’s a sewing kit.

“Oh, you want me to try and sew it?” Oh my God, I’ve never sewn anything before, but surely there’s something on YouTube to guide us.

Horror runs across his face at the thought of me sewing his arm closed, and he looks back down at the box for something to save him. Relief floods his handsome face and he fists a tube of superglue like it’s a golden key.

“We’re good, I got liquid Band-Aids right here.”

I frown. “Wait, you’re going to glue it shut?” He can’t be serious.

“Yep, seen my dad do it a hundred times. It works.” He grabs the top of the glue with his teeth and jerks it off.

“Wait.” I hold my hand up and grab the bottle of rubbing alcohol. Just as he realizes what I’m about to do and attempts to smack it out of my hand, I pour more than I intend on his wound… his pants, and all over my hands.

“JESUS FUCK!” He punches his steering wheel, grinding his teeth, breathing loudly through the pain.

Covering my face with my hands, I wince in reaction. “I’m sorry, I just don’t want it to get infected.”

Glaring at me like he might just kick me out of the truck, he snatches the bottle from my hands, rolls his window down and tosses it out.

“Don’t do that shit again,” he seethes slowly. I roll my eyes at him, he’s clearly overreacting.

He dabs a blob of superglue along his cut and blows on it before holding the slit skin shut. It looks so painful it makes my arm hurt. Maybe I should have just grabbed the Band-Aids.

He looks back through the bags and grabs the bottle of pain reliever. He pops the top off with one finger and tosses a few pills into his mouth, not even using water to swallow.

Damn, I can’t help but notice how tough he is right now. I’d be crying like a big baby if that was me right now.

His chest heaving, he tosses the bottle back into the bag, and I shake myself from eye fucking him in his time of pain. My sweaty palm starts to itch, and I realize I’m still holding the money.

“Oh, I also got this.” I show him the money and his eyes go wide like I stole it or something.

“I figured I better get it before they shut the cards off, ya know? We can stay at a hotel for the night until we can figure out our next move.” I shrug. I mean, we can’t keep driving, we will have to stop at some time, and we will need gas at some point.

“Yeah, I have some cash too, but not enough,” he mumbles.

Gently, he takes the money from my grasp. Flipping through the bills, his eyes meet mine through is blond hair that has fallen in his eyes.

“You sure you wanna do this? I can take you back right now, but once we’re across state lines, there’s no going back, baby.” The protection in his voice and term of endearment hit my gut hard. I look down, not wanting him to see how much I like it.

I know how many lines I’m crossing, boundaries I’ll never be able to come back from. I smirk thinking about my parents’ faces when they find out not only did I run away, but I stole money from them. Excitement buzzes through my limbs.

“I’m doing this. We’re doing this,” I assure him.

He laughs and starts the truck. “You’re not most like girls, ya know?” He hits me with a smile that makes me giggle like those very girls he’s talking about. Biting my thumbnail, I stop myself from laughing and turn my head sideways to keep him from seeing me.

Clearing my throat, I get a hold of myself and look back his way. “Why, because I demand respect, and want to have fun at the same time?”

Licking his bottom lip, he nods, seeming impressed by the response.

Gesturing my hand toward the steering wheel, I smile. “You ready to run?”

“Let’s get the fuck out of dodge, babe.” Lifting his chin, he gives a sideways smirk. Grabbing the wheel and the shifter.

I laugh and shuffle over next to him. He’s so damn sexy I can’t stand not being beside him. I turn the radio on, and Taylor Swift’s song “Delicate” plays through his speakers. The lyrics hitting home. I try not to think too hard on them though.

River is fast asleep beside me, her head lolling back and forth on my shoulder as we drive through the night trying to get as far as we can away from the lick of the flames that try and devour what youth we have left. I’m glad she came with me, to be honest, that is what I was hoping the whole time I came to say goodbye. I didn’t care about leaving this town, but I cared about leaving her. We’ve been driving for about four hours, and I’ve noticed a lot of caution signs pass by as we head to Mount Eagle on I-24. I’ve heard stories about this damn road, but I’ve never driven on it. It’s a peak that steeps down so fast trucks are known to lose their breaks.

Raindrops begin to splatter on the windshield and I turn the wipers on. My palms begin to sweat as I descend down the dark pavement. This late of hour I’m hoping there won’t be much traffic.

A truck flies beside us, and I get in the next lane. Yellow lights flash on signs just ahead alerting emergency stop pits on the left. I got this, I take a deep breath and just as I exhale lights blind me from behind. There’s an eighteen-wheeler right up on our ass. It blows its horn and I glance down at the gages, I’m going over the speed limit what’s his damn problem? The front bumper of the big truck is inches away from us, steam rolling out from the grill from the cold rain hitting the hot engine. A chill runs up my spine and I floor it trying to put some space in between us. Huey whines next to me, his ears perked up as if he’s saying, ‘What the fuck man?’

I try and get over in the next lane, but another eighteen-wheeler blocks my way. Fuck! Glancing at River her head continues to nudge back and forth as my tires skid along the wet conditions. I’m not going to lie, I’m fucking nervous. We can’t make it this far only to wreck and have to go back. She is relying on me to get us out of Georgia, I got to keep my fucking cool. The truck honks its horn again, and my nerves are shot. The smell of burnt rubber filters into the vents of our truck and I clench the steering wheel hard knowing we’re about to be hit any second.

Suddenly lights turn to the left and the big truck flies into the emergency stop pit its horn echoing into the night.

My hands shaking, body covered in sweat, I look to Huey. He looks back. That was close. Too damn close. I pray we don’t have any more roads like this.

“Everything okay?” River sits up half asleep, looking around sleepy eyes. I situate myself and throw my arm around her coolly. I cock a smile and focus on the road.

“Fine, babe, go back to sleep.” I kiss her head, and she snuggles up next to me, Huey’s eyes telling me just how much of a fucking liar I am.

A few hours later my eyes start to cross. I can’t drive anymore. Yawning, I decide we’ve driven far enough tonight, and pull into a hotel parking lot. It’s about five stories high, outlined in green lights, and looks decent. Glancing at River, I wonder if it will be nice enough for her though. She’s lived such a lavish lifestyle her idea of nice is probably different than mine. As soon as I stop the truck River startles awake, popping straight up and looking around.

“Where are we?”

“Just outside Georgia,” I tell her, my voice hoarse from lack of sleep. Her eyes fall to my hurt arm. The amount of care she has for my wellbeing is foreign to me. My dad wouldn’t have cared, hell he didn’t when he did it.

“How is it?”

Flexing my fingers, I test out the superglue I pasted into the cut. “Burns like a bitch, but it’s fine.”

She shakes her head like I’m insane and nibbles on her nails. “I cannot believe he cut you.” Pain laces through her words, like my dad cut her too.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I can’t help but replay what happened. How he yelled at me about missing school and I yelled at him about actually caring what I do for once in his life. He swung at me and for some reason, I decided to swing back this time. I had enough of his shit, I suppose. When he got up from the ground, he grabbed a beer bottle that fell from the counter and slashed my arm with it. He kept coming at me like he was really trying to kill me, so I ran to my room. It didn’t take me long to decide to pack my shit and leave. The whole time I was grabbing my belongings, he banged on the door before I climbed out my window.

“I’m never going back,” I tell myself more than to River. I used to overlook what my dad did, trying to tell myself it was work, or losing my mother, but in the end... he’s always been this way. He’ll never change. My mother dying was a blessing disguised as a tragedy. She’s safe.

“Me either,” she whispers. “My parents don’t see me as their daughter, I’m their flesh and blood. It makes sense why I’m an only child. They had me and realized they were over their heads having a kid. They’re so obsessed with each other they don’t have enough love left over for me. It’s always felt like that.

I had my mom for most of my life, and I know she loved me. So I don’t know what it’s like to have your parents not love you. At least not both of them.

Reaching for her hand, the contact makes her flinch as if I just hit her. Her eyes widen as if she just realized how she reacted.

“Hey.” I force her hand in mine. And her head falls, her wavy hair falling down her shoulder. “I will never hurt you like that,” I promise.

I nod and squeeze her hand. “I’ll never treat you like your parents did or use you,” I explain further. That’s what her parents did. They used her for their gain, not giving a shit she was a real person.

She leans her head on my shoulder, and I kiss her forehead. Where I was physically abused, she was mentally. I’m not sure which is worse. Wounds heal, but a broken mind doesn’t.

“I’m so tired,” she yawns. Giving her head one last chaste kiss, I pat her thigh. The soft skin making me want to devour her on the spot.

“Let’s go get some sleep,” I suggest.

“What should I do with Huey?”

“Let’s check in, and then we will come back and get him and our bags,” I state. I’m sure this place doesn’t allow pets.

Getting out of the truck, we head into the lobby. It’s nice and cold and looks clean enough.

“Oh, I cannot wait for a bed,” River groans. If that’s the only thing she’s groaning about, then I must have done an okay job picking a place.

“Y’all needing a room?” A short, pudgy lady with slicked black hair into a tight bun and a button-up shirt with black slacks hustles past us. She’s out of breath and holding a dirty rag.

“Yeah, just one?” River’s response comes out like a question as her eyes peer up at me through dark lashes. Is she serious? Of course we are sleeping together.

“Just one,” I confirm.

“One room, coming up!” The lady rounds the desk and starts typing away, sweat beading on her forehead despite the cold temperature inside. “Sorry, I get to wiping down the buffet, and just - Woot. It takes it out of me,” she huffs, continuing to type.

“I’ll need a card and ID.” The lady gives us a tight smile. It takes everything I have not allow all the blood to drain from my face. No way are they going to let minors rent a room.

“We’re paying with cash, actually.” River passes some bills across the counter, she’s so chill and relaxed that I can’t help but be turned on.

The lady’s face shapes in an ‘O’ shape as she looks the cash over.

“Alright then. I guess just an ID will do then.” She takes the money, smiling in waiting.

River and I stare at each other knowing if we give her our ID she won’t give us a room, or even if she does, that just means our parents will find us.

“I um, left mine in the truck,” River says to me, lying.

“I don’t even know if I packed mine.” I started patting around my pockets acting aloof.

“We’re going on vacation and are so excited for the lake we nearly forgot our heads at home,” River laughs, making the lady giggle.

“Oh, that’s okay, just get it to me when you check out, so I have it on file. It’s late, go get some sleep.” She winks as if knowing we weren’t going to give her IDs when we checked out. The kindness of the lady has my shoulders sag in relief. And what was that from River? She’s a damn ninja!

“Yes, sleep is exactly what we need.” River nods with a charming smile. She looks so innocent, so pure. It’s no wonder she gets whatever she wants.

The robust lady hands us a keycard, and we don’t waste any time getting away from the front desk before she asks us any more questions.

Heading back to the truck, River stuffs Huey in her bag again, and I get my shit.

Our room is on the second floor, and when I open the door for River a waft of freezing air circles around us. There’s a queen size bed all wrapped up in white sheets. A desk against the wall with a phone and a light blue chair sits in the corner with a lamp behind it.

“I love these little soaps,” River giggles, smelling a travel size bar of soap on the counter next to the sink. She looks fucking adorable with her hair a mess and smelling that little soap.

Huey climbs out of River’s bag and starts to inspect the room, or hobbling more like it with his cast still on. His little tail wagging away. He is pretty fucking cool.

Jerking my shirt over my head, and dropping my jeans, I slide along the crisp blankets. A smile so big on my face I can’t even feel the cut in my arm anymore.

“Get your little hippie ass over here.” I pat the bed. River steps out of the bathroom, a hand on her hip as she stares me down with hungry eyes.

Using my fingertip, I press it into the bed. “Now!” I’ve dreamed about having River in a place like this all to myself. Just her and I, and a bed. Playing fucking house.

Rolling her eyes, she tries to be defiant, but I know she wants to get in bed with me. She pulls the straps of her dress off her arms, her perky tits in full view along with the rest of her body. She’s thin, but not in a built way. More of a natural beauty.

“No panties, again?” I can’t help but stare at her bare pussy. If I weren’t so fucking tired, I’d finger fuck her until the front desk got multiple complaints of someone dying in the room next to them.

She shrugs at me. “I’m more of comfort than speed kinda girl.”

“Ah, I’ve been fucked by you. You’re built for speed baby.”

She laughs, picking up Huey before climbing onto the bed. I grab her by her waist and pull her ass into the crook of my body, squeezing her into me. The smell of her reminds me of that candle store in the mall. I close my eyes and inhale her scent as long as my lungs can handle before demanding fresh air.

“You think they’ll miss us?” she asks quietly as Huey lays at the foot of the bed.

“My dad won’t. I was just a reminder that he never made it, a dead woman’s son left behind.” Sighing, I try to cool my heated tone. “I don’t know about your parents though,” I mutter with my eyes closed. The look of wrinkled anger and furrowed brows on my dad’s face when I hit him flash behind my eyes. The color of his eyes are always one of rage, he hates me and if he ever did get through my bedroom door, he’d probably be glad I was gone. He wouldn’t have to face resentment every day.

Minutes pass, and she lays in my arms. The room silent and filling with our scent.

“Maybe they’ll miss me if I’m gone. To lose something and realize it’s really gone, you know?” she looks at me, green eyes bloodshot with loss of sleep. Her chest rises as she lets out a small breath. “Or maybe I’ll be forgotten like my grandma. All my thinks packed up and given away.”

Tugging the sheets over us, I nuzzle so close to her our hearts beat the same rhythm. Our skin sticking to one another and breathing in sync.

“You’re too good for them, River,” I tell her right before falling asleep.