Safe from Scars (COMPLETE)

16. Honey

I take a sip my lavender chamomile tea as Roman hands it to me.
It's hot as fuck, and I burn my tongue, but it is absolutely delicious. My fingertips wrap around the styrofoam cup and bring it close to my lips. Letting the steam warm me.
"Mmmmm this is to die for. Thank you." I say to him with my eyes closed, taking another sip.

He smiles at me and turns his attention back to the drive-thru window, waiting for his Green Tea with honey.

It definitely shouldn't have take this long for his drink, but I knew what the girl was up to. The perky little blonde bimbo tugged her red t shirt down as we pulled up, and she hung out of the window too far, cleavage spilling out, to collect Roman's card. She was extremely smiley for someone working at a cafe on a Saturday night. She raised an eyebrow at me when I noticed her flirty behavior. I glared at her and gave her a look, calling her out on her shit with my eyes, then she continued on flashing cheeky smiles at Roman.

He definitely noticed, but didn't seem to care.
I could hear the giggling of women coming from the window, as the bimbo leaned out to give him his drink.

"Have a great night, gorgeous." She winked to him before closing the window.

Pfffft.
Skank.

I'm not usually this judge mental. I love a girl that knows what she wants, and goes for it. I admire that, and I wish I could be that girl, but could you be a little less obvious? I always thought the woman with a little bit of mystery was attractive.

Roman sips his tea and rolls his eyes closed. His head drops back a bit in satisfaction. I swear he moans, and takes another sip.
I know I didn't image it. I want to hear it again.

I blush at my own thoughts and try to contain my amusement. He turns his attention to me and shakes his head.

He brings his face close to mine with a devilish smile playing on his lips, and give me a two taps on the forehead with his middle and index finger.

"I'd really like to know what's going on in this pretty little mind of yours, Kali Kingston."

Of course I blush even more at the touch of his fingertips on my skin, and swat his hand away playfully, secretly wishing I could feel his fingertips in a different spot..

The vibration from my phone snaps me out of my thought.

It's Trish.
Fuck.
I forgot to tell her I was out. She probably thinks I'm dead in a ditch by now.
Roman glances over to me, waiting for me answer it.
How do I explain this?
I swipe my thumb over the green, and I place the phone on speaker. It's just a habit.

"Hey Trish, I'm so sorry I'm not home yet. I swear I haven't been kidnapped, I just.." I ramble on but
she cuts me off.

"Kali, stop explaining everything to me!" I hear her laugh.

Roman's eyes are on me, listening in on Trisha's voice, but keeping absolutely quiet, as he waits for the stoplight to turn green.

"I just wanted to know you were okay. You're 18. Go out and have fun. Meet people. Make friends for Christ's sake! Do anything but return to your bed and hideaway under your covers all weekend."

Damnit. Now he knows I'm an anti social, pathetic, little cry baby.

I feel all the color leave my face and I immediately click the speaker button and hold the phone to my ear, afraid that Trish will spill more of my dark secrets to this God sitting next to me.

I tell her not to wait up for me, and give her an "I love you" before hanging up.

"Sister?" He asks, eyebrow raised as he shoots me a curious look.

I shake my head.

"My aunt." I reply, still embarrassed that he knows I'm a couch potato.
Bed potato?

"Where are we going?" I ask, looking around as we drive away from the glitter of string lights, and head toward the highway.

"Just a little place I like to go, to think." Is all he gives me along with a "don't worry I'm not going to murder you out here look." before returning his attention to the highway road in front of us.

I accept that answer and keep the rest of my questions to myself.
It's nearing 10pm and the highway is not too busy.
The speedometer creeps up on 90mph but Roman looks completely relaxed. His right hand grips the steering wheel tightly, and I can see the white of his knuckles underneath his skin, but the rest of him is leaned back in his seat not caring that we would be dead within seconds at the slip of his grip on the wheel.

One of my hands grips my seat belt at my chest, and the other hand hangs onto the door, feeling all the blood leave my extremities, trying to keep my eyes shut and control my breathing.

"I take it, you're not the thrill seeking type?" He laughs into the darkness between us.

"Umm..as much as it doesn't seem like it today, I value my life and would actually like to make it to at LEAST my mid life crisis." I joke, and he laughs nodding his head, and easing off the gas.

The speedometer slowly drops down to 75, and I can feel the tension in my body leave me.
I can practically hear his smile grow.
Apparently, everyone in my life thinks I'm amusing as fuck.
I don't think I'm that funny.

A country station plays quietly on the stereo. Just background noise to fill the silence between us.

Tequila by Dan + Shay.
I hum along to the words, to embarrassed to sing. Whenever I was in the car with my best friends, we sung loudly, like children, hanging out the window with the wind in our hair, making sure everyone heard.
But I wouldn't dare do that right now. I know I sing like shit.

"I didn't take you as the country type." His expression looks surprised, maybe even a little impressed?

I shake my head at that statement.
"Now now now, Mister." I hold my finger up and scold him.
"Don't you dare go around labeling me." I laugh and shake my finger at him.

"I have a taste for everything. All genres of music. I do NOT discriminate." I say proudly and he laughs again.

"Okaaay" he sighs and turns his attention back to the road.
"She likes music. All kinds. Not just country"
he laughs and says to himself.
"I'll take note of that."

I blush.
What is happening exactly?
He's sweet, and words spill from his mouth like honey. He says all the right things, but they still take me by surprise.

We pull off the highway after half an hour of driving, and of course I have no idea where we are. Dim street lights line the road, and there aren't any other cars in sight. I scan my surroundings taking in as much as I can.
He turns off the freeway and continues up hill on the road.
It's a small community of run down houses. I see a couple of horse ranches, but nothing else.
We continue up the road until and all of the houses have passed, then eventually, the road runs out of street lights too.
Nothing but the trucks headlights light the road ahead of us, and eventually, the pavement turns into gravel, beneath the tires, and Roman slows down, and rolls our windows down.

I can't see much. There's nothing but gravel, rocks, a few bushes I think?
The crisp summer air causes goosebumps to raise under my hoodie, and I shiver.
My heart starts to pound and fear sinks in.
Something about being in the middle of nowhere completely terrifies me.

The stars grow larger as we continue uphill.
Roman's face is expressionless.

Fuck.
He brought me up here to kill me. Not a soul in sight. No one would be able to hear my screams.
His honey covered lies he told were meant to sweeten me.
And I fell for it.