His Angel

Chapter Fifty-Six

She laid across the thin matt of the lower bunk, snuggling into a blanket. she rolled onto her side, staring out at the starless night through the tiny window as they drove through the darkness, back towards the border. Unable to see the road below, she could imagine she was in flight, catching every gust as she flew through the cool, desert air. She had been trying to fall asleep for hours, but it wasn't working. The stress of today's events kept her jumpy and on edge, although there was nothing to fear, at least for now. She would have thought the relief would make her more tired, but it was having little effect. She could feel small little bug legs crawling across her skin, even though there wasn't any. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fall to the wants of the night, attempt to forget that when the sun rose, she'd have to be up at the front of the RV again, crossing the border back into the United States. But, rather than having only criminals to hide, this trip would contain a cardboard box full of cocaine.

She wished it was over, and somehow wished for the days she was still confined to that bedroom in his house, they felt simpler. It was merely less than a week ago, but it felt like years, and it was certainly taking its toll. After the experience, despite her curious nature, she felt the doings of Maxwell were probably best as unknown territory for her. She wouldn't continue guessing, it was best if she didn't know.

That was when she felt the shift of the mattress, turning back to see Maxwell sitting at the edge of the bunk, looking down at her. She moved to face him, watching as he kicked off his shoes, gently lying down next to her. She shifted her pillow so he could have a side to rest his head on, placing her arms behind his head, staring up at the base of the bunk above them. She glanced down, noticing how his knees bent, he was too tall to stretch out for the small bunk, it was amusing to her.

"I'm sorry" he whispered, moving slightly closer, rolling to face her, their features less than an inch apart. "I snapped earlier, that was wrong"

"It's alright" she responded softly, noticing when his hand, reaching out toward her. His fingers swiped across her cheek, pushing her hair behind her ear, leaving tingles in its tracks on the edge of her lobe. She pulled on the blanket, and he witnessed as she held out the edge towards him, encouraging him to use it. She just watched for a few moments, for some reason feeling hesitant to take it. But, he did, reaching out gently and taking it from between her fingers, pulling it hazard over his frame. It didn't cover everything, the fraction of his back against the mattress was still exposed to the cool air, but he didn't mind if it meant taking the blanket away from her to cover it. They were sharing the same pillow, the same mattress, and the same blanket. It had been years since she had shared a bed with anyone, Zuni didn't even sleep with her. She had always wanted her to, but Zuni seemed more comfortable in the solid space of her dog bed instead. Sometimes he would lay next to her, but not often. He usually left after he did what he wanted, leaving her alone to wallow in sorrow, not that she would have wanted him to stick around. He disgusted her.

She could feel the warmth from his chest, it enveloped under the blanket, sharing it with her. She let her eyes close, feeling comfortable, listening to the side and fall of his chest scrape across the fabric.

"I've never done this before" he whispered. It sounded more like he was talking to himself, rather than her. But, the words had her tired eyes fluttering, staring at the strange look his eyes held. It was like he was surprised by the fact.

"You haven't slept in a bed before with a woman?"

"Not other than my mother" he responded

"I highly doubt that" she responded, eyebrow raised. She knew what kind of life he lived, she didn't think it was possible to have never laid next to his bed partners before.