by Tia Siren
I had driven more than 200 miles last night, and I was exhausted. It didn’t help that blood was spilled all over my shirt. Some of it was Jimmy’s and some of it was probably the officer’s I had stabbed.
I hitchhiked my way into a small town that didn’t seem to have much more than a gas station and a diner. That was fine, though. People who live in parts like this were tougher than most. I let my guard down a little bit.
Rex and his boys liked to keep to the open road, and I hoped they’d be somewhere nearby. At least I was 200 miles closer to the place I’d last seen him.
I pulled out my phone and dialed his number only to get his voice mail.
“Don’t bother,” it said.
I was about to hang up, but I couldn’t help myself. I left a message.
“Rex, it’s me, Celia. I’m hunkered down in a diner called Jack’s Shake Shack, and I was hoping to see you again. I’m in a tight spot,” I said. Then I remembered the money in my bag, “I can pay you!”
The message clicked off, and I returned the phone to the receiver. I felt completely hopeless. I sat down at the café bar and rested my head in my hand. I laid my phone on the table in front of me and stared at it, hoping it would ring.
“Can I get you some pie?”
I looked up at a waitress holding a pot of coffee and leaning on the bar.
“How about a cup of that coffee to go with it?” I said.
She smiled and poured me a cup.
“Waitin’ on somebody?” she asked.
“Something like that,” I replied.
She came back with a slice of pie. I pulled a few dollars from the envelope of cash, and as I did so, she held up her hand.
“Don’t worry about it, sweetie. It’s on the house,” she said.
I dug into the pie as though I hadn’t eaten in days. I was truly exhausted. Then my phone started ringing. My heart skipped when I saw the caller ID showed the name Jimmy. I picked it up and answered.
“Hey there, girlie,” said the familiar voice of Mr. Novak. “You got something of mine, and I’m going to get it back.”
A look of horror was plastered on my face; I thought the waitress noticed.
“Tell you what: You bring me back my money and I’ll let you go. Besides, that money belongs to the cops whose car you stole. I’m sure they’ll want it back more than me.”
I clicked off the phone. I didn’t want to hear anymore. Thankfully the phone didn’t start ringing again. I needed to run.
Then I heard rumbling, distant at first but getting closer. Then the sounds made the café shake, and I saw a group I hadn’t seen in years drive by the front of the diner and come to a halt.
I heard heavy footsteps clomp along the ground. Then the door to the diner tore open to reveal Rex, the mountain of a man I had once dated.
“What the hell took you so long?” he said.
3.
“Hi, Rex,” I said with an embarrassed smile.
He walked in and nodded at the waitress, barely acknowledging my existence. He took a seat at the diner bar, next to where I was sitting, and waited for the waitress to pour him a drink.
He had some new tattoos I didn’t recognize. His arms were completely covered almost to the knuckle, and his chest was covered more or less. He wore a simple black leather vest with his crew slogan on the back: Ride or Die. Words I knew he lived by.
He looked bigger than I remembered; perhaps he had more muscle on his hulking body. He was still a sight to behold, standing over six and a half feet without boots on. I looked tiny in comparison.
I wasn’t the smallest person in the world, and in fact I was pretty tall for a girl at almost six feet. I’d never had a problem defending myself, or keeping guys away. And few men were able to make me feel so small. I was also a bit gangly for some, but I still had some nice curves that drove men wild. Still, there was only one man I liked driving wild, and he was sitting right next to me.
“What the hell have you got yourself into this time?” Rex asked.
“It’s bad, Rex,” I said.
He reached over and started chomping on my pie.
“How bad?” he said with his mouth full.
“I saw two cops murder one of my friends,” I said quietly.
He paused and looked over at me, bewildered.
“What the hell, Celia?” he said.
“I know, I know, but you’re the only person I trust right now,” I replied.
He returned to the pie and I to my coffee.
“All right. I’ll do it,” he said.
“Do what?” I asked.
“I’ll protect you,” he replied.
I let out a sigh as though a huge burden had left my shoulders.
“After you marry me,” he said.
I spat out the coffee I had just sipped.
“What?” I asked.
He returned the plate to the bar.
“I’m tired of waitin’ for you to come back. That whole college thing is a mess anyway, and it’s not goin’ to get you nowhere.
“You marry me and do what I say, and I’ll make sure nothing bad happens to you.”
He took another swig of the coffee in front of him.
I was surprised he was bringing all this up, because I wouldn’t have hesitated to marry him before I went to college. It was his fault I decided to move on in the first place. Now he wanted me because I was in trouble.
“What the hell, Rex?” I said.
“What, Celia? I just told you what to do if you want me to protect you,” he replied.
“Are you serious?” I laughed. “Four years ago you dumped me because I was too clingy. You moved on and slept with half the state. You ruined everything we were, and still I kept coming back to you. Then you finally cut me loose. It took me months before I was able to get a hold of myself and move on.
“Now you want me to marry you?”
“Yes,” he said.
I screamed in frustration. I still cared about the guy, sure, but not enough to marry him upon first sight in four years. I don’t want to be owned by him.
“I can’t,” I said.
“Then we’re done here,” he replied, standing up and throwing a couple of crumpled bills on the counter. I watched him walk away, again.
There was always something about men that made you want to stab them and kiss them at the same time. Right now I just wanted to stab him.
Would it really be that bad? I thought to myself. He really was the only man who knew how to satisfy me. I missed the open road, and the feelings I had when we rode together. I really did miss wrapping my arms around him at campfires and staring up at the open night sky. I wasn’t doing incredibly well at college anyway, and it isn’t as though I could go back with things as they were.
“Fine,” I said, right before he reached the door.
“Like you really had a choice,” he replied, turning around.
I couldn’t stay my rage anymore, so I grabbed my fork from the bar and charged at him. He grabbed my wrist with his meaty fist and stopped me.
I tried my hardest to break free of him, but he was just too strong. With his free hand, he pulled off his sunglasses and leaned down to me so we were face to face.
“Are you going to play nice?” he said.
I clenched the fork, and my teeth, tighter. But I knew it was pointless. I dropped my weapon and gave up.
He continued his walk toward his motorcycle, and I followed. However, it was right at that moment that my exhaustion took over. The color left the world, and everything went black.
4.
Things came in patchy at best. I remembered someone hovering over me and checking my vitals; then I remembered Rex throwing me on the back of his bike and taking me for a ride. I wasn’t exactly sure how much time passed before I woke up.
I was on a bed. Looking around at the single bedroom and the crappy TV sitting on a table in the corner, I figured I was in a motel.
“So you’re finally up,” I heard Rex
say.
“How long was I out?” I asked, rubbing my head.
“About a day,” he replied. “Don’t worry; nobody has come looking for you yet. And I got the boys keepin’ watch.”
I smiled. “Got anything to eat?”
Rex tossed a sack full of convenience store food at me.
“Didn’t think you had time for steak,” he said.
He wasn’t wrong. I chomped down on whatever I could get my hands on. It might not have been the best food for you, but when you just woke up after passing out from exhaustion, anything was a gourmet meal.
“Thanks, Rex,” I said.
He grunted.
“Don’t thank me yet,” he said. “We gotta hit the courthouse and get hitched. Then we’ll be on our way out of this Podunk town and back to the road. I think we’re going to head out to—”
“You still want to do the marriage thing?” I interrupted.
“What part of our deal didn’t you get?” he replied.
“Yeah, well, don’t you wanna have a little ceremony where we get all our friends together?” I asked.
He bellowed out a laugh.
“Celia, you and I both know that the only friends we have are either dead or out there riding a motorcycle right now,” he said. “Besides, this makes things easier.”
I sighed. I needed to know something, and I was hoping he’d answer me truthfully this time.
“Why didn’t you ask me four years ago?” I asked.
He stopped laughing. His face went back to the cold, angry stare I was used to seeing. He reached over and drew the tiny curtain shut before plopping into the only other chair in the motel.
“I don’t know,” he said.
“Well tell me something, Rex,” I said.
He slammed his fist on the table.
“It's freedom,” he started. “You weren’t giving me that. You wanted to take it away and settle down with some stupid white picket fence fantasy. You wanted me to get a stupid job where I’d walk around like some penguin and take phone calls.
“That’s not me, Celia. You wanted that back then, and you pushed me really hard for it. It drove me nuts. Well, now you’re back on my terms. We do things my way or you can kiss your ride good-bye.”
The truth always hurt. I didn’t really know what to say. My memories were much different from his. I only remembered the drunken fistfights and the nights we would pass out after some of the wildest sex imaginable under the starry sky.
“Why didn’t you tell me then?” I asked timidly.
“Do you think you would’ve listened?” he said.
I sighed and shrunk a little. I had been young and dumb, and I hadn’t listened to anyone. I still feel that way sometimes. Rex knew me better than I did.
“All right, let’s go,” I said.
Rex stomped out of the motel, and I weakly stood up. The food was helping a lot, but this would still take time. I put on my things and went out to join Rex on his chopper.
We flew down the road toward my inevitable fate.
5.
I wasn’t excited to be married in the slightest, but I didn’t mind the man I’d be marrying. Old feelings had been stirring up inside me lately, and I couldn’t help myself anymore. While we rode on his motorcycle, I gripped his waist just a little tighter.
If he was excited, he didn’t show it. Then again, he didn’t show much of anything except maybe anger at anything in his way. Then again, he did laugh louder than just about every other guy in the club.
The courthouse wasn’t much to look at, just a small box with a door. I didn’t expect much in this small town anyway. Behind the courthouse was the small local police station. I did my best to act nonchalant, but I was still nervous.
The inside of the government building wasn’t much to look at either. Notices were strewn about over the walls, and a row of chest-high desks were set up just inside the door.
“Can I help you?” said an old woman who appeared to have been sitting behind that desk since the dawn of time.
“We’re here for a marriage license,” Rex said.
She fiddled with a stack of papers and laid a scrap of paper on the desk.
“Sign here and here, and I’ll need both of your ID’s for verification,” she said.
I nervously dug out my identification and Rex slapped his on the counter. He was already signing his name on the paper, which he immediately thrust at me when he was finished.
I held it and scanned the document. This was it; I was saying good-bye to my old life. I signed my name to the paper and handed over my ID.
She took both of them and scanned them in the computer, and I couldn’t tell, but it sounded like she gasped.
“Take a seat over there for a minute,” she said, taking our IDs and waddling off toward the back of the office building.
I felt my nerves come back in a bad way. I wanted to get back on the bike and run for it, but Rex didn’t seem to care.
“Calm down, would ya? She’s just making copies,” he said.
I wanted to calm down, but things turned from bad to worse when two police officers walked back in with the old woman. They pushed past the desk and stood in front of me.
“Celia Murphy, you’re under arrest for assaulting an officer of the law. We’re going to have to take you into custody and return you to the proper authorities,” said the taller officer.
Rex started laughing.
“You’re joking, right?” he said.
“No, sir. This woman is under arrest,” the officer replied.
They threw me in handcuffs and started pulling me toward the back of the offices.
“You boys better let her go,” Rex said. “I don’t give second warnings.”
“Sir, if you want to file a complaint, you can file it right there,” he said, gesturing toward the old woman, “but this woman is coming with us.”
“Let me say something to her first,” Rex said.
The officers looked at each other and then nodded. They let me go and talk to Rex for a moment.
“These officers the ones you fought off the other night?” he asked.
I shook my head no.
“Listen, go with these two for now. You said you stabbed one of them in the hand, right?” he asked.
I nodded.
“I’ll keep my eyes peeled. If anyone tries to take you, they won’t get far,” he said.
I let out a small sigh to try to calm my nerves.
“Take my purse,” I said. “There’s a surprise in there for you.”
Rex took my large handbag and held it tightly in hand. Then I leaned in and gave Rex a big kiss on the lips. I didn’t think he was expecting it, because he stood still for a second. The goofy look on his face was almost worth being arrested.
Then the officers came back and grabbed me, pulling me into the holding cell they had in the station next door. I was the only occupant, so at least I had my run of the place. But that was a consolation prize. My mind wasn’t with me in the cell; it was dwelling on how much time I had left in the world if Rex failed to get me out before those dirty cops arrive.
6.
I heard their car pull up at what felt like midnight. The moon was still bright tonight, just as it had been last night. If I had to make a run for it, at least nature was on my side for now.
I heard the clattering of keys coming from the office area, and I stood up to see who might be coming. One of the officers from before strode down the aisle and unlocked the cell.
“Your ride is here,” he said, grabbing my arm and leading me toward the front desk.
“If it’s the people I think, you probably shouldn’t have me going with them. They’re dirty,” I said.
He laughed.
“Yeah, right. From what I hear, these guys are some of the best cops in the city,” he said.
“What?” I asked.
“The guys that are picking you up have a history of taking down drug dealers; I doubt they’re dirty. They wouldn’t
last ten minutes in prison with all the guys they put away,” he said.
I sighed. Maybe it wasn’t the same cops from the other night. Maybe, just maybe, it was a couple of different guys who’d been sent over to straighten things out. I felt a little less nervous and more curious.
All my hopes died when I saw the same two cops from last night waiting in the lobby for me.
“Here she is, guys. I’ll have to have you sign for her,” said the local cop.
The guy I'd stabbed reached over and signed with his now bandaged hand.
“That looks nasty,” said the local.
“Feels worse,” replied the officer.
I looked through the windows of the station, hoping I’d see Rex any time, but he wasn’t there. All hope I had of surviving left me.
The two officers led me out the front door and shoved me into the backseat of the same car I had stolen last night. Once they were comfortably seated in the front, they turned and eyed me like fresh meat.
“That stab you gave me could have cost me my job, you know,” said the first.
“I’m going to enjoy this,” said the second.
They started up the car and tore off down the street. I couldn’t even find tears at this point. I felt like giving up, as everything seemed hopeless.
But then I heard a familiar rumble. I looked out the back window and saw Rex following behind with the rest of the gang. I wondered why he didn’t just drive up and rescue me.
We drove for a while, another hour outside the city with Rex in almost clear view through the back window. I think he must have unnerved the officers, because they pulled over to let him pass. I hoped he wouldn’t, but he drove right past.
The cops let out a collective exhale and continued to drive. As they drove, I didn’t see any sign of Rex. Then the cops pulled off the road as they had last night.
“Get out,” they said.
I did as I was told. The kept shoving me and kicking me as we walked through the woods, getting a small amount of delight from every exasperated sigh I released.
“If you guys are going to kill me, why don’t you just get it over with?” I said, battered and bruised.
“Why would we kill you right away? A cute girl like you has her uses,” they said.