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It’s really cute how she gets all red-faced and flustered. I’m certain this is something we’ll laugh about in a few years.
“Hey,” I say loudly, so I know she can hear.
Her head snaps back to look in my direction. “I talked to Steven and Tracy this morning. If everything goes as planned, we’ll meet them tomorrow.”
“Meet them?” Claire asks curiously. “I thought it’s too dangerous?”
“It was too dangerous a few days ago. I had to make sure I found a safe place for you to stay with them.”
“Wait. You are leaving me again?” Her voice has an undeniably accusing tone to it.
“I can’t stay with you for more than one reason, but I’m kind of wanted by some bad men. Terrible and dangerous men, and you can’t live your life on the run. You need to go to school, and you need parents. Stability. You need to live your life.”
“What if someone comes for me again?”
“They won’t.” I grip the steering wheel tight.
“But what if they do?”
“Then I’ll kill them too,” I quip, and that shuts her up.
Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she stares out of the windshield with a pout. I know she is disappointed I’m leaving again, but this is the best thing for her, and I’ll always do what’s best for her.
“I have to pee,” Claire tells me after a while.
“We’ll stop for the night soon.” The words have barely passed my lips when I spot the sign for a Holiday Inn. “Why don’t we stay at a nicer place tonight?”
“Sure,” Claire murmurs, a pout permanently etched onto her face.
I pull off the interstate and turn right at the stop sign toward the Holiday Inn. It’s a nicer hotel, well, nicer than what we’ve been staying at. Hopefully, I can make tonight a memorable one, and we can put the last week of chaos behind us. Claire grabs the bag from the back seat while I park, and together, we get out of the car and enter the hotel.
Luckily, the lady at the front desk is an older woman with greying hair and librarian glasses, lessening the likelihood that she’ll flirt with me, hopefully.
“I need a room with two queen beds for my sister and me,” I tell her.
Her brown eyes dart between Claire and me, speculation building before she drops her gaze down to the screen in front of her and types something into the computer.
A moment later, she says, “That’s sixty-nine dollars.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Claire looking around the hotel. Her eyes are full of amazement, and I swear I see a tiny smile threatening to appear on her lips. I pay for the room with cash, and the lady hands us the keycards without another word.
We take the elevator to the third floor and find our room easily enough. I open the door and flip the light on. Claire rushes in, drops the bag to the floor, and falls back onto the mattress with a sigh as soon as we enter the room.
I walk inside and toe-off my boots next to the bed.
Claire moves into a sitting position and looks over at me. “This might be a bit dramatic, but this is my favorite bed out of all the beds I’ve slept in this week.”
I don’t even try to hide my laughter. “That’s not dramatic at all.”
“Oh, crap!” Claire rushes from the bed and squeezes past me and into the bathroom. The door slams shut, and I walk over to the bed and lie back against the mattress. Tomorrow, she’ll be in her new home and out of harm’s way, hopefully, forever.
The sound of the toilet flushing pulls me from my thoughts. A moment later, Claire returns to the room, sitting on the edge of her mattress. She looks down at her hands, a sadness in her eyes, and I don’t want our last night together to be one of sadness.
“Do you want to order a pizza and watch a movie?”
My suggestion has Claire opening up like a flower in the sun. “That would be great. It feels like forever since I’ve done anything normal.”
“Let’s do it. What kind of pizza do you want?” I ask, pulling my cell phone out of my pocket so I can call one of the local pizza places.
“Anything as long as it doesn’t have olives on it.” She makes this expression where her nose wrinkles and her tongue sticks out.
“How about sausage and mushroom?”
“That sounds delicious.”
I do an online order and toss the tv remote to Claire. She looks down at it with furrowed brows. “What?”
“Pick something to watch. A movie or tv show. Whatever is fine. I want tonight to end on a happy note since it didn’t start that way.”
“I’m just happy to have a decent bed to sleep in tonight.” She giggles, and the sound makes me feel warm all over. When I let her go tomorrow, it will be hard but worth it.
