SOFT SPOT// h.s

0.4 ~ on the road

It was around half past eight, and in the back, Ellie had finally fallen asleep. The sky had darkened and it was almost pitch black outside.

I don't think Harry was very impressed when we had to stop because I had to change a dirty diaper. Or when I nagged at him one time too many times to put out his cigarette because passive smoking could be fatal. Or when I insisted we stop at the nearest Target store so I could get clothes and other supplies needed for the journey home. Or when we had to pull over because Ellie was tired and hungry and she wouldn't stop crying until she was fed. Luckily I had a fruit pouch in my handbag or Harry would have gotten pissed off even more.

The silence fell between us felt like a heavy weight with only Ellie's soft snores breaking the quietness. We hadn't spoke decently to each other once since we had gotten in the car.

"Don't you need to ring anyone? Let them know where you are?" Harry spoke, his tone dull and lifeless. I looked at him in surprise, but brushed off his concern as an ice-breaker.

"My phone is dead," I replied curtly, without even looking at him.

I knew I was acting rude. Harry was almost a total stranger to me and he was willing to take me across the country. But I couldn't deny that he was being equally as immature.

"You can use mine," he offered, holding out a black iphone. I took it and dialled the first number I think of; Noah. But somehow I found myself pressing 141 before it, so that the number couldn't be retraced. I knew that if he knew that I was on a road trip with my baby daddy, he would call non stop.

I waited as the other line rang, biting my nails with anxiety. Surely they can't have gotten on their flight yet?

"Hello?" I heard a drowsy voice mumble.

"Noah?" I prompted him.

"Clary oh my God I've been worried sick! Where are you? Are you with anyone? How is Ellie? We sent for a taxi to pick you up as soon as we knew you had missed the bus but the taxi called us and said you weren't there! Where are you baby? Are you ok? The wedding is in less than a week!" He rambled frantically.

"Noah, relax. I'm with an old friend and they're driving me back to Columbus. We'll be home in a few days. Ellie is fine, she's sleeping at the minute, but please don't worry about me. I'll call you later. Ok, bye. I love you," I said, not allowing him to get another word in before I hung up.

I handed the phone back to Harry and I noticed him looking at my hand, particularly at my ring finger.

"What age are you again?" He asked me curiously.

"Twenty. Why does it matter?" I replied coldly.

"So you're twenty years old, and you're engaged?" Harry asked in disbelief.

I shook my head. "What are you, my dad? It's not really any of your business," I snapped, folding my right hand over my left, concealing the ring.

"And I noticed you referred to me as an 'old friend.' It was a one night stand, no strings attached," he laughed, but it was a somewhat cold laugh, one that sent shivers down my spine and made my stomach uneasy.

"I just didn't want him to worry," I admitted. Harry didn't reply but kept his eyes focused on the road, which I wasn't complaining about.

Before the uncomfortable silence could come upon us again, I turned the radio on, increasing the volume slightly. I liked this song. It was a Foo Fighters track, 'The Pretender.'

"You like Foo Fighters?" Harry asked, not masking the surprise in his voice.

I nodded. "Is there a problem with that?" I questioned him.

"No, it's just.. I like them too," he shrugged casually, and I smiled to myself. At least we had one thing in common.

I spun the dial on the volume a little bit more so that the music was louder, but Harry swatted my hand away, turning it down again as I glared at him.

"Have you forgotten that the kid is asleep?" He asks through his teeth, as if I was stupid. I just sighed in reply and huffed in silence.

"Do you even know where we're going?" I asked him, doubting his sense of direction.

He pulled a map out of the side pocket of his door with one hand on the steering wheel (which made me nervous) and tossed it onto my lap.

"We're going from California to Arizona to New Mexico, to Texas then Oklahoma, to Arkansas, Tennessee and then we're home," he enlightens me in a dull tone.

"How long will it take?" I ask him, tapping my fingernails.

He shot me an amused look. "Why? Are you bored with my company already babe?" He sneered.

I ignored his pathetic nickname, but I couldn't deny the tightening of the knot in my stomach when he said it.

"I'm hoping 4/5 days. We're going to have to spend lots of time driving. I'm not planning on stopping unless it's necessary," he explained.

"But where will we sleep?" I ask him, confusion written in my expression.

He laughed again, but this time it wasn't as cold and unnerving, but still unfriendly. "In the car!" He said, in an all serious tone.

"Oh Ellie is going to love that," I muttered.

We continued speeding along the I-40 until some time around 11pm Harry pulled into a gas station. I waited in the volvo as he filled up the tank and went into the store.

I looked back at Ellie, and sure enough she was still in her deep slumber, dozing away. I hated being in a car late at night. My fear of the dark made me uneasy and paranoid as I waited impatiently for Harry to return.

When I saw him exit the store, Harry had his cell phone pressed to his ear with his shoulder as he carried plastic bags in his arms with a disturbed look on his face. He hung up the phone before he got into the car and passed me the bags. I wondered who he had been talking to.

I opened the bags to see what Harry had purchased and found lots of food and bottles of water. I didn't want to point out that there was nothing really for Ellie to eat.

"You didn't have to buy food for me Harry. I bought some stuff earlier at the store and I still have some money left," I told him. He didn't reply, but I hadn't expected him to. "But thank you," I added.

We were driving for about another half an hour when I felt my eyelids getting heavy.

"You can go to sleep you know," Harry said jokingly as he noticed my drowsiness.

"What about you?" I asked him. "You're bound to be tired."

He just shook his head in reply, and I didn't question it further and before long, I found myself drifting off into unconsciousness.

*************

Song for this chapter: the pretender~ foo fighters