We had been in the car for six hours continuously. My back had started to get stiff but I struggled to find a comfortable position. The only comfortable position I imagined was putting my feet in Mr. Miller's lap but I understood that's not an option.
Talking about Mr. Miller, he had not once shown any sign of discomfort and was sitting still like it has just been few minutes. His eyes were fixated on his mobile and his jaw was clenched. I noticed the small scar on his nose. Knowing his profession, several scenarios came to my mind about how he got that cut.
Not wanting to get caught, I looked away and started staring out of the window. The sun had started to set, painting the sky deep purple.
"When are we going to stop?" I asked.
"Stop for what? Food? Have you already digested the burger we bought from the cart?" He said.
I rolled my eyes. "First, you don't need to count calories for me. Second, I was asking for sleep. Are we going to drive the whole night?"
"I don't see any problem in that." He said.
"I do. I'm tired and my back hurts." I groaned, massaging my back.
"The sooner we reach Florida, the better." He said.
"The world will not end if we reach there a day late. Besides, we have yet to travel a lot. Do you want me getting sick? I better warn you, a sick woman isn't easy to handle." I threatened him emotionally.
He took a deep breath, looking clearly annoyed at me. "Fine. Thomas. If you see a hotel nearby, take a stop there. Miss. Woods wants to lie down."
"Yes, boss." Thomas said.
Thomas drove for another half an hour after which he stopped in front of a small hotel in the woods. Sean stepped out and then motioned me to follow him.
The place looked a little creepy from the outside but I was happy as long as my back could feel a soft mattress.
As we walked inside, the receptionist appeared from the cabin to guide us. "Yes sir, how may I help you?" He asked.
"One double room." He said and my head whipped in his direction.
"What do you mean one room? I am not sharing a bed with you." I whispered.
"You can sleep on the floor." He said and ignored me while he dealt with the receptionist and took the keys.
"I am a girl. I need some privacy." I said as I followed him to the elevator.
"The last time I gave you privacy, you ended up getting a woman killed." He said.
His response shut me up and I silently followed him to the room. It was an average sized room, with a bed in the middle, a seating space, some cabinets and an LED to keep us entertained.
I didn’t have many concerns about the room though. I was more worried about the fact that I was going to be sharing a room with Mr. Miller. I might be living in his house for quite some time but we have never been alone with each other for longer than a few minutes. Besides, he was bipolar so we never know when the switch flips and he ends up smothering me.
I stood there awkwardly, watching as he took off his coat and then got comfortable on the bed. The top button of his shirt was popped open, giving a hint of his bronze skin. I got flustered at the aspect of us being together and alone but at least I knew he wasn’t interested in me in that way. Besides, why would he think about me when he had a girlfriend with a supermodel physique?
I sat down on the sofa and began staring here and there. I was dead tired and wanted to just go to sleep but how was I going to do that with Mr. Mafia over there. Do I just go and lie down with him? Or do I sleep on the hard floor? Of course not.
“What are you waiting for? We will check out the first thing in the morning. Come and sleep.” He said.
“Um… I…” I looked at the bed and it didn’t look big enough for both of us to sleep and not come in contact. “I can’t sleep with you on the same bed.” I said in a hesitant voice.
“Sleep on the floor then.” He said.
“And they say chivalry is dead” I commented
“Do you expect me to sleep on the floor?” He raised his eyebrow.
“Umm… No but…”
“Then we have reached a difficult position.” He said with a straight face.
I pondered over the situation for a brief moment. If I spent the night on the sofa, I would end up getting even more tired. And if I sleep with him, the worst that could happen would be me kicking him in the midst of the night.
Gathering some courage, I walked over to the bed and arranged some cushions in the middle, creating a boundary between both sides. He was staring at me with an interesting look on his face. Not giving him the satisfaction, I ignored him altogether and lay down on my side of the bed.
“Childish.” He said out loud.
“Yes, I am childish. So what?” I replied.
“Nothing to do about that.” He said and picked up a magazine from the nightstand.
I could hear the sound of his harsh breath as well as the sound of rustling of trees from outside. I closed my eyes but I wasn’t used to sleeping with the lights on. Besides, I knew he was sitting just a few inches away and because of that fact, I couldn’t let my guards down.
When I had enough of tossing and turning on the bed, I sat up and asked, “Can I turn off the lights please?”
He stared at me with an irritated look. “Has anyone told you that you are a troublesome brat?”
“You just did.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest.
“Maybe that’s why your boyfriend broke up with you?” He said, striking a chord. Darren was my ex who cheated on me with an old friend of mine. This has been a sensitive topic for me but he just had to mention it.
“That was out of line.” I said, flaring my nostrils.
“Oh, was it?” He asked. “What are you going to do about it? Hit me?”
I glared at him with wide eyes, feeling hurt at the mocking look on his face. Before I could stop, some tears welled up in my eyes and then streamed down my cheeks. The look on his face changed from mocking to confused, and then to embarrassed.
Not wanting him to see me crying, I hopped off the bed and walked over to the window. I looked out of it, wiping my tears with the back of my hands. This brought back memories of me crying over our breakup because I had loved Darren with all my heart but he walked all over it. I was heartbroken for a long time before I finally got over it.
Few minutes later, I heard footsteps reaching me but I didn’t look back. Mr. Miller stopped beside me and then stood straight for a few minutes before speaking.
“I am sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned your breakup.” He said.
Sorry was the last word I would expect coming from Mr. Miller’s mouth. In fact, I don’t think I have ever heard him speak so politely.
“It’s fine.” I replied.
“Besides, he wasn’t that great. For starters, the guy had a goatee.” He said in a serious tone and it made me chuckle. Darren did have a goatee to which I objected greatly.
“He was a dick.” I said.
“Hmm.” He said. “Now go to sleep. We don’t have much time.” He returned to his emotionless voice.
Nodding, I walked back to the bed and lay down. He turned off the lights and returned to bed, lying down on the other side of it. The only light entering the room was coming through the window and the darkness was making me hyperaware of his proximity. Gangster or not, Sean Miller was an attractive person and it was not possible to ignore him altogether.
For some reason, he seemed to have a soft spot to me that probably had to do with my father. But whatever it was, my feelings for him were a little contradictory. I hated him for being the evil person he was, but I also felt somewhat protected in his presence, which I shouldn't because he was a literal criminal.
Whatever it was, I was glad to be on way towards my hometown. Millers were complicated and more the distance between us, the better.
I closed my eyes and turned to my left, counting backwards from 100 to 0 till my senses started to dull.