Addicted to Her Pain

Chapter Four

I could barely contain my excitement, stumbling as I pulled on a pair of baggy black jeans. I was being allowed outside. The sun looked warm today and I had tried to put on a dress but Xavier had said no, saying I would be too recognizable if I wore that. That was complete bullshit, from what I could tell we weren't near my home at all. If I had guessed right and I was in California, then we were about a 15 hour drive to Seattle, my home. Well, actually it was the island across from the city, but no one ever knew where that was when I said its name. 

I grabbed an oversized t-shirt and pulled it over my head, flinching as the material grazed the cuts on my wrist. They still hurt but were healing, I would just have to keep them covered for today.

Lacing up my shoes, I ran downstairs, practically jumping with excitement as I wrapped my arms around Xavier, who had his back to me as he waited.

"Lets go!" I looked at him expectantly, my cheeks already hurting from smiling all morning.

His eyes took me in, wondering over my face which brought a smile to his lips. "you look perfect Nem." His voice came out husky, his hands running down my arms and catching my hands in his.

My face couldn't help it, I smiled even bigger. "Lets go!"

He reached out and typed in a passcode, the door opened and I breathed in deeply. Fresh air blew inside the house, the scent of Jasmin and pine flowing over me. I could open a few of the windows here but it was nothing to standing out in the open.

"Are we taking the bike?"

He shrugged, he hadn't stopped watching me since I came downstairs. "we can take the bike, the car or anything else you want love."

I bit my lip "lets take the bike,"

It sad how I feel such a childlike glee from being outside. My teenage self would have hated me, seeing as she never wanted to leave her room. I would hole up in there for days, only coming out for school and meals, answering my mothers questions with vague yes or no's. My poor mother had dealt with so much. Raising me had been hell.

I accepted the helmet he handed me, straddling the motorcycle behind him and wrapping my arms around his waist. I'd pulled on the jacket he'd handed me, the wind would turn ice cold once we began to ride and I wasn't going to enjoy that.

The green from the trees reflected off the perfectly clean black paint of the cars that sat in the driveway. Birds would break out into song every couple seconds, the noise echoing through the trees, we really were alone out here. The woods weren't dense, as sunlight poured through every opening in the trees above but there was a serenity in the landscape that put unease into any visiter. 

He sped up, taking us faster on the winding road, the trees eventually thinning out to reveal fields, and to our right were the cliffs. The ocean stretched for miles beyond that, the waves lapping angrily at the rocks.

I rested my cheek on his back, completely filled with bliss. I had needed this so badly.

He began to slow down as we got into town. I stared at every sign we passed, memorizing it, I didn't know how much of this I would need later one.

Bodega Bay.

This had to be California. All the stores seemed to expand onto the sidewalks, blankets and surfboards piled up next to small restaurants that had a weather beaten look. We passed a dilapidated church and turned down a street, Xavier pulling the bike to the side of the road and cutting the engine.

"You know the rules buttercup" he said as he lifted my helmet off my head, my hands instantly flying up to comb through my tangled hair. "You don't make eye contact, you stay right beside me and you don't tell anyone anything is that understood?"