Brooke POV
I paced the entire house. Jenna was on a date and Ben was... Well doing his thing. He said he'd be back for one am at the latest. It was only a quarter after, but my stomach was tied up in knots with the fear. My phone beeped with a text message. I launched myself across the room and into our bedroom whispering please to myself over and over again.
'Turn around' was all it said. So I did. I turned around and standing at the door to the garage was my Ben. He smiled dangerously at me. "You asshole! You said one!" I yelled at him, smiling at him as he walked towards me.
"I was outside at five to. I saw you pacing." He smirked at me. "Now then, tonight I've been bad..." I raised an eyebrow at him and slowly turned to the bedroom, dropping my robe casually. "Oh Jesus forgive me." His voice was so husky with lust as I slowly licked my lips. Before I knew it I was thrown on the bed and being showered with hungry kisses all over my body.
****
I checked my phone again. Still no calls or messages from my parents. They just don't care. I checked my last message from Josh. 'I understand, love you sis x'. Sure it had only been three days since I left home and quit school, but I missed my brother.
The barbeque tomorrow was going to be fun. I couldn't wait to see everyone. I rolled over to look at Ben. He smiled and mumbled my name in his sleep. In this moment I was so thankful for deciding to go to the mall. For driving the way I never drove. For choosing to get out of my car in front of this small house.
For not actually having any pepper spray.
The next morning I woke up to the smell of fresh fruit mixed with flowers. On the beautiful dressing table was a small tray with a bunch of lillies, a glass of water and a bowl of fruit. A small note was folded over next to the flowers. 'Gone for a last minute store dash - stay beautiful, love you xx'
After eating my fruit in bed, I had a shower. Jenna and Dan were home before Ben which made me nervous. Dan was an English lecturer. We had a long discussion on books, he was a nice guy. Another hour passed, how long did it take to buy extra food that we don't need!
By two o'clock I'd left him countless voicemails, text messages... With a brave face and false smile I excused myself to the bedroom to change. It was a beautiful late summers afternoon, I chose a pale green dress that flowed out at my knees and matching heels. A few extra curles were added to my hair. With the finishing touches of my diamond earrings from my sixteenth birthday, I was done.
People were everywhere, I let out a yelp of surprise when Stan spun me around. "You look divine darling, a vision of heaven!" I giggled and blushed. "Where's Ben? I have to tell him once again just how gorgeous you are."
"You tell me. He wasn't here when I woke up, and now the house is full of people and he's still not here." I shrugged. As if by magic the door opened, his eyes scanned the room. Once he saw me he smiled. He turned behind him and gestured for someone to come in. Josh.
He smiled when he saw me. I pushed my way to the door and wrapped my arms around my brother. "What are you doing here?"
"I bumped into Ben at the store. I was getting groceries for Janae and he told me about the barbeque. I asked how you were and he invited me along to see for myself. You look so happy."
"I am." Ben wrapped his arms around my waist. "Jenna and Dan are outside." He let me go and kissed my cheek. "Come and meet everyone." I grabbed my brothers hand and led him through the crowd.
****
The party died down late that night. Me, Ben and Josh were sitting around one of the tables by candlelight talking about our plans for the future. Kim and Kitty grabbed my hands and dragged me away to dance. After a Justin Timberlake song and three Britney's I fell back into my chair.
Josh said his goodbyes shortly after everyone else had left. Jenna and Dan were spending the night at his house. Ben was in the bedroom changing for another night out. "I've been thinking, maybe we should get out of town?" I asked as I walked through the door. "There's nothing much here for us... And you are risking your life and freedom for a couple of hundred bucks! Its not worth it."
"Then what is?"
I held out my credit card. "I have money to get us on the road. We'll stop town by town. Take take take, then run. Together."
"Brooke," he sighed. "I can't ask you to do this."
"You're not. I am."
When he came back later that night we sat down and put our plan together. We'd take off tomorrow, we'd hit my parents house first. Then move quickly out of town. Just a note for Jenna when she came home. Quick and painless over the state lines. Then we would be free.
Together.
****
"You're sure about this?"
"Totally, ten minutes tops." I hopped out of Ben's car and let myself into my parents house. I knew under their bed was a silver briefcase containing ten thousand dollars. My parents were so freaking stupid they never alarmed the house. I ran upstairs and grabbed the briefcase.
I threw everything in the room everywhere. I took the diamond rings and pearl necklace from her jewllery box. I took my father's gold watch. In Josh's room I took his camera. I felt guilty but this had to look like a robbery.
I smashed the glasses in the kitchen. The china dinner set reserved for when the Anderson's come over. I grabbed my keys and scratched the cars in the garage. I smashed my car windows with a wrench and slashed the tires.
Breathless I ran outside and smashed a window before jumping in Ben's car. "Go!" I yelled. He put his foot down and in moments we were on the highway, Riverside fading into the distance behind us.
****
"Okay, Mr Jones and Miss Davis room 556 and enjoy your stay." The fat, aging man with a poor excuse of a combover said in his monotone voice. He pushed his glasses back up his nose and infected the air with his disgusting phlemy cough.
"Uh yeah. Thanks man." Ben looked disgusted at the guy and ushered me out of there faster than you could call the cops. The motel room was decorated in the seventies by someone clearly on acid. The carpet was faded. And the bed was the tackiest thing ever.
In the shape of a love heart and for the bargain of 25 cents it would vibrate for a half hour. "Wow... This place reeks of prostitution." I grimiced as I dropped my bag. I walked into the bathroom and flicked the light switch. The bulb flickered for over three minutes before I faced the bath, sink and toilet the same color as the girl's vomit in The Exorcist.
The tell tale sounds of vibrating came from the bedroom. Slowly I made my way out of the bathroom. I couldn't help but laugh as I saw Ben lay on the bed, eyes closed but smiling. "You should be on here beautiful, it feels so freaking good baby."
I jumped on the bed and lay by his side. Once the bed stopped shaking he opened his eyes. "So Miss Davis, what's to do in... What town are we in?"
"I have no fucking idea." I laughed shaking my head. "We just took a right turn. Let's go for a drive."
We pulled into a Wendy's to talk. We'd passed a Post Office, a 24 hour mini mart and a gas station/garage. "I think maybe we should buy some dishes."
"Dishes could be good." I smiled back at Ben as the waitress placed our dinner on the table. Her eyes lingered on Ben before he looked up at her.
"Um that's great, thanks ma'am."
"I'm sure I know you, are you related to Cameron Dash? 'Coz you both sure look alike." She stood with her hand rested on her hip. Ben's jaw clenched at the name. He shook his head.
"I have no idea who that is, I'm not from here."
"Oh. My mistake." She shrugged and walked away. "Hey Dee he said no!"
"What the hell was that?" I laughed as I sipped my milkshake. "Who is Cameron Dash?"
"My father."
Ben dropped me off at the motel before he headed to the garage to buy a new licence plate for the car - or dishes as we referred to them in public. I grabbed my laptop and accessed the internet, I checked my Facebook first. Three messages asking where I was, a tagged picture, three game requests and then I saw it.
'Harvey Anderson is now in a realtionship with Simone Jones' - sixteen fucking likes! With a smile on my face I clicked like.
Stan and Kitty wrote a message for me and Ben on my wall. 'Enjoy the road trip lovebirds!! We miss you!!xx'
Closing Facebook I searched Cameron Dash on Google. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw what came back.
"Holy fucking shit!" I whispered in excitement.