The Dark Days

Chapter 20

"I need to pack a bag and go to a hotel." I stated, sitting down on the couch and sighing.

"Why do you need to go to a hotel?" Louis questioned.

"I'm not sure I can stand living here any longer! Wait, can you take me to get my car?" I just remembered we had left it downtown.

"Sure, but I can drive you anywhere you need to go." He began, but quickly spoke up again. "You aren't allowed to drive yet."

Crap, I had forgotten about that. There was so much I needed to do still! I began making a to do list in my head while I went to my bedroom and began my packing.

To Do:

-find place to stay

-find new home/sell house

-call work - can I work at home, at least for now?

-get things finished with the police

I guess I'll start by calling my work. I grabbed my phone and dialed the familiar number.

"Hello! This is Nicole at Secrets Revealed, how may I help you?" They must have hired a new secretary.

"Hi! I just need to talk to my boss, Amy Brooks." Hopefully she's in a good mood today or this phone call will be painful.

"Alright! I'll put you through!" I heard a click and the quiet music, signaling I was on hold.

"Hello, this is Amy Brooks." She doesn't seem angry from her tone of voice, let's hope I'm right.

"Hey Amy, it's Peyton. I just was calling to ask if I could stay home and email in my work this week? I'm not quite healthy enough to come in." I hope she doesn't press my further on the subject. I'm not up to talking about it.

"Of course! Please have your work to me by Friday so I can send it to the printers for Monday's issue. Thanks!" Click. Not her best mood, but certainly not her worst either. I hear foot steps before Louis appears at my side.

"Got everything packed?" I zipped up my duffel bag that I had filled when I was on the phone. It contained my clothes, make-up, and all other necessities.

"Almost, I just need my work stuff." I filled my shoulder bag with all of my notebooks full of poetry and my laptop and chargers. I zipped this bag shut and slung it over my shoulder, turning to Louis.

"Now I'm ready." I gave him a small smile, which he didn't return. Instead he grabbed my duffel and headed out of the room. I followed obediently down the hall and to my front door, only stopping momentarily to turn off a light or two as we passed by.

He waited for me as I locked the door, then wordlessly led me to his car. Placing my duffel in the truck and making his way back towards me, knowing I would need his assistance to keep my pain to a minimum.

He took my work bad and placed it in the car, by where my feet would go, and slowly helped me lower myself in.

"Thanks." He nodded and proceeded to slowly close the door extremely softly. He circled the car back to his side as I buckled my seatbelt, finally clicking it in to it's proper place as he swung his door open.

When he climbed in I could smell the aroma of him, a perfect mixture of his cologne and shampoo, a scent I had truly missed. It brought a slight smile to my face.

"You can just take me to any hotel downtown, so I'm close enough to my work if I need to ever go in and if I haven't found a place to stay by next week when I go back." He didn't answer, but I didn't expect him to. I had noticed that ever since that first night he barely talks to me. I didn't know if I should try to start a conversation or not so I just stared down at my hands the entire ride.