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.
"Wow," I remark, slightly overwhelmed.
Not surprisingly, I have mixed feelings about what is to come. I have avoided speaking to my brother for more than a month now and I cannot even begin to imagine how awkward it will be once we meet in person. Still, for some reason that I cannot put my finger on, he was the first person that sprung to my mind when I thought about where I could possible run to.
Sure, he obviously is part of this whole 'let's lie to Lily and the twins' scheme that my family has been keeping up throughout all these years. But because he hasn't been around in person for most of it, to me, he is a lot less to blame for this mess. I might be a bit unfair towards the rest of my brothers – or whoever they are to me, which is another as of yet unsolved issue – but I don't care at this point. I am allowed to be a bit selfish, I think. They have been plenty selfish, too.
"What? You didn't think I would keep my promise?" Will sounds slightly offended.
I shrug, not really sure how to answer that. He must know that I didn't trust him to stick to his word. But I also don't want to say it out loud, because it might upset him. And I cannot risk upsetting my only means of getting to Chicago.
"No. I...I am just impressed that we've made it so far already," I mutter unconvincingly.
"I've been driving for five hours straight. That's not already, in my books. And you've been pretty shitty company so far," my brother complains but I can hear the teasing in his voice.
"I'm sorry. I must have been a bit tired," I downplay my previous exhaustion.
"No kidding. – But hey, at least now your batteries are recharged and you can provide entertainment on the next leg of our journey."
Will pats my head, knowing full well that I hate when people do this, and then jumps out of the car. He makes quick work of connecting the pump the tank.
Reaching back into the car, he grabs his jacket that is still covering me. I instantly shiver as I am hit with a burst of cold air coming from outside the car, but before I can complain, he has already closed the driver's door and is walking a few steps away from the truck.
I watch as he pulls a packet of cigarettes out of the jacket and puts one in his mouth. As he fiddles with the lighter, a thought occurs to me. I am pretty sure that people are not supposed to smoke near a gas station.
I consider for a moment whether I should tell him that but then I decide against it. I have to remind myself that I simply cannot risk pissing him off. Also, he hopefully knows what he is doing, because surely he won't deliberately put his and other peoples' lives in danger.
Right?
As I watch with strange fascination how the end of the cigarette glows red in the almost dark as he drags on it, he does something that causes my heart to stop for a beat.
He gets out his cell phone.
A million possibilities flood my mind as I watch breathlessly as Will taps the screen and then appears to scroll through whatever it shows. It doesn't look like he is typing anything but just reading, however, I cannot be sure because the light has become very dim plus he is standing about ten yards away.
I am about to jump outside and rip the phone out of his hands when he puts it back in his pocket. He throws the remainder of his cigarette on the ground and stomps on it to put it out.
My heart is still beating faster than it should when my brother comes back towards the car and pulls out the gas pump before closing the lid on the tank with a loud bang. I startle when his face unexpectedly appears right next to me at the window. He knocks against it, indicating that I should roll it down. With trembling fingers, I do just that.
"I'll get some water. Anything else you want? A snack?"
I shake my head no. Eating is the last thing on my mind right now. All that counts is finding out what he has been doing on his phone. But I don't know how to approach the subject. Again, I am worried that anything I'll do or say will piss him off and turn him against me.
Did he tell the others where we are, or where we are going?
Do they even know that I am with Will?
"Alright. I'll be right back. Lock the doors," Will instructs me gruffly and walks off.
I am still in a bit of a daze as I try to find the central lock button. I am unsuccessful locating it. The truck is so old, it probably doesn't even have one. I manually lock the door on my side and decide that the chances of anyone trying to get in on the driver's side are slim to none.
Come on, what could even happen to me here, right outside a gas station with other people around?
My brothers have a long history of being worrywarts and naturally, some of it has also rubbed off on Will. But not enough for him force me to go inside the shop with him. None of my oldest brothers would have ever let me stay alone in the car, even less so when it is dark outside.
That is why I like Will so much. He is not half as stuck up as they are. Also, he is the only one who would even consider doing what we are doing now. I made the right decision by calling him. Also, I guess it helps that I have something to hold over him. There is no way he would have otherwise agreed to drive me halfway across the country, I am pretty sure about that.
I jump once again when the driver's side door is being ripped open. A bottle of water lands heavily in my lap, followed by a second one.
"Hey!" I complain but Will just laughs.
He puts a bottle of coke into the cup holder in the front and then rifles through the plastic bag that he brought with him from the shop. A second later, something hits me in the face before also landing in my lap. I look down and find a KitKat.
"Thought you'd not turn down a bit of chocolate," Will explains simply.
He gets into the truck and starts the engine while at the same time unwrapping a Mars bar. He wolves it down in only two bites and then puts the car into drive. I eagerly unscrew the cap from one of my water bottles and drink half of it in one go.
As we are pulling back on the highway, Will holds out another chocolate bar towards me.
"Open it," he demands.
"I've already got a KitKat. I'm good," I reply, pushing his hand back towards him.
"For me, you troll, not for you," he clarifies.
I accept the chocolate and quickly unwrap it, handing it back to him.
"Thanks for my KitKat, by the way," I say and pull the plastic wrapper off it.
"No worries."
We drive in silence for about twenty minutes or so. I am not that good at guessing how much time has passed under any circumstances and since I don't have a watch, I cannot check it, either. Well, there would be the burner phone that Finn insisted I take with me, but I don't want Will to know that I have it. At least not until it is absolutely necessary.
"How much further?" I ask to break the silence.
"About 2000 miles, give or take."
I almost choke on my chocolate.
That sounds like a lot!
I don't know why, because it makes no sense, now that I am thinking about it, but for some reason I thought we would be at Sean's by tomorrow. I suddenly feel rather naïve. With a speed limit of maybe 75 mph, these 2000 miles will take us around 25 to 30 hours to complete. Depending on traffic and all that. For a change, being a rather decent maths student helps me in real life. However, the prospect this insight provides is anything but welcome.
We can really only make it there in a day from now if Will keeps driving without stopping, other than for gas. Although I cannot drive, I know that this is pretty much impossible to do. My brothers always complain when we drive to our cabin in the woods and that is only about three to four hours away.
There is simply no way that Will can last a full 24 hours behind the wheel without getting a proper break. And that would be on top of what we already drove until now, too. We must have driven for about five hours because I believe it was around midday when we left. My brother will most likely want to stay somewhere for the night. Anything else would be madness.
Do we even have money to get a room?
Or will we have to sleep in the car?
While that thought is less creepy than spending the night in a dark cave with no grown-up present, it still doesn't appear very appealing. But I will definitely feel a bit better with Will by my side than with Finn. I am pretty certain Will could easily scare away weird people, if any were to come near the car or would want to, I don't know, rob us or something.
"Hey, I asked you something!" Will interrupts my quite disturbing train of thoughts.
"Huh?"
"I said that I can maybe drive another five hours, six maximum and then we'll need to find a place to crash for the night," he repeats.
"Okay," I say absent-mindedly, still musing over what our further journey might bring.
"Unless you want to take the wheel, of course," he says, laughing slightly at his own bad joke.
"Ha, ha. You're such a comedian, Will."
"Just saying. It'll be dark and maybe nobody would see you. Like, literally, since you'd not even be able to see over the steering wheel."
"Are you done?" I groan.
If this is his way of entertaining himself during this boring car ride, I will have to try and get back to sleep as I certainly won't let him make fun of me for the next however many hours.
"Aww, runt, don't be a drag. I'm just teasing you."
"Well, I'm not in the mood for your stupid jokes," I snap at him.
I have suddenly remembered about his being on the phone earlier at the gas station and that immediately puts me in a bad mood.
"What's going on?" he asks after a few minutes of rather uncomfortable silence.
The almost soft tone of his voice surprises me, to say the least.
"What were you doing with your phone?" I decide to tackle the issue head-on.
"Come again?"
"Earlier, when you were smoking. You were checking your phone. Were you texting...Alex?"
I hold my breath as I wait for his response. When it doesn't come immediately, my stomach drops. For me, there is no doubt that he is trying to make something up to cover his betrayal.
"What do you take me for?" he eventually asks, obviously trying to act cool.
Oh, Will.
"Why would you even do that?" I exclaim, feeling rage rush through my veins.
Before I can stop myself, I lash out at him by punching him hard in the upper right arm. I guess it came unexpected, because he swerves dangerously and curses like a sailor as he tries to get the car back into the lane. Normally, my brothers claim that my punches don't even tickle them. So much for that being true.
"What the fuck, Lily? You wanna get us killed?" he yells at me.
"You got that covered already, by ratting me out to Alex!" I shout back.
"Jeez, kid, get your facts straight! I didn't rat you out to Alex, for fuck's sake," he claims, using a mocking tone when he quotes me. "What even makes you think that? Have a little faith in me, okay, after all I've done for you and the shit that I am getting myself wrapped up in just to help you!"
"Well, if not Alex, who were you texting then?" I demand to know.
"I wasn't texting anybody. I was getting up to speed on our group chat."
"The family one?" I ask, dreading the answer already.
So far, I have more or less successfully managed to push any thoughts of what would be going on at home to the very back of my mind. Other than last night when Finn and I briefly touched on the subject, I have tried very hard not to picture what they might be doing right now. Will mentioned that my oldest brothers are busy looking for me, but that is all I know and I have been happy to not dwell on it in too much detail. Until now.
"The big brother one," Will corrects me.
So basically the chat that excludes the younger twins and I.
Figures.
"W-what does it say?" I ask in a whisper, uncertain whether I even want to hear any details.
"What do you think it says?"
"I...I don't know?"
"Stop acting like you're fucking stupid, doll. I am sure you can easily picture those conversations. You know they were going crazy back home because you've disappeared."
I immediately pick up on the keyword here.
"Were?" I snap, twisting my head to stare at my brother.
"I may have told them that you're with me," Will states simply, not even sounding remotely apologetic.
"What?" I explode. "Will! Why the hell would you do that?"
"To prevent certain people from having a coronary before they're even in their mid-thirties and others from going straight to prison for committing crimes and potentially killing people just to find you?" he replies sarcastically. "And don't swear."
"They need to know you're safe," my brother adds almost like an afterthought when I don't react.
"Am I even safe with you?" I challenge him, still feeling angry about his going behind my back and telling them where I am.
"We'll have to see. But definitely safer than without me."
He has a point there, I guess. While I am still processing this, Finn's advice with regards to tracking phone calls and GPS signals suddenly jumps to my mind. I hold out my hand towards Will.
"Let me see," I demand.
He laughs at my attempt to get him to follow my orders.
"No."
"Yes! Come on, Will!"
"Nope. Forget it. I'm not letting you on my phone."
"Wi-i-i-ll! Don't be an ass. I just wanna see what you told them. You didn't say where we are going, right?"
"Do you think I'm stupid?"
I am not sure whether that is a rhetorical question or not so I choose not the answer it.
Instead, I frantically wave my hand in front of his face and make grabby fingers, indicating that I want his phone. Will curses under his breath and eventually reaches into the side pocket of the truck's door to retrieve his phone. He pushes it forcefully into my hand after unlocking it with his finger print.
I take a quick glance at the screen and see that there are 34 new, unread messages on it. I can only see the top one without actually opening the app. It is from Jordan.
"U better make sure that she's safe and sound and bring her back in one piece or I swear to g..."
This is where it gets cut off because there is not enough space in the rectangle on the screen.
My heart fills with joy at those few considerate, if rather threatening sounding words from my favourite brother.
Jordan still cares about me, despite everything that I have done.
I feel unwelcome tears well up in my eyes and I quickly blink them away. The moment I show weakness, I risk that Will changes his mind and takes me straight back home. I cannot let that happen.
So, without further ado, I roll down the window and chuck his phone out of the car.
It takes him a moment to realize what I have done, but when he does, I wish I could make myself disappear into thin air with the snip of a finger. He is beyond furious.
"Lily, what the actual fuck?!? Have you lost your fucking mind? No, don't answer that. Why the hell would you do that?" Will screams at me at an unprecedented volume, almost making my eardrums burst.
He frantically starts to look for a way to switch lanes to get into the right one which will allow him to stop the car on the side of the highway, but there is too much traffic and it looks like he can't risk it without potentially getting us killed. There are horns blaring because he has slowed down considerably. Uttering some of the most offensive curse words I have ever heard anyone say out loud, he pushes his foot down and the truck shoots forward.
"That phone was not even a year old!" he adds after another string of curses.
Then he takes a deep breath. I chance a glance in his direction and find him staring straight ahead with a murderous expression on his face. If we were not in a rolling car right now, I am sure he would beat me to a pulp.
"Why would you do that, Lily?" he repeats his earlier question through gritted teeth.
The knuckles of his hands on the steering wheels are white because he is holding on so tightly. I am actually quite impressed by how well he manages to control his anger, all in all. It is probably the only reason that I am still alive after what I have done.
"They might track us," I quietly try to explain my actions.
"Excuse me? Are you crazy? Nobody is fucking tracking anybody!" he yells and hits the steering wheel with his clenched fist, causing the truck to shake.
"Finn says that..."
"Don't you ever mention that bastard's name in my presence again," Will seethes menacingly.
Silly me. Obviously the wrong topic to bring up.
"Phones can be tracked. Not only if you have your GPS on, but also because of the mobile signals. Or if somebody put a tracker on your phone," I say as calmly as possible.
"What are you? A freaking CSI reject?"
"I just don't want anybody to find us before we get to Chicago," I whisper.
"Oh man, doll, you're really something," Will sighs, suddenly sounding a lot more sympathetic. "And you're a gutsy kid, too. Not many would have dared doing that, for fear of my wrath an' all."
"You wouldn't do anything to me," I claim, trying hard to sound confident although I don't really feel that way right now.
I suppress the urge to add the "would you?" to the end of my sentence.
"Don't be so sure about that."
Now I can hear the smile in his voice and my heartrate slows down a bit. I can tell that he is not really angry at me. More like, he seems impressed. That is typical Will, too. The less conventional you are and the more you push your boundaries, the more he respects you. I have learned that from a young age. Although he struggles to show emotions or to let people in, he has shown me plenty of times that he doesn't really mind me and my company too much.
Otherwise, why would we even be here?
"I'm sorry I did that," I tell him.
"No, you're not," Will chuckles.
"Okay, maybe not as sorry as I should be. I am glad that that the phone is gone because I don't want them to track us and find us. But I am sorry that I destroyed your property. I'll make it up to you," I promise.
"And how do you think you'll do that?"
"I'll buy you a new phone."
Now he is full out laughing at me, but I take it without complaining, if only as some kind of atonement for what I did.
"With what money? The four dollars of pocket money Alex gives you a week?"
"Six," I correct him, but I blush as I say that.
It's kind of embarrassing. In our family, you start to receive official pocket money at the age of ten, at two dollars a week. And each year, the amount goes up by two dollars. So now, since my birthday, I am at six dollars. It may sound like not much at all, but considering that there really is nothing I need to pay for in my actual life, since my brothers provide for pretty much everything, including little extras like taking me to the cinema or buying most of my birthday presents for my friends, it is enough. We can also earn extra money by doing chores. And sometimes I get a ten-dollar-bill or so off one of the older guys simply by asking nicely. All in all, I don't think I have anything to complain about, also since I am pretty good at saving up the little money I have.
"Awesome. So it'll only take you, what? Like two to three years to buy me a new phone? You'll be forever indebted to me."
The way he says that and the pleasure he actually seems to take from that thought makes me shiver. No matter how well we sometimes get along, owing to Will for an extended period of time is not a desirable situation to be in, that is for sure.
"How much is a new phone?" I ask, incredulously.
I don't even attempt to do the maths myself and I hope that whatever Will calculated in his head is only a rough estimation, designed to scare me off.
"Around 1k should just about cover it."
I almost choke on my own saliva. He cannot be serious.
Did I really just throw a thousand dollars out the window?
"You're joking."
"Nope. Might as well make it worth it, when I have to get a new phone."
Asshole.
"So your phone wasn't worth that, right?" I still ask, to be sure.
He laughs and shakes his head.
"Naw. But I've had my eyes on a better model for a while. So, thanks for offering."
"Forget it. I'll make it up to you another way."
"Oh, really? Interesting... I am sure I can come up with something."
I hate how amused he sounds. And I hate it that I set myself up for him to hold something over my head, probably for months to come. It was still worth it though, because now I can be sure that we won't have a horde of angry family members on our tails anytime soon.
"I guess we're truly on our own now," Will states. "On the run, hiding from the „bad" guys and with no means to contact anyone. Bonnie and Clyde would have been proud."
I have no idea what he is talking about, but I sure am glad that he has apparently gotten over his anger about me destroying his phone. Leaning my head back against the seat, I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
Will turns on the radio as we continue heading down the highway towards Chicago.
*******
"Doll, wake up. We're here."
A hand lands on my shoulder, shaking me rather harshly. A groan escapes my lips as I am unpleasantly forced to open my eyes.
It is almost pitch black outside the truck. The only thing I can see are two neon signs blinking a bit of a distance away. The one closer to where we are is unmistakably a sign for a bar. I cannot quite read the other one that is further away.
Confused, I turn my head towards my brother, who is just about to light a cigarette.
"Will," I whine, pointing at the offensive item in his hand.
"Oh quit whining, you baby. I just drove three hours without a break. I think I am allowed a treat."
He lights the cigarette and exhales loudly after taking a drag on it. I wrinkle my nose in disgust. I am not used to people smoking around me and I already find it quite off-putting that Will's clothes often smell like cold smoke, which is puke-inducing, to say the least. But I am in no real position to complain, since I am totally depending on staying on his good side. Instead, I shuffle towards the door on my side to put as much distance as possible between us. He laughs and rolls down his window.
"Baby," he teases me again.
"Where are we?"
"Some no-name small town just off the I-80 about 200 miles from Salt Lake City."
"Are we going to stay here for the night? What time is it?"
"Your guess is as good as mine. You were the one who got rid of our only way to tell the time," Will reminds me, referring to the phone I threw out of the window.
I consider pulling out the cell phone that Finn gave me but I hesitate, not sure if I am ready to give that up just yet. Also, I don't have a charger for it so I need to be careful not to use up its whole battery. That's why it is turned off.
I hold back a remark that he could have gotten us a car with an actual working clock in it. Probably not the time for sassy comments.
"It's around 11pm," my brother says when I remain silent.
"Why are we at a bar?"
"We need money. For food. And for a room," Will replies nonchalantly.
What?
"Umm...," I say out loud, confused by this statement.
I mean, I know that I have no money – we have established that before when we talked about me getting him a replacement phone – but surely I was expecting him to not be completely broke.
And how is a bar going to solve our problem?
"I hope you packed your fake ID, runt, because we're gonna need to hustle us some cash," he announces.
My eyes grow wide as his words sink in.
"A-are you s-serious?" I stammer, completely shocked by this announcement.
"Yeah, I know, even with a fake ID it'll be a bit tricky to convince the doorman that a midget like you could be eighteen, but what else can we do? Desperate times, an' all," Will muses as he takes another drag on his cigarette.
"Will, I cannot go into a bar! And how would you even get money from there?"
I am starting to be a bit scared. When I called my brother to convince him to take me to Chicago, no way was I anticipating the hurdles this journey would present us with. For the first time since I ran away, I start to seriously question my decisions.
"There's always a few drunk guys that you can try to hustle out of money with a little pool scam."
My brother sounds very confident when he says that and I wonder if he has done such things before. It should not completely surprise me, because one never knows with Will, but it still sounds pretty illegal to me. Not to mention dangerous.
"I...I don't know, Will. C-can I just...stay in the car until you're...done?" I ask in a small voice.
I am feeling really uncomfortable right now and I am sure if it weren't so dark in the car, Will could easily tell that from only looking at me. To my horror, I even start to tear up again. Maybe his calling me a baby is not that wrong.
"And have someone abduct you while I am busy securing us some much needed cash? I don't think so."
I think that is quite a dramatic way of putting it. Nobody would kidnap me, I am certain about that. Nobody would even know that I am out here. I could just lie down in the backseat or something. Although the thought of staying alone outside in the truck frightens me, it is still better than going inside a bar full of loud, rambunctious and most likely drunk people. Not that they would ever even let me in.
Despite my efforts not to cry, a strangled sob escapes my lips.
Almost instantly, Will throws his arm around my shoulders and pulls me against him. With the other hand, he flicks the burnt down cigarette out of the widow. I can hear him let out a low chuckle and I feel his chest vibrate because my head is pressed against it.
"Oh, doll, you are such an easy target, it's actually hilarious. I was just teasing you."
Teasing me? Which part of what he said does he mean?
His hand finds its way into my messy hair – it hasn't seen a brush in more than 24 hours – and the gesture immediately has a soothing effect on me.
"I just wanted to give you a bit of a reality check. So you don't take it for granted that you can just run away and everything will be smooth sailing from the moment you recruit one of your awesome big brothers to save your tiny ass. Well, the awesomest brother, actually," Will claims vainly.
"W-what does that mean?" I ask, still confused.
I don't really get what he wants to tell me.
Is this his way of teaching me a lesson?
It sure doesn't happen often that Will wants to teach me anything or that he acts parental. I think it is probably the first time. Normally, he resolves to threats if he wants to get a point across. Or he just walks off without even bothering.
"I have enough money to pay for a cheap motel room and some food, so stop worrying. We won't have to go into the bar and hustle drunk guys. Although, thinking about it, I would probably have enjoyed it. Plus, I'd not turn down a drink or three."
The wave of relief that washes over me at his words almost takes my breath away. Never before have I been so happy to find out that somebody has just been pulling my leg. I snake my arms around his waist and hug him.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you."
"Alright, that's enough."
Will somewhat harshly pushes me off him and then restarts the truck, driving it towards what I can now decipher as a neon sign advertising a motel a few hundred yards down the road. I recognize a vacancy sign flashing as we get closer and suddenly I am looking forward to sleeping in a bed. I have hardly ever been in a motel before, so this in itself is quite exciting.
He pulls up next to the long, two-story building and stops in front of a door that has the words "reception" written above it. The letter "p" does not work anymore. Up close, the place looks a bit derelict but that does nothing to lessen my excitement. Anything will be better than the cave.
"I'll be right back. Don't move."
Before I can reply, Will has already disappeared through the sliding doors. A few minutes later, he re-appears, throwing a key at me when getting back into the car. He drives only a few yards and stops in front of another door. This one has the number 107 written on it. The 7 looks slightly crooked.
We both get out of the car and while I walk up to the room, Will reaches into the backseat and retrieves a bag. I didn't know he packed a bag for the occasion.
"Do you need a special invitation? Open the door already," he orders.
I fiddle with the lock and key for a bit and he impatiently huffs behind me but I ignore him and let out a little happy shriek when the door eventually flies open. I cannot see much since it is dark in the room, but then my eyes are attacked by bright, artificial light. Will must have found the light switch.
He pushes me into the room and I stumble a bit because I am still absorbed trying to take it all in. To say the décor is atrocious is almost putting it nicely. The colours all look like they come straight from the seventies, all olive greens and oranges and strange patterns, mainly on the wallpaper and bedspreads, that are completely mis-matched.
"Nice digs," Will laughs and throws his bag on the first of two beds that stand next to each other against the wall on the right. "Make yourself comfortable. I gotta take a leak."
With that, he disappears through a door to our left, which I assume is the bathroom. I only get a glimpse of it before he closes the door behind him and from what I see, bright orange, yellow and brown tiles are the main theme in there.
I giggle and let myself fall onto the bed further from the door. This place is quite hilarious and I am loving it. I wriggle around a bit, ignoring the scratchy fabric of the bedspread, and fold my hands underneath my head. Staring up at the ceiling, which has some weird stains on it, I feel a wide smile settle on my face.
This whole journey, despite everything, is actually pretty awesome. I get to experience stuff that I have never experienced before. It does feel rather adventurous. And doing this all with Will makes it even more so, because he's so different from my other, mostly very grounded and responsible brothers. Even if he teases me constantly and that gets on my nerves, he is turning out to be great company for a spontaneous road trip like this.
"I'll be right back. Don't move. Lock the door behind me. Don't let anyone in unless it's me," Will instructs.
I have not even noticed him coming back out of the bathroom. I sit up and stare at him.
"How can I lock the door behind me if I am not supposed to move?" I question him with a grin.
Being here has definitely lifted my spirits and I cannot help annoying him a bit.
"Don't get all lippy with me, little girl, or else," Will utters an empty threat. "You'll put the security chain on the moment I close the door behind me and then you don't move until I come back. Once you know it's me, you'll take the security chain off again and let me back in. Got it? Or do I need to draw you a diagram?"
I giggle again at his being so irritable. Also, I doubt he'd have the necessary drawing skills, but I keep that remark to myself.
"Aye, aye, sir."
"You'll be the death of me before we get anywhere near Chicago," Will grumbles and then points his fingers at me while narrowing his eyes. "You do exactly as I told you."
"Ye-es!"
"And don't roll your eyes at me."
"Sorry," I mutter, not really meaning it.
"Yeah, right."
Maybe I was being more obvious than I thought. Oh well.
"Where are you even going?" I remember to ask, since he hasn't told me yet.
"There's a 24-hour supermarket down the road. I'm gonna get us some supplies – and food."
"Okay."
"I'll be back in a quarter of an hour, thirty minutes top. If I'm not, you go immediately to the front desk and call Alex. Are we clear?"
Why would he not be back?
I decide not to dwell on that, since the thought of Will disappearing would only stress me out.
Maybe this would be a good time to show him that I have a cell phone?
Not that it is of much use, seeing as the only number on there is Will's and he doesn't have a phone anymore, thanks to me. But I could call 911, if necessary. And maybe they could somehow figure out Alex' number. Although I'd prefer to call anyone but Alex.
Let's just hope that it won't come to that and that Will returns safely in half an hour. I glance around the room, hoping to find a clock and am happy to discover one. It shows 11:37pm.
"Hey, space cadet, you on board?" Will interrupts my thoughts.
He is snapping his fingers in front of my face and I push his hand away.
"Yes, I got it. – Can you bring me a cupcake or a cookie?" I ask, suddenly craving something sweet.
"Umm...excuse me? Why would I do that?"
"Because you love me and want to make me happy?"
I bat my eyelashes at him. With a groan, Will puts his hand on my head and pushes me so that I fall back down onto my bed.
"Don't push your luck, doll. All you've had so far was a chocolate bar. I think something a bit more nutritious would do you good. Plus, I think I've given you plenty of proof that I love you, what with us being here. Although, sometimes, you are making it rather hard to even like you," he claims.
From the uncharacteristic twinkle in his eyes, I can tell that he doesn't really mean that. He is just being Will. My heart immediately fills with warmth and joy. It doesn't really happen too often that Will confesses that he loves anyone, least of all any of his siblings.
"I love you, too, Will," I tell him sincerely.
My brother groans and pushes his hands through his hair, a clear sign that he feels out of his comfort zone. I grin.
"Yeah, whatever. – See you in a bit."
Will grabs his jacket that I have brought inside after I had been using it as a blanket in the car, and walks out the door. I quickly follow behind him, double check the lock and then put on the security chain. Satisfied, I return to my bed and throw myself back onto it.
This is the first time I am in a strange place all by myself. That doesn't even happen at home, because my brothers are so paranoid and treat me like a little kid. Now, I am suddenly feeling very grown up and responsible.
Who would have thought that running away would have this effect on me?
I only hope that Will is going to return safe and sound.
A/N - A bit of a more lighthearted chapter for a change, before some drama starts up again. Are they going to make it to Chicago in one piece? Or will they be found out and dragged back home before they reach their destination? How is Sean going to react?