You Know Me

8| Long Ride

Friday
May 18, 2020

I shove my lightly packed duffle bag into Stella's trunk which is already filled with half of her closet and then some. I should've packed more than what I did but I'm sure Stella and I will end up sharing clothes anyway. Christian awkwardly hovers beside Stella as she hurriedly throws some more of her things into her backseat. He continues to question her awfully thought up lie, brows furrowed and lips tucked as his thoughts must think the worst.

"My mom wants us to come sooner! She got a new dog!" Stella says with a forced giggle.

If she weren't so bad at lying and I didn't already know that she was, I would still know she was lying just from the look on her face. She's always been awful at lying. And a new dog? So what?

"I don't get it. She got a new dog? So what?" He huffs and paces back and forth in front of the car. "You could at least wait until the morning, couldn't you? It's past midnight!" He looks over at me, probably hoping that I'll agree with him but Stella was right.

We need to leave and we need to leave now. The sooner the better. We probably would've left hours ago if Christian wasn't so determined on holding us up, and if we didn't take forever on trying to find a spot to hide my gift. My first thought was to throw it away but Stella thinks we should hold it for evidence. The very back of my closet is the best place for now.

"Stella, talk to me inside, please," Christian begs and looks over at me apologetically. If he weren't so nice to me earlier today, I would find any look other than a frown from him odd, but with that and me getting Dave's carcass' ring in a box, I don't know what to expect anymore.

Stella follows him inside as I stand outside of the car, looking past the palm trees and everything else that makes the tourists love Florida. It's much prettier in the daytime. I used to find it way more mesmerizing when I was visiting, but that was when I was younger and didn't have anything to fear or worry about. Now, I stand here and look at the once adored palm trees, hoping that no one will jump out at me. A shiver goes down my spine as headlights peer through the trees, casting shadows on our apartment. I'm cold, so cold.

Stella walks back outside, looking at the ground as she comes my way. Great, she told him.

"I told him," Stella answers my mind. "Don't worry. We're still leaving and everything is okay."

"No, it's not okay, Stella," I huff as I begin to pace the side of the car.

"I tore the letter up and threw it away. He doesn't even know about it, just the ring," she says, only easing my anxiety a little bit.

"Okay. Can we go now?" I bark, opening the passenger side door before climbing in.

"You're welcome," she murmurs under her breath as she walks around the car to get into the driver's seat.

Christian stands at the screen door, blowing Stella kisses and waving me bye. I guess for once in his life, Christian isn't such a twerp. I'll have to return the favor when we get back, but for now, the only thing I need to see is the highway.

"I'll call Sarah when we get to a hotel and let her know that we're coming early," she explains, beginning to plan ahead and talking almost in gibberish like she always does when she's worried. "Shit! I'll have to call Alison and let her know that we've left early and won't be coming into work."

I almost forgot that I was supposed to go to work at six in the morning. Fuck it, I can find a new job when we get back.

"Calm down, Stells," I groan and uncross my shaking arms from my chest to turn on the heat.

"Are you getting sick?" Stella asks, ignoring my request for her to calm down. She's now swerving to try and feel my head.

I swat her hand away and rub my beating temples. "No, just having another spell."

"Another migraine? You get those at the worst of times, don't you think?" She asks, but she doesn't seem concerned. Us talking about my frequent migraines is better than talking about my crazy stalker.

"It's okay, I'm just going to lay back for some of the ride. Let me know when you get tired," I tell her as I lean my seat back.

My head burns hotter with every light post that we pass, even with my eyes being closed. And my stomach is in knots. I usually love to live on the edge, taking things day by day, but right now I just feel so anxious. Like everything around me is closing in, squeezing me into this tight darkness and it's suffocating me with my own breaths. Anxious. That's what I am. Anxious to know what the hell is going on. Anxious to know that if I were to fall asleep at this very moment would he come back in my dreams?

"I told you this is going to be a long drive, didn't I?" Stella asks. I open my eyes just enough to see her long fingers tapping the steering wheel.

"You did."

"Yeah, well this is going to be a really long drive," she says again, forcing yet another laugh.

•••

I open my eyes to a bright glowing motel sign. I groan as Its dim light casts its way into the car, almost blinding me when my eyes finally focus. The digital clock on the radio shows that it's already four in the morning which means we're somewhat closer to our destination, I just don't know how close.

"I say we book it," I groan as I sit up. My migraine seems to have disappeared in my sleep and I feel well-rested or rested enough for me to be sleeping in a car.

"I'm tired and you have a migraine," she yawns. "Plus, this is literally a twenty-nine-hour drive. I wasn't kidding when I said it would be long."

"Twenty-ni... Stella!" I bark. "Why are we not on a fucking plane? We are not driving for that long!"

"I told you it would be a long drive! I mean, I guess we could look at flight times for tomorrow," she shrugs. "I just wanted to have our own car while we were there. We already have four hours out of our way! Only 25 more to go!"

"When do you expect us to get there?" I ask, flabbergasted at the nonsense coming from Stella's mouth. Anytime I've ever gone somewhere far I've flown.

"Plus, how many miles does your car have? If we were going to drive all of the way out there we should've taken my car." Her mouth forms an 'O' from me insulting her old car but I can't help that her car is old.

"If we leave early enough in the morning we could make it by..." she looks down at her watch, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth to make a t-t-tsk noise.

"Sunday. We would make it by Sunday. We're booking a flight, Stella. I will get my mother to send us some money to cover the cost of cabs. We'll get some rest tonight and head to the closest airport tomorrow," I tell her. The look on her face tells me that she knows that I'm right but I know she won't admit it. Instead, she rolls her eyes and turns off the car.

"I don't want to use your mom's money on our trip," she whines as she grabs a small toiletry bag from her backseat. The last thing I want to do is use my mom's money but when you see an easy path, you fucking take it. I don't see why that's so fucking hard for Stella.

"Money that she doesn't know what to do with."

"You're right," Stella agrees as we both hop out of the car.

"Aren't I always?"