Rocky Road

Chapter 11- Sarah

First day…

Three hours forty two minutes and twenty seconds it took to get to where we were going. Tenifield it had read on the welcome sign. By the time we arrived the sun had gone down and we had to crash in a motel. It had been one of the most excruciating rides of my life. It was awkward and hard not to talk to Hugo, and knowing he was in the opposite room hadn’t help. He just dropped my bags and turned around.

At least they packed my docs, I thought.

Instead I sat on this bed watching an episode of the Simpsons on my own. I badly wanted to knock on his door and sought him out. Talk this crap through. I just couldn’t take it, he didn’t make eye contact once and what made it harder was he was still acting like a gentleman which made the guilt-o-meter go up by an extra 100%.

“Hugo can we talk?” I said placing my ear to his door; he opened it suddenly making me stagger.

“Talk.”

“I er I’m sorry.” He smiled but it wasn’t genuine.

“Sorry for sleeping with him or sorry for getting caught?”

“For sleeping with him? I knew I would regret it as soon as I did itand it wasn’t until then I realised I felt nothing for him anymore. Nothing at all but it was too late.”

“Your right it is, get to sleep we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.” I placed my foot on the door just as he was about to shut it.

“Why are we still on this road trip if you plan on being mad at me for the next week?”

“It was expensive and I didn’t want to waste, might as well use it.” HE slammed the door in my face and I whimpered holding my mouth. I have lost him, and the ache in my heart hurt, it hurt so badly. He was so unresponsive and unemotional. I have truly done it; it is over with Hugo, over before it even begun.

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The morning sun streamed in through the window and I scanned my surrounding remembering where I was, it was hard getting sleep last night and Hugo hadn’t bothered to wake me up. On my way out of the room, I discovered a tray of food lying on the floor with a note.

Eat; we have to be out of here by 12.

I checked the clock on the wall-11 I had an hour to get ready. As soon as I was done, I was out of the room walking towards Hugo’s mustang. He was already in the car waiting and I jumped in with a nod of acknowledgement. We drove for thirty minutes until we pulled up outside a cottage, it was small but beautiful one, and the kind I can imagine myself living in. I followed him to the front door as he rang the bell. A tall Caucasian woman opened it.

“Is Sarah home?” the woman called the girl and we heard footsteps coming down the stairs

“Who is it?” she asked and her mother left her and went back into the house. “You must be Hugo. Nice to meet you. Is this the girl?” Hugo moved firmly out of the way, so I could see the girl standing by the door. My voice caught in my throat when I saw her, she was mixed with skin patches everywhere, some parts of her features where light, somewhere dark, but nonetheless she was still a beautiful sight.

“I’m Cleo.”

“I’m Sarah. Nice to meet you.” She offered her hand, and I shook it. “Ok from what Hugo told me about you, you tried to bleach your skin, why is that?” I stared at Hugo for a minute couldn’t quite believe he would do that. That was my secret and no one else. I didn’t know quite how to answer, I felt thoroughly ashamed.

“Be-Because I want to be lighter, my er ex-boyfriend had said some stuff and I just thought I would be better off being lighter.” It was half the truth but it would do for now. She gave a knowing smile as she closed the door behind her, ushering us to sit on the front porch with her.