Swallow

Chapter 1.79:

My eyes were burning and started drying out as I tried to concentrate as well as I could on the road. Riley hadn't said a single word to me since I got her in the car. Her silent presence wasn't helping my high at all.

I was completely messed up beyond recognition and it still wasn't enough to relieve the tension between us.

Driving.

We were driving to—where were we going?

I was the one behind the wheel and had no clue where we were even headed.

The two of us needed to go somewhere alone, without everyone else interfering. I thought about jumping on the highway and driving Riley back to Indiana with me or somewhere west where no one could find us. Any place where no one else could influence her decision. I would be able to convince her that terminating the pregnancy was the right thing to do for us. 

If she didn't have any other options, she would have to listen to me and get rid of the baby before I ruined it and her.

My eyes blurred out of focus and I was having a hard time staying in the lane. I would never be able to get us very far in my current state. Besides, I didn't have any money in my bank account to pay for the gas it would take to get us there. 

There had to be somewhere else we could go.

I ended up driving to the only local place I could think of that was secluded. It was a small park I had been to a few times when I needed to get away from the band house noise.  There was a quiet spot down off one of the side trails that no one else seemed to know about.

That was exactly where I was going to take her. No one would know to look for her there.

I pulled into the parking lot and shut off the car. Riley gave me a sideways glance and shifted uncomfortably as I pulled my keys from the ignition to pocket them. I exited the car and started walking quickly towards the trail.

The passenger door thudded closed behind me as I hunted around the brush for the etched wood sign that pointed towards the direction of the hidden shelter. Riley's small feet pattered against the pavement behind me as soon as it came into focus. I veered off to the right to where the sign pointed and cut through the grass to the start down the dirt trail.

"Where are we going?" Riley questioned breathlessly.

Her footsteps were still too far behind me and she was moving irritatingly slow. I was going to have to turn around and pick her up to carry her down the trail if she didn't start moving faster.

"Going for a walk. Keep up." I demanded, reluctantly slowing my pace to give her a second to catch up.

"Ezra, please. Let's just go sit somewhere and talk." Riley dug her fingertips into my arm to stop me from moving forward again.

"Riley, that's what I am doing. There is a picnic shelter a little way down where we can talk. No one ever comes down here." I rolled my eyes and shook her off. I began the downward trek over the uneven dirt path to the spot where the shade of the trees started dimming the sunlight.

"Oh." She sounded relieved and started scurrying behind me again.

I stayed about twenty feet ahead of Riley for the rest of the walk to scout out the location. My paranoid head was on a swivel with every noise or broken branch snapping in the trees around us.

Other than the scorching wind kicking up every few seconds and the occasional squirrel running across the grass, there was no sign of life anywhere.

This place was perfect. We were completely alone.