Souvenir [Complete]

Thirty-six. Not-So-Great Escapes

"Brightwitch? Where is that?" Harry asked softly crammed with Luke and Lauren in the back seat.

"Outside of Rochester," Calum answered before Luke had a chance. "Maybe an hour."

Calum had stayed in the car apparently. How they all five fit into Adrian, Luke didn't know. But they somehow did.

"Oh...where is Rochester?"

"Jeez, do you kids ever travel?" Calum teased.

"No," Harry shook his head.

"But I guess two-in-the-morning on a school night is the time to start," Lauren glared at Ashton in the driver's seat.

Luke did the same. He couldn't help but glare at the man gripping the wheel with white knuckles. He wished he didn't have hours to go with this same view.

Actually he wished he didn't have to go at all. He felt like he was returning to serve time in prison. He could see the sameness lining up in front of him and the problem was he didn't know how long he was sentenced for. Probably forever.

Maybe he felt more like he was on death row.

Stuck in a car with two kids, a stoner, and his ex. Nothing against the kids or the stoner. They were the only thing separating him from his ex. But that still meant he was stuck on the hard ground of a back seat that doesn't exist. No seat belt or anything. If Ashton got pulled over they'd be in trouble for sure.

"I have to pee." Harry groaned when he saw us a rest area sign for a mile ahead.

"Well, we're not stopping we have to get as far away from the city as quickly as possible," Ashton hummed.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Why?" he whimpered. "I have to pee and I can't hold it. I've been holding it for two hours, Ashton..."

"Cal, don't you have a cup up here?" Ashton asked.

"No! He's not peeing next to me," Lauren objected. "Thats not happening!"

"Suck it up we're not stopping," Ashton looked back at her in the rear view mirror, while Harry whined—seemingly in agony.

"I have to pee," Luke spoke up timidly over the din.

The car went quiet, only the sound of the interstate roared around them. And then the blinker cut on. "If any of you aren't out of the bathroom in three minutes I'm leaving you at this rest area."

Luke knew he was bluffing, but he didn't wanna face the consequences of being late so he hurried. Apparently everyone needed to go, except Ashton. He got himself a Diet Coke and stretched his legs at the car.

Luke was the first one back, but he didn't want to be alone with Ashton so he busied himself at the vending machine, even though he didn't feel like buying anything. He just messed with the buttons.

The flash of Ashton bringing the cleaver down on the soft part of his elbow flashed back to his mind and his arm tingled at the thought.

The door to the women's restroom opened, and Lauren sulked to the car. She was so much like Michael, Luke thought it was funny. She was so kind and gentle one minute, but when someone made her mad she made it known.

The selfish part of Luke was glad. Ashton was being a dick to them all night, so he deserved it.

Luke briefly wondered how much Ashton had slept last night—or during the day. It couldn't have been much more than Luke had if at all. He wondered if he'd had nightmares, too.

The men's room door opened, snapping Luke out of his thoughts. Out came Calum and Harry.

"Why are we going so far north?" Harry whined to Calum.