AN; Don't forget sunscreen and water! It's hot!
We drove for hours, avoiding the subject of what was behind us. We drove and drove until the sky darkened and the car had to slow to enter a new town. We'd pass through town after town before we got to any major city, but we'd been on the road for so long that I wasn't quite sure what part of the state we were in. We were probably out the other side.
"Are we gonna sleep in the car?" I asked tiredly, whilst we were stopped at a red light.
Mio glanced away from the road, one hand coming off the gearbox to stroke my leg. "Are you tired?"
I nodded. The light flicked to green, Mio's foot came down on the gas again and she yawned.
"I'll stop soon. We're not sleeping in the car, in a hotel, a nice one. Tell me if you see one you like," she said softly.
There weren't many to choose from. We'd passed one on the way in that seemed to be occupied by a biker gang and drunks, and there was another up ahead of us. It was a tower block with sleek, illuminated lettering on the highest floor. I pointed across the dashboard to it, and Mio wordlessly pulled into its parking lot. She stretched her legs and back when we got out, smiling over the hood of the car at me. I was exhausted. I felt I'd been so happy that it had tired me out. I was prepared to sleep knowing that when I woke up, I would be with her and we wouldn't have to part. It almost was like the first day of forever.
The lobby of the hotel felt almost too fancy for such a small town, one I didn't even know the name of. It was very minimal with white plush couches in a waiting area off to the right and a curved reception desk with the hotel's name carved into its front. There was a long-faced boy behind the desk, clicking irkingly with a spring pen. Everything looked very polished and toothy, and the whirring of the AC had a tiring effect on me.
Mio walked slightly ahead of me, suitcase rolling noisily against the tiles. While she requested our room, I leaned my head gently against her back. The receptionist signed us into a room, fingers pressing at a keyboard that clattered and an ancient computer. He assigned us a room with a double bed on the fifth floor and passed Mio a keycard over the desk. I forced my eyes back open, standing up straight and following her across the lobby to a silver lift built into the far wall.
On the journey up, Mio let me lean limply against her body, probably thinking I was a lump of weight. But she leant her head back against me and put up with my exhaustion.
Our room was very simple, as white and grey as the lobby was. The mattress and duvet were crisp and sunk comfortably under my weight when I flopped down onto them.
"Norah?" Mio said softly from across the room.
I hummed into the duvet.
"I'm gonna have a shower, okay? Will you after?"
"Too tired," I moaned.
She laughed. "Gross." Then the bathroom door closed and I heard the pipes shudder to life and hiss as the shower came on.
I listened to her humming as she stepped in, smiling. We were going to sleep together, in the same bed, and wake up just the same. We would probably only stay one night in that hotel, but there would be more to come. How she would compensate for that, I didn't know, but I hadn't asked yet. The night was too good for that, and I was far too happy and tired.
My shorts and shirt were sweaty, so I pushed myself up off the bed and glanced about. Hanging off of a standing coat rack were two after-bathing robes. I moved towards them, walking on sluggish legs and hot feet. Built into the wall beside the rack was a small rectangular AC control panel. I fiddled with the buttons for a moment before the unit in the room whirred to life, bringing cool air in through the vents in the wall. The shower was still running, so I shrugged and wiggled out of my clothes, tossing them to the bedside, and pulled on one of the robes. I assumed the fluffier bath robes were in the bathroom - these were thin and silky, like ones offered at spas. I knotted the tie loosely about my waist and fell back down onto the bed.
In the bathroom, the shower stopped running and the toilet flushed. Then after a few minutes, the door opened, sending steam billowing out from the room, conflicting with the cool breathing of the AC unit. Mio was standing there, still drying her hair in a hotel towel, wearing a white nightgown, one that was very modest and seemingly made from the same material as my robe. She saw me sprawled on the bed and came over, shuffling up beside me and resting on her knees. I could've glanced right up her nightgown, it was opened right in front of me, but I instead, looked up into her face, swallowing.
"Are you still tired?" She asked, brushing my hair away from my cheek.
I nodded against the spread.
She tugged the duvet out from under our bodies and blanketed us with it. The air conditioning almost made me forget it had been such a hot day. My skin had pimpled in the cool room, even under the covers. Mio reached over to the light switch by the bedside table and flicked it off, then shuffled back down close to me in the dark. She was leaning into me, closer and closer until her head was laid against my collar. Her hair was still slightly damp against my skin; I felt it where it had slivered through the V neck into my robe. Reflexively, my arms came around her body and hugged her to me, heart ballooning and pumping in my throat.
"Are you scared?" She asked quietly.
I wanted to ask if I should be, but I could feel her vulnerability, just in that moment. So instead, I shook my head and whispered, "I'm not."
She hummed against me, legs coming up to tangle with my own. I felt her body relax, head tucked under my chin, my arms closed around her. I wondered if she'd find the position comfortable enough to sleep in, but very quickly her breath became patterned and soft against my collarbone.
-
The morning came unlike any other morning I'd ever experienced. I was in a bed bigger than my own, with a warm body on my hip, in a room I was unaccustomed to. Mio was breathing gently, and had rolled onto her back in the night, but her arm was still draped between us, hand on my hip in sleep. Her lips were slightly parted and shiny in the corners where she'd drooled a bit. She was stirring, lashes fluttering, throb bobbing. I probably looked awful in the mornings, but she didn't. She looked ethereal. Everything about her features had been highlighted as if she'd been placed under a magnifying glass as my eyes studied her. Despite the coolness of the room, there was a pinkness that had rose to her cheeks in her sleep.
After a few minutes, she blinked and awoke, eyes finding me and softening. Her fingers rubbed into my hip, where they'd been resting since I woke. I was so happy I couldn't quite find the words to convey how I truly felt.
"Good morning," Mio said, her voice rasping with her grogginess. It was breathy and slight husky, and I felt myself throb at its sound.
"Morning," I smiled.
She hooked her hand around my hip and pulled me gently towards her, only leaving a small gap between our bodies. Then she tapped her bottom lip twice with her index finger.
"Kiss?" She said when I didn't reply.
I laughed shortly. "Morning breath."
"Hold your nose," she said with a shrug.
I was so happy. Without pinching my nose, I leaned forward into her lips, not really caring how her morning breath was. She squeezed my hips and I gasped softly into her open mouth. Her tongue swiped at my lower lip, but we went no further. It was the best good morning I'd ever received. She then pressed a final close-mouthed kiss to me and went off to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
I kicked my legs excitedly and rolled around a bit. I didn't think I would ever get used to feeling so content, especially so early in the morning. And it would be every morning for the rest of the summer, and after I finished college, and at holidays when I could come home to her.
After Mio came out of the bathroom, I trailed in after her, showering off the sweat from the day previous and brushing my teeth. Back in the bedroom, Mio had changed into another sundress, that day it being a pale pink colour, which was very flattering against her complexion. I changed afterwards, and we left the room in a tidy state, ready to get back on the road again.
I would become used to it; the travelling and the constant moving, right until summer ended. I didn't even care where we stayed, as long as she didn't leave me. I'd already become so attached to it.
In the car before we pulled away from the hotel, I told Mio:
"I'm really hungry, are you?"
She nodded, pressing her foot down on the gas, making the car rumble to a start. "Do you want to get something and then get out of town? Or eat out of town?"
"Let's get something and go," I said, kicking off my shoes in the foot-well. "I wanna see more than here."
It was a hot day again, and the leather of the seats was sticky, burning the backs of my arms. Mio was tapping her fingers on the steering wheel and humming sweetly, obviously as content as I was.
The hotel we'd stayed in had served as some kind of town centre landmark. It was the tallest building, and every other structure seemed to circle out from it like a solar system of concrete mass. We passed grocers, houses, tailors, jewellery shops, but not many places to eat. I was keeping an eye out whilst Mio drove, only focused on the road. Then, just before the road thickened towards a town exit sign, I spotted a little cafe with an image of a croissant painted onto the front window. I said the word and Mio pulled up on the curb outside it.
The establishment was very old fashioned, with a bell that chimed upon entering and black and white diamond tiling on the floors. Behind a glass counter were pastries and cake slices under domes. Mio stood slightly behind me, hand massaging the back of my neck gently.
The place was eerily empty for a moment, until a pear-shaped older woman leaning on a stick appeared from a back room door. She had a pair of glasses hanging around her neck and very tired, mousy features. When she saw me and Mio, she smiled genuinely, leaning her weight against the inside of the counter. Mio's hand slipped from my neck.
"Morning, ladies, what can I get you?" The woman asked.
I ordered for myself, and then looked to Mio in encouragement, and she quietly gave her order. The woman smiled kindly, noting them down in a scrawl on a notepad, and continued glancing back at Mio. I found it odd at first, then I maybe thought it was rude, racially-charged perhaps - I was prepared to snap for her.
Then before the woman disappeared off to the grill, she said directly to me,
"Oh, your girlfriend is very beautiful. What a gem!"
My mouth fell open slightly, only in disbelief, and a smile sprung to my mouth. But I only stared at the woman, not quite knowing how to respond. My girlfriend, a way I'd only dreamed of introducing her.
The woman's eyebrows dipped in confusion. "Or wife? I'm sorry, dear, did I get it wrong?"
"No! No," I said, grinning, "yes, she's my girlfriend."
Mio squeezed my hand at our sides and said softly, "thank you."
Once the woman left to start making the food, Mio looked at me and raised her eyebrows teasingly. I only shrugged, feeling my cheeks warm - but any colouring that appeared I could just blame on the heat.
The room was filled with the smell of bacon, and the sound of crackling on the grill. Mio started to rub the back of my neck again. Each time I turned to look at her, she would smile very coyly and raise her eyebrows.
My girlfriend. As long as we kept going, further and further away from Twin, nobody would know us. She could be my girlfriend, and all we'd be in the eyes of strangers is a regular couple, as normal as any other lovers.
I paid for our breakfast, much to Mio's disapproval, and tipped the woman, fishing crinkled notes out of my purse. I didn't have much on me, but I wanted to seem grateful. Kindly, the woman at the counter gave me a red apple, free of charge.
Mio was still looking smug, even when we were back on the road.
"I'm very beautiful apparently," she said, smiling girlishly.
I barked out a laugh, taking my sandwich from the paper bag. "Is that the only thing you took from that interaction?"
She shrugged, glancing over at the bag. I pulled her sandwich out and held it by her face, and she opened her mouth for me to feed it to her. She took a bite, ketchup oozing out slightly, which I hurriedly caught in my palm and licked away. She had it on the corner of her lip as she chewed, and that I swiped away with the pad of my thumb.
We perhaps weren't the safest duo, with her being distracted by me feeding her and me being sat cross-legged and without a seatbelt, but we were the most lovesick one. I'd thought it whilst I was showering that morning, that she really meant it when she said she needed me. I at times doubted and worried, and felt as if I wouldn't truly be secure in my knowing unless she said it outright to me. But her actions said plenty. Her smiles, her constant touch, the voice in which she spoke to me, how she'd slept against me, how she'd wanted to kiss me first thing. I couldn't think of any other explanation for that besides needing me, wanting me.
"Where to next?" I asked.
"Wherever. We can go wherever we want now," Mio said.
-
We drove for another hour or so, up onto the highway and then off again, continuing off into rural areas. A few towns looked so similar to Twin that my heart started to beat fast. I wondered if we'd maybe been followed a couple of times. My phone was at the bottom of my suitcase, zipped and untouched. I hadn't checked it once. And I don't think Mio had checked hers either. She stopped for gas after we'd passed through two or three little towns. I was sure then that no one was really following us, that idea was just a product of my anxious mind. No cars passed us or followed into the station behind us.
Then we were off again. I flicked through radio stations, asking Mio to rate the songs out of ten that came on. I didn't know much about her music taste, but I found from that task that she wasn't much of a country fan nor a techno one. She liked ballads and 80's hits, which seemed to be the only genres we met at. She wasn't much of a fan of dance, but she told me that was because she couldn't dance herself. She hated nu-metal and yelled at me to turn it off as I laughed and turned it up louder. She told me we'd crash if I didn't switch it off, and I listened.
It seemed to get dark quickly again, but that day I was not as tired. We'd stopped plenty of times so Mio could get a drink and stretch her legs, and I dozed in the car, heated under the sizzling sun. After the sun set, we seemed to be far away from any kind of civilisation. We'd been driving down the same long, sparsely-lit road, framed by unkempt shrubbery and trees. I didn't know how far we were from the highway, or any kind of town. Everything seemed so distant from us.
A large luminous sign was rising over the distance, land-marking a motel off the road. And with it being there or nowhere, we pulled in and parked up. It was a proper Bates' Motel kind of motel with outside apartments and two stories to the complex. I waited out by the car with the suitcases while Mio went through to the main building to request a room. The road it was on was eerie. It continued straight and level on past the motel and into the darkness. The streetlamps were so spread out that I could barely see the glow of the next one along.
Our room was on the bottom half of the complex, third door along the row. The front door had a squeak of age to it but the room itself was very spacious, it was bigger than where we'd stayed in previous. It had a bathroom with a bathtub and a shower, a bidet beside the toilet and a mirror cabinet above the sink. The bedroom was very open, with enough room for a dresser and fold-out sofa to the left side of the room.
Obviously exhausted from driving all day, Mio just tossed her suitcase down on the sofa and leaned her lower back against the dresser, rubbing her eyes. I copied, leaning my suitcase against hers. She was looking at me, smiling as coyly as she had been earlier.
"What?" I said, coming towards her with an eyebrow raised.
"I'm your girlfriend, hmm?"
"Do you not want to be?" I asked teasingly, my hands reaching out and touching her hips.
"Or, as that woman said, wife?"
I laughed shortly and leaned into her mouth, letting our lips meet. Her arms reflexively hooked around the back of my neck, pulling until our bodies were flushed. Despite her tiredness, her lips were desperate, mouth open for mine. Her hand had threaded into my hair, pressing my head down into her. Already, my pulse was throbbing, arousal rising up through me, making my cheeks rosy in the heat.
Before I even touched her too intimately, she was humming and sighing, I gripped her hips and made a lifting motion, signalling that I wanted her up on the dresser. She took the hint quickly and shuffled back, hopping up onto the dresser surface, legs either side of my waist, dress bunched up at the top of her thighs. She was eager and compliant, tongue licking into my mouth, finding my own, making our lips wet, making them shine. Her face was so warm, or was it mine? She tilted her jaw up for me and whined, and obediently, I parted our lips, spying the thin string of spittle that connected our mouths. It was visual proof of her desperation. I found her throat with my teeth at first, biting gently, letting my tongue dart through my lips and soothe the marks. Her chest was rising and falling quickly, pressing against my own, as I navigated her neck with my mouth. My palms were on her thighs, smoothing upwards slowly, until they were under her dress.
She was making faces like she was in bliss, lips parted, eyes squeezed shut, lashes stirring. I wanted to watch every single face she made, but when I stopped kissing her to look, she whined, and I couldn't deny her.
Her underwear was thin, material sheer and lacy. And very easily, I shifted it to the side, exposing her. Her legs widened around my waist automatically as my fingers traced her slit, as I felt her. I was rubbing circles with the pads of my index and middle fingers, like I'd touched her before, but it was obvious there was something a further down that I hadn't felt her react to. Experimentally, I dipped my fingers in, and she gasped, arms tightening around me. So, I let them sink in again, pushing deeper until my knuckles were pressed against her skin. She'd bucked her hips up towards me, kept them angled so that I could reach as deep as possible. I slid them out slowly again, then pressed them back into her. She was moaning right into my ear; whimpering when my fingers slipped out and gasping when they were back. She'd been able to take two from the beginning, I hadn't even tested her with one.
Her arousal had made my fingers glisten, it was dribbling down towards my knuckles. And with that sight, my own lower stomach throbbed, and I began to pump properly into her, no longer teasing her. The sensation completely devoured her, her head lolling forward onto my shoulder, breath coming sharply against my collar. I wanted to look at her, see her face as she tipped into bliss, but her body seemed so weak under the pleasure. My free hand was pressed into her thigh, pinning her to the dresser top, keeping her from crumpling.
As my fingers continued to thrust into her, it became more wordlessly obvious what she needed. She lifted her head lazily, eyes hooded, and kissed me, lips wet and slow with her daze of her lust. Once I was sure she was stable against the dresser, I took my hand off of her thigh and held her jaw with it, keeping her face level with mine and lips against my own. She was making too beautiful a face to miss, I had to see her senseless because of me.
She was close. She'd started to tremble against me, her hands gripping my shoulders tightly, nails in my skin, and her moans and whimpers had become cries and gasps. I could feel it building up in her, closer and closer. Her hips were rolling rhythmically onto my fingers, a desperate bounce in her movements. Then they stilled and she tensed around my pumping, clenching against my fingers. She was panting into my ear, leg hiked up against my body, making it so I could continue to plunge into her as she rode out her orgasm. She was almost purring, whispering that she was coming over and over. Then her body slacked against me, legs shaking faintly, chest heaving.
"Shit," she said in a breath.