The Devil's Trail

05. Payback

I did what I thought was best for the journey to LA, I took myself off to the back of the RV and set up my own little base camp. So that I wasn't disturbing anyone.

"Ahem.."

I kept my eyes fixated on the book in front of me, determined not to give in to the presence lingering by the door.

"A-ahem."

He wasn't going to go away.. Maybe a little punch to the gullet? Poppy said I could ring her at work... Right?

The third throat clearing came and I looked up to see Zak stood in the doorway.

"Can I help?" I ask pleasantly, trying to remove all annoyance from my tone. People still meditated... Didn't they?

"You're on my bed."

I sit up off the pillows and look around "I didn't see your name–"

"Cut the shit, it's my RV. Just go sit on the couch. I need to lay down."

I scoff and turn back to my book, reading about a gritty fight club in London with some sexual content and some epic comebacks. I am almost knee deep in the drama when the book was ripped from my fingers.

"Hey!" I shout glaring up at Zak as he views the cover and twists it over in his large paw to check out the back.

"Looks boring." He scoffs throwing it behind him and onto the ground.

I growl and get off the bed to retrieve it as he slides past me and falls onto the bed.

"Fucking ass.." I mutter picking it up and wiping the cover. "Haven't you heard the saying never judge a book by its cover?" I ask looking at the great gibbon laying face down.

"Heard of it. Don't care about it."

I took a step towards the bed as intentions of pushing his face down in the pillow flittered into my mind. I paused and sighed before smoothing out the cover again.

I looked after my books, call me old fashioned but I liked to keep them smelling like new without creasing the spine. Now the book in my hand had its spine creased and cover folded from where he threw it over his shoulder.

"Can you get out? I kinda wanna sleep."

"Don't die in it." I seethed before stalking out the room to his light chuckle.

Walking down the RV, I found Billy engrossed in the Xbox as he shot and ducked out of fire. Seeing one of the leather seats, I went to go over when I tripped over a pair of shoes. I splayed my hands out ready to fall but a quick three step run caught me until I straightened myself up and looked at the shoes.

"Who the hell leaves shoes there?" I mutter.

Bacon looks up from his phone "Zak."

I look down at them again before smiling.

Damage my book, I'll go after his shoes...

"Well he's an idiot." I add before standing in the small kitchen area, discretely moving his shoes between my feet until they were out of Bacons view....

[5]

Zak sighs harshly and throws the pillow aside as he smells her perfume on it.

"A man can't even get some sleep without being disturbed..." He mutters.

Rolling onto his back, he looks up at the ceiling and let's out a breath of air. He knew he'd taken that too far, throwing her book like that. Part of him didn't even want to sleep, he just wanted to lay on the bed and hope the sickness passed. And maybe just irritate her to how much she irritated him by driving onto a private community with the music blasting, having no consideration for others.

'Who am I trying to kid? I was a complete ass to her then.' He thinks to himself and replays the small frown on her face as she inspected her book.

Something pulled inside of him, that face brought back a memory, one he'd locked away, so deep in his mind that he struggled to even pull it up to re-evaluate.

He stayed in the bedroom for a while longer, trying to work out a way of apologising about her book and trying to remember what it was called so he could order her another, when the RV slowed down.

Blowing out his cheeks, he sat up to see them pulling into a Walmart. He lays back down for a few more seconds before getting up and fixing his clothes straight.

Padding out the room, his eyes lock with Delilah's, but before he can open his mouth, she hurries out the door.

"What did you do?" Billy asks seeing their interaction.

"Damaged her book..."

"Why?"

"Because she wouldn't get off the bed. I needed to lay down. I felt sick."

"Did you tell her that?" Bacon asks whilst pushing his phone into his pocket.

"No."

"So you damaged her book because she wouldn't get off the bed?" Billy summarised.

"Yeah all right, I get it. I'm an ass." Zak answers throwing them both a glare as he pushed his feet into his shoes.

"Well you said it man." Bacon commented opening the door and slipping out as Billy tailed behind.

However Zak took one step and his other foot came with him, with his phone in his hand, he couldn't stop his fall. He tumbled out the RV door and landed on the concrete hard his phone slid along the floor only to be stopped by someone's shoe.

He glared up at the person who laughed with their phone held out in front of them.

"Watch your step!" Delilah laughed before picking up his phone and handing it back with laughter tears in her eyes.

He snatched it from her and looked back at his feet to see his laces entwined with each other.

"You bitch." He snarled up at her.

"Tsk Tsk. It's not my fault you're clumsy. Hope you enjoyed your trip though." She smiled before turning on her heels and strutting away.

Zak growled, pulled off his shoes and threw them back into the RV before climbing back on it himself to save the embarrassment and jibing.

Sitting on the couch, he flexed his knee a few times before his eyes landed on the book. Smiling, he slid it over to his side before deciding to believe in one quote..

Karma, is a bitch!