3 am; joji miller

0.8

I kept close to the cool cell wall. I waited impatiently for Ian to come and bail us out. I bounced my leg. I was thinking about what the old man told me. Is George someone completely different than I thought?

"Miller! James! It's your lucky day," a guard called out as he made his way to the cell. We stood up and he slid the cell open. Ian was behind him. I stepped out first and immediately wrapped my arms around Ian. "Thank you," I said quietly. I could tell he was a little shocked from the hug, but he hugged back.

     "What do we need to do?" I could hear George ask the guard. I pulled away from Ian and turned around and faced George and the guard.

     "Oh c'mon Miller, don't play innocent in front of your girlfriend here. You know it's not good to lie to a significant other," the guard said sharply. George shifted uneasily on his feet. I looked up at Ian, who just looked down at the ground.

     George finally turned on his heel and grabbed my hand. "Let's go guys," he said. He pulled me out of the precinct, Ian trailing behind us.

     I tried to pull away from George, but his grip was too strong. Once we finally got out of the precinct and to Ian's car, he let go. "Before I go anywhere, with either of you, I want an answer!" I said, probably a little louder than I intended.

     "I didn't want to believe it, but the man in there...he told me you've been in here before. I didn't think he was telling the truth, but when that guard said that..." I took a second to catch my breath.

"About a year ago," George began before I could say anything else. "I was having some trouble. My depression was worse. It was effecting my life a lot more than it is now. I was stressed with money problems. I felt like I couldn't do anything. But that's not an excuse for what I did."

"I was at such a low point, I didn't think that I could stoop any lower. I needed the money. So I..."

I sighed and turned away. I was hoping that it wasn't going to be true. But it was. Dammit.

"The night that I met you, I was going to a deal. I'm guessing since we've been together a lot, they must've thought that you're a part of this."

I turned back around. I looked at him. No, I didn't look at him. I glared at him. Glared and cocked my head. I could tell that he felt awful, but right now I didn't care. I took a couple of steps towards him.

"Do what you need to. Hit me, scream at me, leave. I'll understand," he said. He kept his head down. I didn't know what I was thinking, or what I wanted to do. But I know I didn't want to hit him, or scream at him, or leave. So I just stood there, and glared.

"Guys..." Ian caught our attention and we looked in his direction. Sitting at the other end of the parking lot were three, dark, cars. I felt George take my hand.

"We need to get out of here. Now!" He said. He pulled the back seat door open and practically pushed me in. Once I was in, he slammed the door. Ian jumped in the drivers seat and George in the passenger's.

"Dammit George, why do you have to make me a part of this every fucking time. It's Max's turn. Cunt," Ian said angrily. He turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the precinct. I could hear the engine of the other cars following us.

"Okay, one more question," I said. I turned back and saw that we were being tailed.
  
     "Yes those are guys that I was with. They said if I get arrested one more time, they'd have to kill me. I thought they were joking. They weren't," George said. Ian sighed again and took a turn onto a narrow road.
  
     "Oh yeah, and where the hell are we going?" I asked.
  
     "I've got to leave. I can't stay here. But I've got to get a few things first," George said. He glanced behind us and relaxed and let a relieved sigh. But that was a moment short lived as Ian slammed on the brakes.
  
     Three cars were parked in front of us. The same three, dark, god damn cars. "I wish I was back in Louisiana," I said. Ian nodded.
  
     "I wish I was there with you," he said with a scared look on his face as he faced the cars.
  
     "Count me in on that deal," George said. "Ian, you know what to do. You can do it man."
  
     Ian put his jeep in reverse and floored it. We went flying backwards. Thank god that the road was almost completely straight. Once we got back to the main road, Ian threw the car into drive and spun us out onto the road, where he floored it again.
  
     "Okay, scratch trying to get things first. We always have back up. Thanks for that, by the way," George said to Ian.
  
     George pulled open the glove box and pulled out a passport and a plane ticket. "Hey, get the other one out of there," Ian said.
  
     "You're coming with me?" George asked and looked up at him.
  
     "Not me, her," Ian said, watching the road. We were now around a bunch of other cars and people, so I felt slightly safer.
  
     "What do you mean?" George asked and sat up slightly.
  
     "You know if you leave her here, they're gonna find her. They might kill her, or hold her hostage until you give yourself up."
  
     I couldn't see my expression, but I know my face went a ghostly white. I looked at George, who was looking at me.
   
     "Rose, I hate to ask you to do this, but he's right. They'll try to find you, and they'll kill you. No matter what you do," George explained.
  
     "What is this, fucking Taken 4?" I asked. I was trying to hold back, but I could feel the tears swelling up in my eyes. All that I had worked for to get here. Everything that I went through to get to where I am now. Now it could all be ruined because of a guy that I think I might have feelings for. Fuck.
  
     As I was thinking, I felt George reach back. He took my face in his hand. He used his thumb to wipe away a tear that fell from my eye.
  
     "Rose, I need you to trust me. I know that's hard to do, seeing as I got you into this mess. But please...I can't let them hurt you," he said.
  
     My eyes locked with his. I could see the sincere look in his eyes. I didn't say a word. I just simply nodded. He showed a smile. He removed his hand and faced the road again.
  
     "Okay Ian. Get us to the airport. And thanks again," George said.
  
     "Oh yeah, of course. Any mother fucking time man," Ian said.
  
     I sat in the back. Thinking. Just thinking. Fuck.