Strangers in Danger

Chapter 10: Cara

The dingey old room brightened as the morning sunlight poured in through the windows. I checked my watch: 9:24. We would surely be missing the continental breakfast if this motel actually served it. I looked over and saw Lucas still asleep. I didn't remember much of my panic attack earlier that night. I remember having a nightmare that seemed to stretch into the waking world. I felt terrified and alone. I wasn't, though. Lucas was there. He was the anchor that kept me from falling too deep into my head.

While sitting at a small table in the back of a diner across the street from our hotel, I watched Lucas pour sugar into his coffee. We hadn't said much to each other that morning. The air felt tense like we both wanted to say something to each other but neither wanted to go first.

"Thank you for helping me last night," I said as I focused on stirring my dark coffee with my spoon.

"We've been through a lot and at some point our brain needs to work through it. I'm ready to listen if and when you want to talk about it. I could do without being tossed into a wall next time," he said with a mischievous grin.

My mouth hung open. "Stop it. I didn't."

"Oh you did,"

The tension lifted and our banter was restored.

--

Days stretched into a week and a week into two. We slowly made our way north, heading toward Washington DC using back roads and rural highways to avoid the interstate. Diane told us to continue to stay on the road as it was safer for us to keep moving. She said she was having trouble securing a safe house for us without raising too many red flags in her department.

We stayed at sketchy motels only for a couple of days at a time, more times than not, leaving immediately when Lucas had a gut feeling it was time to go.

Lucas threw his bags in a corner and collapsed on the bed. It was nearly 4am and we had left our latest hotel so quickly we didn't have time to change out of our pajamas. We were now in some grimy hotel in West Virginia because it was one of the first we saw when we got off the highway.

"That lady thought you were cheating on your husband, we got caught, and kicked out of the house," he said while rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.

"Why am I always the cheater?" I placed my backpack and laptop bag on a table in the corner and laid down on my stomach next to Lucas. At some point we had stopped specifying two double beds. After the night of my panic attack we seemed to have made a silent agreement to sleep next to each other.

"Do I not give off mistress vibes? Like these desk people see you and go, 'nah, he wouldn't cheat on his wife with her. Must be the other way around.' I'm not sure if I should be flattered or offended."

Lucas let out a delirious laugh. "Should I start introducing you as my side piece?" he said as he caught his breath.

"Yes. I would like that." I lifted myself up onto my forearms, stretching my lower back. "I would like random strangers in small highway motels to think that I am such an amazing piece of ass, it is worth cheating on your wife."

Lucas laughed again and turned onto his side, holding his head up in hand. He looks like he wants to say something to me but he's holding back. He takes a finger and gently runs it down my arm from the bend in my elbow to my wrist and my breath quickens.

"Maybe next time we run into Walmart we can find some cheap rings to use as wedding bands," he says as he runs a finger across my left hand. "Then nobody needs to be the side piece."

Lucas, why are you doing this to me? I thought. It's another moment when I fight the urge to kiss him. This was happening more often, and I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold back.

Our time on the road was getting increasingly stressful and we had started to bicker, but once in bed, after our nightly apologies, I desperately wanted to feel his arms around my body. I yearned to feel his lips pressed to mine. I longed to feel his skin against my fingertips. The unfulfilled desire just made me want him more.

"I think we should get some sleep," I said, pushing myself up off the bed. "We both need it."