Belle's Pov
"Did you get gas? Because I didn't bring a bag to stay overnight somewhe-"
Leo rolled his eyes and backed out of the driveway.
"Yeah yeah yeah. You don't want to stay overnight because you forgot a bag, blah blah blah." He taunted.
I shoved him in the arm and put on the radio.
The static hum of an unknown radio station blared out of the speakers.
Leo looked unfazed for whatever reason. "Do you always listen to music that loud?" I questioned.
He nodded slightly before looking at me.
"Always" And focused his attention back on the road.
"Your insufferable" I heard a small laugh showing how unconvincing that statement was.
"Yeah right sweetheart. That's why your in a car with me for the next 11 hours, that's why you kissed me, that's why-"
Oh the audacity on this little bitch.
"Ex-cuseeee me! You kissed me first!"
I exclaimed as he scoffed sarcastically to himself.
"Takes two to tango, princess"
princess
princess
princess
I turned to look out the window, making sure the slight blush on my face was hidden.
I hoped we wouldn't have to talk for the rest of the trip. Well at least until we stopped at the pet store.
You see this morning... I told the rat beside me to meet up at 11, wanting to go to the pet store and gather the necessities, obviously?
But the rat showed up an hour late! Yes, an HOUR.
So now I have nothing for the cat, no bed, no food, no toys!
I was lost in my own thoughts when I felt a little tap on my arm. I turned to him and slapped his hand away.
"Yes" I said, replying with a bitchier tone than usual. oops.
"Poked the bear." He muttered to himself.
I resisted the overpowering urge to slap him again and managed a 'nicer' tone than usual "What do you want?" I asked.
"Well should I take the exit up on Tillstown or Bellview park? Bellview is the quicker way to get to that pet store you so desperately want to go to.!
"Yeah well if you hadn't been an hour late we would have already been to said pet store, hm?"
He rolled his eyes once again. Every damn time he rolled his stupid eyes. pretty eyes. but stupid.
A minute went by where neither of us spoke.
"I think that's the longest you have ever lasted without saying anything..." Well he knew I didn't like silence.
"Being quiet is overrated." That statement was true and much deeper then I would ever go into detail about.
I just hoped he would drop it and not look into what I just said.
"Why don't you like it being quiet? Not relaxing enough for you?"
Cole would hit me until I was bruised all over, but he would never let me scream, never let me protest.
'Stay quiet Anna, cant have anyone figuring out what a disappointment you are'
I shivered at the echoes of his voice throughout my head.
"Not really your business." replying to him in the calmest voice I could muster.
"Okay."
one second
two second
three second
I knew he wouldn't.
Because I had no plans of telling him wh-
"Cole" Cant you ever shut your mouth Belle. One damn second.
His shoulders tensed a small bit, you wouldn't notice it unless you wanted to.
The pretty eyes residing on his face that usually remained the same, turned darker.
I'd like to think it was a possessive type of dark, I didn't know what his eyes meant yet. What kind of emotions they held, but I'd like to figure it out one day.
"He uhm... never let me call for help. After he... well- he just wouldn't let me make any noise. Command me to stay silent. So... no. I don't like the silence"
His grip on the steering wheel increased until his knuckles went white.
"You deserved better than that."
"What? Someone more like you.?"
Leo's Pov -
me?
No.
She deserved better than Cole. She deserved better than me. She deserved someone who would treat her right.
"Yeah, maybe. Or better than me. Whichever happens first."
"Thank you" She whispered it quietly, almost as if she didn't want me to hear.
But I heard it. I heard all the desperation tones in her thank you.
I liked to believe she needed me as much as I needed her.
The lights turned green and I pulled into the car park.
"Okay, You get twenty minutes. Any longer and I'm leaving you here." I said as we got out of the car.
"Okay mom. I'll be fast." She put her arms up and then started walking towards the pet store.
I reluctantly followed behind her and we walked in sync until we reached cat section.
She didn't exactly have to, well she really, really didn't have to, at. all. But she slipped her hand into mine.
Gripping lightly but needing comfort.
I relaxed my hand into hers as she dragged us round the aisles, grabbing stuff to buy and shoving them into my free arm.
"Who's paying for all this again sweetheart?"
She turned to me as if she couldn't believe I could ask such a thing.
"Me? Obviously." Yeah right.
"I'll cover it... as long as I get to name the cat."
"Absolutely not! Do you remember what you blessed poor Karen with. That little fluff ball is gonna be stuck with the name Karen for life!"
Karen is a great name. Even if David got the final say.
"Ooooo, I bet they'll look at her disapprovingly when she applies for college and job interviews." She smacked my arm and turned on her heel to go towards another never ending aisle.
"Your not funny Maxwell."
Aw she looks cute when she lies.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, sweetheart." I know she could help... me sleep at night...
or not sleep.
Shut up Leo.
She yanked my hand so I tripped up trying to follow her and she turned to me with that mischievous look on her face.
"You're real nice Robinson."
She picked up some more toys and chucked them into my arm.
"Only to you."
"Okay so about that name. What about Henry?"
She dragged me towards the till and we paid for the items.
"Hard pass."
I can tell you what else is hard.
"Philip." I suggested it, knowing that she would hate it.
"Absolutely fucking not" Knew it.
We shoved the items into a bag and put them in the boot of the car.
"Frederick"
"I will... consider it. Maybe" She's way too easy to wear down.
"Only took me 3 suggestions and you folded"
I got back into the drivers seat and she sat in beside me.
"I'm not bothered to argue with you anymore, feels like that's all we do."
I put my hand on the back of her seat to look behind me and she shifted uncomfortably.
"Correction - we bicker."
"Okay, then I don't want to 'bicker' with you anymore."
Why the fuck not?
"Too bad."
She scoffed and put in her earplugs. If she didn't want to talk that was just fine with me. Fine, fine, fine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please God keep it moving. Little bit further.
"Everything okay there Maxwell." I jumped a little when I saw her staring at me through my peripheral vision.
"Yup, Peachy."
"Are you sure?" I refused to answer. Because it was most definitely not okay. The little red gas symbol was definitely not okay. And the rising anger on my fake girlfriend's face was definitely. not. okay.
"So, just a little, tiny, almost miniscule probl-"
She cut me off, yeah, the bitch interrupted me.
"Spit. It. Out. Maxwell."
Oh god she would murder me in cold blood.
"Remember when I said I filled up the gas... Yeah about that..."
She rubbed her hands over her face and groaned. Fucking oops.
"I told you I don't have an overnight bag you idiot."
"Yeah well if you had listened when I told you to bring one we wouldn't be in this situation."
"Oh shut up."
She searched up the nearest place to stay on her phone and found a motel a couple minutes away.
Hopefully the car would last that long. It was nighttime now. We had been on the road 6 ish hours and they had been boring. Belle talked to me for 2 of those hours but knocked out for the 3 remaining ones.
"According to my phone it shouldn't take long to get there. It has luxurious rooms and even a spa so that's promising."
"Oh well that's just great! I'm so in need of a mani pedi." I rolled my eyes and turned the car onto a country type of road, exiting the highway.
She glared at me from her side of the car and grabbed out my jumper from my bag. "Fucking hilarious, comedic worthy even." I know.
"Yeah sure Belle! You can wear my jumper. Thanks a bunch for asking." I said sarcastically
"I wanna know who told you your funny, just want to have a word with them." She said as she put on my jumper.
"Me. I tell myself that everyday. Yeah I just stand in front of the mirror and use it for my daily affirmations. Y'know all that self love crap."
"And I'm sure that is great for your already over-inflated ego." Correct.
"Yup! Works like a charm" I pulled into an empty gravel parking lot.
There was paint practically peeling off the walls and little pieces of glass littered the floor.
"Oh yeah real luxurious." I remarked as she dragged my bag out from under the passenger seat.
"Okay well... the picture was like 4 years old." I raised my eyebrow, yeah right. 4 years?
"Fine... It was like 4.... going on 15 years old. No biggie we will be in and out quickly. We go in, we sleep and we get back on the road. Easy frickin peasy."
Yeah not gonna be quick if I have anything to do with it. Excruciatingly slow was my plan anyway...
"You're insane if you think we are staying at this shit hole." I kicked a piece of rubbish at my feet.
"Too fucking bad princess" She said to me.
She called me princess. Insinuating I was being dramatic? That's rich.
I dragged my bag behind me as Belle followed the gravel path leading us through an archway covered in Ivy.
It led us out to a couple sheds, none of which looked very welcoming, but there was one towards the back of the motel with a light seeping out under a barn type of door.
It was eery and dark and I wasn't feeling totally okay with walking into this sketchy ass shed yet Belle knocked on the door anyway.
"You think this place is still running?" I whispered
"Were about to find out I guess..." She replied as the door creaked open.
It was extremely quiet except for the faint tapping of computer keys being tapped vigorously coming from a little old man. He was sat behind a computer, well a computer was a loose term for whatever this man was using.
It looked like it ran on a lump of coal. There was dodgy wires coming out from the back of it.
The room wasn't any more pleasant, it smelled of... the smell was actually indescribable. A hazmat suit would be perfect attire for whatever I was about to catch in this room.
The man looked up to us and I got a better view of him. He was no more than 5ft, practically an ant if he stood next to me. But then again most people did.
Belle stepped forward and lowered herself a little to his height. She too towered over him, most people would but Belle was at least 5'7 so she was a good bit taller than the little old man.
"Is there any rooms available?" She questioned.
"You? Want to.... stay, here?" She nodded at him and he dropped his hand into one of the drawers in his desk.
I took a step forward and put an arm around belle's waist in what I would refuse to label it as protectiveness but who knows what he was about to whip out. A bat? A gun?
Keys. He took out a damn set of keys.
He passed Belle the keys and smiled lightly at us. "You two make a lovely couple." The mans voice came out in no more than 10 decibels and it was unbelievably croaky.
I open my mouth to correct him, because we didn't have to lie to this random man. But Belle cut in.
"Thank you sir. 3 years going strong." 3 months more like.
I kiss the top of her head because if she was commiting to this ruse then... so was I?
I grinned at her and squeezed her waist to follow suit.
"It's room 15, round the front. Sorry if it's not anything special. This building lost it's spark a couple years ago."
Belle smiled gratefully anyway and waved her hand.
"No worries. Thank you for the room." She released my hand from her waist and took out some cash from the front pocket of my bag.
Fine I wouldn't protest this time since I was the one who forgot to fill up the car. Fine fine fine. I took my bag from her and we walked out of the shed.
"Poor guy." I nodded, agreeing with her.
We walked to the front of the motel in the light of my flashlight from her phone. She checked all the numbers on the doors until we found room 15.
There was two levels to the building so I followed her up a creaky staircase to the room. She unlocked it and dust flew at our faces. Yes, dust. It was that old. But the room wasn't horrible. I expected rats and bugs or something, but it was fairly nice.
A bathroom, big bed... a bookcase, a couch and a little closet.
I flicked on the light with the switch by the door and set the bag down on the couch.
"It isn't as bad as I thought" She said
"Yeah. Slight problem..."
One fucking bed. What a cliche.
I pointed vaguely behind her towards the bed.
"Right. So were living in a romance novel, except I get the bed and poor little Leo sleeps on the couch."
Yeah fucking right. "Aw sweetheart, that's practically adorable. But I get the bed." I tell her.
"Flip a coin dipshit."
I grabbed a coin from my wallet and put it on my thumb. "Heads" She says before it lands on the ground.
I lean down and hold it up to her face. Tails.
"Sucks to suck princess." She rolls her eyes and smacks the coin out of my hand.
"So very mature sweetheart."
She glared at me and grabbed the car keys from the couch.
"I'm gonna look for a place to get food."
She slammed the door behind her, yeah right.
As if I wasn't gonna follow her. Fuck me.
Why do I bow down to her every move.
"Robinson wait up." I called after her as I ran after her down the stairs.
She turns around to me with an angry look on her face.
"Why can't you just leave me alone Maxwell?"
"I think we both know the answer to that question. And trust me when I say this, I would if I could sweetheart."
Her face dropped from that stern look and was replaced with lust.
I loved that look, the very specific type of fuck me eyes. Jesus christ she was hot, wearing her little, tiny, teeny shorts and wearing my jumper. Not anyone elses. Just mine.
Kinda like her existence.
"Fine. But I'm driving." The fuck me eyes disappeared and she walked over to the car, getting into the drivers seat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Belle's Pov
I pushed open the door to the bar and we got greeted by cheers from the beer drinking males.
I swear I was the only female in the damn place.
Leo put a hand around my waist, clearly he noticed the same thing I did.
I had filled up the car's tank so technically, technically.... we could have kept driving. But spending a night alone in a room with Leo didn't seem totally revolting.
We walked up to the bar and took a seat on some stools.
The bartender shouted over the folk country music "WHAT DRINKS?"
"NO DRINKS JUST FOOD." He nodded and pulled 2 little menus from underneath the counter.
We looked through them and I ordered 2 chips, one for each of us.
Just eating in pure and utter silence, the music was loud enough for me to partially enjoy it for once.
Halfway through my fat bowl of chips a man came up behind me, tapping on my arm.
"A dance m'lady?" He looked old enough to be my da-
Well that's awkward. What dad you absolute idiot?
I mentally slapped myself and took his hand.
"Sure why not!"
He led us into the middle of the bar where other couples were dancing. I put my hand on his shoulder and he put his hand on my waist.
Well it wasn't my waist per say. I like to think that Leo owned it. His hand was the only thing allowed there.
Another unspoken thing we have never mentioned to the other. That he always held my waist, fake dating or not, his hand was always there. It was comfort for the both of us, I feared if I said anything about it he would stop doing it.
And that was definitely not a risk I wanted to take.
I felt Leo's pretty eyes on my back, presumably trying to telepathically kill the man who was holding me at the minute.
The man was fairly harmless, just in a good mood is all.
The song ended, he bowed and I obviously curtsied. Because why the fuck not.
I strolled back over to Leo and he put his hand back on my waist, surprise fucking surprise. He lead me all the way out towards the car and stopped my hand from opening the door.
"What now Maxwell?" I looked up at him and realized he had trapped me in with his arms, my body flush against his with my back to the car.
He stared at my face for a minute, examining my features while I did the same.
He hesitated before speaking "Dance with another man again and I'll deliver his hands to you in a cardboard box."
Well holy lord jesus bless me for all I have sinned. But I will screw this man into oblivion. Except I was not gonna let him say possessive things when he had no right to.
"Fuck you Maxwell." He leaned down to my neck and kissed behind my ear before whispering, one. simple. word. In any other context it would be a regular degular word but....
"When?"
Author's Note
Did I put in a one bed motel like every other wattpad book out there... yes yes I fucking did. Sue me.
I smile like a lovesick idiot at every one of your comments because they are everything 😭 have me forming tears and al
Opinions or suggestions you want for the next chapter (Not just that you want them to screw each other for 3000 words)
Lots of Love Babies, ella <3
Words - 3274
Date - 24/12/21