Cruel Sanctuary

Chapter 25

Silent car drives with someone you are familiar with is awkward enough but silent car drives with someone who currently despises you creates a whole new level of tension! Who knew the two hour and fifty minute drive to Owen's home in Anglesey would take so long? Well, me. The appropriate question would be: Who knew two hours and fifty minutes could go so fucking slow? Certainly not me. 

Shuffling around to release the tension from my butt, I sigh, "How long has it been?" I ask in a whiney voice, snapping my head to face Owen's concentrated face as he drives down the motorway, "Half an hour. You asked me five minutes ago," he snaps back, looking at me for a split second before turning back to face the road, "Ah, fuck!" I hear him mutter as he comes to a halt. I look up from my lap in anticipation and see we are stuck in a jam. 

Eyes wide, I crane my neck to try to see over the SUV in front of us, "What's going on?" I panic and he rolls his eyes, groaning before replying to me, "I don't know, Skylar, I'm not the fucking traffic control warden, am I?" he hisses and I cross my arms over my chest like a four-year-old, "Pretty sure if you were then you'd have better manners," I grumble, my lips forming a pout as I sulk beside him. 

Scoffing, he leans forward, "You're the one acting like a fucking toddler!" he raises his voice and my jaw drops at his very much accurate accusation, "Excuse me!" I gasp, "It's currently seven in the freaking morning on a Sunday! I've had no breakfast, I'm thirsty and extremely tired!"

"I had to wake you up this early so that we'd get there and have enough time to settle in, it's gonna be a long week by the judge of it," he replies and I slam my head back on the head rest, looking out of the sun roof of his car, "Owen, we were obviously going to hit traffic! If anyone is gonna go up North for a quick holiday or commute, it's gonna be this morning!" I complain and he sighs. 

"We're moving now, stop moaning," he commands and I huff, sitting with my head on the window, "How about you go to sleep for a bit, if you're tired?" he suggests and I look pointedly at him, "Because you'll either prank or molest me in my sleep." 

He chuckles shortly, "Don't flatter yourself, just go to sleep." 

***

Banging the steering wheel with the ball of his palm, Owen gets even more frustrated, "We're gonna have to turn back, there's been an accident and we won't get there for ages," Owen tells me and I shrug, "That's fine by-" 

"Skylar!" I shake a little, "Skylar!" Suddenly, my eyes snap open to see Owen's face in mine, "I thought you were dead." 

"Yeah, well, unfortunately I'm not," I roll my eyes, "Where are we?" I ask, shuffling into a seated position and, once more, take in the big grey building before us and the cars surrounding us, "A service station. Your stomach kept rumbling so I turned in here but you wouldn't wake up. I went in without you and got you this," he hands me a brown bag with a Starbucks cup. 

I open the bag to see a ham and cheese toasted sandwich and I examine my drink, discovering he had bought me a Frappuccino! "Thank you!" I exclaim, my favourite drink from Starbucks and food...bonus! I have only ever had the drink from Starbucks a total of five times, the same amount of times I have actually been there in my life and Emma was the one to drag me there and buy it for me. I could never afford it. I made it up to her though by going to whatever party or shenanigan she wanted me to tag along to. 

"No problem, just eat it. I'll carry on driving," he says and I nod, "Where's yours?"

"I ate it whilst trying to wake you the hell up." 

"Oh." 

The issue, I find, with Owen and I is that we always make progress but, somehow, end up back at square one. It's toxic, yet both of us are always inevitably put together. To us, it is unfair, however to the universe, it is very much fair. Munching on my snack that Owen so graciously purchased on my behalf, I am beginning to realise that we have got further towards Wales than I thought, "What time is it, Owen?" I ask him as he speeds down the less congested motorway.