fallin' out of love (stemxstud)

27

Valentine

"How much for her?" I asked, leaning against the car as I talked to the owner of the car shop.

"I give you...a lot. My son wants the car. He works at gas station now," the man nodded. His skin as brown as mine, his accent thick, his hands sweaty.

"How much is a lot?" my eyes narrowed. "We need cash and a whole bunch of it. Right upfront or no deal."

"We will have it. Come tomorrow," the man nodded.

Anaela shook her head, getting out. "We need it come today. We're busy. We have things to do."

"Please...I will have it. Somewhere to stay?" he asked, gesturing down the street. "My niece owns the motel-

"Thank you," I said clippedly, heading back to the driver's seat. "But we'll be lookin' elsewhere, sir."

"My turn to drive?" Anaela asked as soon as I got in.

"We can switch places once we get out of town. I don't wanna switch here. Guy's a bit shady. I wanna get out of here and far away before dark. We need to make some progress out on the road."

"Head back to Houston?" she asked. "We're near College Station. We could go there to."

"We need to be somewhere with a lot of people where everyone doesn't know everybody else. That's how we'll lay low efficiently," I stated. "Any idea of places to stay?"

"Nowhere," she shook her head.

"Now I'm wishing you and your friends had been on better terms."

"Oh shit," her eyes widened. "Pouty and Mayah. They were framed. They're probably- They're probably-

"Take a deep breath...and speak," I told her slowly.

"I had one of my guys, Brett, take out Sissy. I was trying to right all of the wrongs concerning Dominique and...you. My mom killed Brett right in my office before he could go out and go after the other people I wanted gone. He was told to make Sissy's death appear as if Pouty and Mayah staged it. I don't know if the cops are even on their backs yet about it or if the cops even know yet."

"More enemies," I sighed.

"Oh great. So now we have those two people potentially after us. I'll give them a lot of credit for everything they've done before, but I seriously doubt the two of them have the capabilities to find us," she scoffed.

"I wouldn't doubt 'em," I shook my head.

"I say we stay in College Station awhile then head back to Houston to lay low. I...thought about the whole robbery thing and it does make sense," she said. "I just don't like it."

"I don't think anybody likes it, Anaela. If they did, it'd be a problem. We're doing this to survive. Please remember that. I don't wanna do this anymore than you do. But in order to get that movin', we need more weapons and more bullets."

"And we have to make sure we don't get caught," she added in.

"We won't," I assured her.

"Righttt, because this used to be you and Teece's favorite bonding hobby?" she said sarcastically.

"You're still stuck over that?" I rose an eyebrow.

"Type of question is that, Tino?" she demanded, "At this point I'm stuck on all of your ex's because they seem to be nothing but trouble for you."

"Even you?" I asked her, amused this time and not angry.

"You consider me an ex?"

The look of hurt on her face broke through my amusement. "I mean...Anaela, no...I just...We never talked about what we were anymore after your mother and Teece were killed. We never talked about anything except the fact that we loved each other. I wasn't sure what me and you were anymore."