Unravelling

Chapter 45 - Bonnie & Clyde

I startle awake.

It takes me a moment to get my bearings and understand where I am – and why.

I am in a car. With Will.

We are running away.

As that thought flashes through my mind, it immediately leaves me with mixed emotions. I know that running away is generally not the best of ideas. But it is still better than the alternative.

Blinking a few times, I try to focus on what is around me and notice with relief that we are slowing down because Will is driving towards a gas station. So he stayed true to his word.

He didn't take me home.

A small smile flits across my lips when it sinks in that I can trust him after all.

"Where are we?" I ask.

My voice is hoarse and my throat feels like sandpaper. I look around but cannot seem to find a water bottle or anything else to drink anywhere in the front of the car.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," Will replies. "Nice nap?"

It cannot be morning, right?

It is almost dark outside, so either it is evening or it is really early in the morning. The latter would mean that I have slept gor a very long time. That seems impossible, no matter how much I value sleep and how sleep-deprived I probably was after that uncomfortable night in the cave. A shiver runs down my spine at the mere thought of that sleepless night.

Looking around, I try to spot a clock in the car and groan when I find it but it appears to be broken because it shows a blinking 0:00.

"What time is it? And where are we?" I croak, repeating my earlier question.

"It's almost 5:30 and we're at a gas station," my brother points out the obvious.

He pulls up next to a pump and stops the car. Turning towards me, he scrutinizes me intensively, making me feel a bit uncomfortable. I cannot hold his gaze and look down into my lap instead where I fiddle with my fingers.

"5:30pm, right?" I mutter uncertainly.

Will barks out a laugh at that question. This causes me turn my head to glare at him. I don't appreciate people laughing at me and he knows that.

"Did you honestly think it was 5:30am?" he questions me, amusement lacing his voice. "I am awesome, but I am not that awesome. Driving through for 17 hours straight? I don't think so, doll."

Now that he puts it like this, I guess it was a pretty dumb question. I cough because my throat feels so dry and it is hard to swallow.

"We'll get some water once I've filled the car up. Actually, I could do with a beer or ten right about now, but I guess letting you drive isn't the best idea," he chuckles.

I decide to ignore his antics and ask again where we are.

"Right outside Reno," I finally get my answer.

I don't have the greatest geographical knowledge and I am pretty useless when it comes to reading a map, but to me that sounds like we are going in the right direction.

Is he really taking me to Chicago?

I can barely believe my luck. Right before I fell asleep only about five minutes into our car ride, I was convinced that the next time I woke up, it would be because Alex would be yelling at me.

And now we are outside Reno. In another state. On the way to Chicago.

On the way to see Sean.