Hell Has A New Name

7

Juice took his time signing the papers. He didn't want to fuck up and sign the wrong name on anything. The salesman handed him the keys once everything was done.

"Well guess you don't need me now huh?" Amber smiled bashfully at him.

"What! You're the only friend I have in this town. Of course I need you." He teased with his cocky smile.

They both looked at each for a long moment, neither breaking the silence. Outside it was sticky hot, Juice missed his sunglasses, he'd have to get some new ones. He was sweating, his shirt was sticking to him, which based on the way her eyes kept roaming over him should have been a good thing.

She brushed her hair behind her ears trying to gain the courage to speak. His smile was mesmerizing, she felt comfortable around him. Talking to him at all was so outside of her character, she didn't typically initiate anything, and she was a firm believer that everyone was probably a murderer. If no one suspected Bundy then she should suspect everyone.

"Hey." Juice broke the silence. He was certain this was the part where they went their separate ways and he spent the night bored and alone making his plans for Nebraska. He decided to give her an out, so she didn't have to do it. "I don't want to keep you though. If you've got something you've got to do, don't feel like you have to hang out with me, for real. I've got to go get a room for the night anyway, I uh, I had already checked out this morning before you convinced me to stay." He tucked his hands into his pockets awkwardly still grinning at her. She nodded and leaned back against her car, smiling shyly at him.

"There's a party tonight. If you're into that scene, just a bonfire and beer at the beach. If you want to go I could call you before hand. You could follow me there." She blushed, he knew she wasn't like the girls back in Charming, but she had a innocence about her.

She made it easy for him to forget that he was in fact a murderer, a criminal, a wanted fugitive more or less. He was supposed to be dead, but instead he was paying a debt to a man he hated, probably forever. She made him forget that stuff, in the few moments they'd spent together he liked just being normal.

"Yeah that could be fun. I'm not really a drinker but hanging out could be fun. Plus um. You're gonna be there so..." he trailed off. He knew it was lame to try and even flirt with her. He couldn't get it up if he tried right now and even if she didn't want to sleep with him, he couldn't date her. He couldn't really date anyone, dating came with honesty and he didn't want to start a relationship on a lie.

Back in Charming he had been a heavy drinker, he played with drugs on more than one occasion and had gotten sloppy more than once. Granted a new life he figured he could start over, for real. Drinking was a risk that meant he'd have to be diligent about keeping his mouth shut. Obviously that wasn't his strong suit. He couldn't afford any mishaps, sobriety was less of a choice and more of a necessity in this life. Plus Tully had warned him about using drugs on the street. The coke he got for him had been even cleaner than the stuff the Sons were moving. Tully didn't trust street drugs, and if caught wind that Juice had been using he'd told him it wouldn't be pretty. Juice had no reason to doubt him on that.

"Great!" She seemed relieved. "Let me see your phone and I'll program my number."

Juice hesitated, he didn't want to give her his phone and he see the messages Tully sent him. He decided to just open the phone to dial screen, if she did see it what was the worst that could happen? She just stop talking to him, he'd only known her for a day, that wouldn't be the end of the world. She quickly typed in the number and then dialed so her own phone started to ring.

"Now I have yours. I'll call you this evening. You can text me if you want. I'm just going to the library to study for a while."

He took his phone back, and saved her contact info. "Thanks. I'll text you when I've gotten settled in a room so you know where to find me." He waved her off before getting into his own car.