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Derrick
It takesRaleigh several minutes to uncurl in the passenger seat, and the whole time, I don’t take my hand off her back. I mean to be a comforting presence to her, but at the same time, I think she’s a grounding presence for me. The wild instinct that came over me as I watched Silver’s car drive away is gone. I have other living things I’m responsible for right now.
And honestly, that feels… right. More right than anything I’ve done in a long time.
For many years now, I’ve been looking out for myself alone. Every decision I’ve made has come back around to whether or not it will serve my own goals. And lately, those goals have felt further and further away.
But protecting Raleigh? Keeping her close? That feels truly worthwhile.
While Raleigh collects herself, I steer us toward the highway leading out of the city. It’ll take us several hours to get where we’re going, but that’s just fine. I like night driving, and I’m more awake than I’ve ever been in my life. I do feel bad I can’t call ahead, but my mother goes to bed early. I’d definitely be waking her.
Besides, the trip will give me plenty of time to ask all the questions that I couldn’t spare thought to while I was driving for our lives.
How did Silver find me? Was he watching Emma Clarke’s house just in case someone came sniffing for info on her missing car? Or was Emma herself not as innocent as she seemed? Her wayward boyfriend can’t be Silver based on the description she gave- as long as that description was even halfway truthful- but that doesn’t mean he isn’t involved with the gang as well. Maybe she knows that, and gave him a heads up?
I spare a call through dispatch, letting the station know that I’m alive and uninjured. Then I call Cassidey through my phone, and tell him in no uncertain terms that I’m leaving the city for the weekend, and I’ll return my cruiser on Monday. He tries to ask questions, whether or not I’m all right, if Silver is targeting me, if I need someone to feed my dogs. I answer with as few words as possible and hang up as soon as he’s got the gist.
I don’t mention Raleigh, and if she notices, she doesn’t say anything about it.
“We’ll be driving for several hours,” I tell her. “Are you hungry at all?”
I fully expect her to demand a thousand answers out of me, but she doesn’t, just shakes her head. “After that chase? I’m never eating ever again,” she says vehemently.
Fair enough. “I think you should call Iris. Let her know you’re okay.”
“Yeah, I’ll… ,” Raleigh closes then opens her mouth again, but nothing comes out. She leans her head back in her chair, which is unfortunately not adjustable, and the stress of the last two days carries her off to dreamland in minutes.
Has it really only been two days since she came back into my life? I feel like I’ve gone through several existences since then.
In the backseat, the dogs take their cue from Raleigh, and curl up in their seats to sleep. I need to clean up the broken glass, need to check my cruiser for any more damage, but right now, I just want us to get distance from this fucking city.
With the whispery breathing of my carmates softening the edges of my own stress, I point us upstate and just drive.
I pull into tiny truckstops a couple times over the course of the night, each time for a bathroom break for me, Chance, and Justice, and to fill up my tank. I keep to the shadowed outskirts every time to avoid notice, painfully aware of every hole in my cruiser. Raleigh sleeps through it every time, even when I try to shake her awake at the second stop so she can get a sandwich. I suppose I’m glad she’s resting so deeply, even if itistrauma-induced.
It’s foggy at four a.m. and the sun is just barely peeking over the horizon when Raleigh finally stirs. There’s a bit of drool crusted at the edge of her mouth and her hair is a mess, but she’s honestly more beautiful now than I’ve ever seen her. A vision flashes before my eyes of waking up to her in a bed- peacefully and unhandcuffed this time. I have to shake it away.
“Mm, where are we?” she mumbles, staring blearily out of her window.
There’s nothing but rolling grassy hills, pooling fog, and wild trees for miles on either side of the empty highway. It’s gorgeous country, and I’ve missed this drive. I only wish I could lie well enough to myself to believe I was making this trip willingly.
“We’re heading to my mother’s house,” I tell her plainly. “It’s several hours out of the city, so I can be sure Silver isn’tfollowing us there. And it’s not like we can go many places to be safe without one or the other of us getting in trouble.”
“I’m sorry, yourmother’s house?!” Raleigh demands. She’s definitely more awake now. “You’re taking me to meet yourmother?”
“That’s not my specific intention,” I admit, “but it’s a byproduct of going there, sure.”
Raleigh actually looks a little green now. “Pull the car over,” she demands.
“Honey,” I say, without even meaning to, and correct myself quickly. “Raleigh, we’ve been driving for seven hours, I’m not turning around now-”
“Stop the car!” Raleigh shrieks, and claps her hand over her mouth.
I hit the brakes and pull onto the shoulder as she fights not to puke on her own lap. Before we’ve even fully stopped, Raleigh throws herself out of the cruiser and drops to her knees in the dewy grass. The sound of her retching is almost louder than my engine and the concerned whines of Chance and Justice. I flip off the car and jump out, confusion and unease at war in my mind.
Did she really throw up at the very mention of mymother? That seems unlikely, no matter how nervous she might be.
Raleigh’s already sitting back on the grass as I come around the car. Her face is pale and clammy, and this time when I put the back of my hand against her forehead, she doesn’t move away.
