Misfortune

Chapter 7

Today was the second or third day of me waking up somewhere I'm unfamiliar with. Only this time, I was laying in another man's arms, feeling his heavy breathe down the back of my neck as I wake.

How long have we've been sleeping for? I look at an old clock on the dresser near us and see that it's one in the afternoon. It's crazy how no one was coming to this motel at all, I expected cops to be surrounding this place by the time I wake up, but I guess not.

The only thing I could hear was his low breaths, he groaned as I tried to move his arms off me. He had a tight grip on me, I could feel his chest pressing against my back as I let out a breath. After struggling for two minutes, I give up.

I could only wait for him to wake up so I could escape.

Some time went by, and he still wasn't up, he hadn't moved at all since I woke up. I bite my bottom lip as I slowly turn around in his arms. I turned with the intention of pushing his chest away from me so that I could at least have space, but I wasn't expecting to see him already awake when I turned. My body freezes like a deer in front of headlights as our faces were only inches away from each other. He grins saying," You finally decided to turn around."

" Were you awake the whole time?", I ask in disbelief.

He nods slowly making my stomach twist.

'Why the hell didn't he say anything or move? Did he just watch me as I struggled to get away from him?'

"Get yourself together, we leave in ten minutes," he finally let's go of me as he gets up.

" Leaving? Where are you taking me?"

The tendons in his back crack as he stretches, saying tiredly," You had no destination in the first place so you're coming with me to my mother's house."

"I don't want to go."

"You have no choice."

"But why there? Will she really keep the man who murdered her grandchild in her home?"

"She'll keep the man she raised all his fucking life there. Now stop asking questions and get up."

"What is my life coming to?" I ask myself, rubbing a hand over my face.

"An end if you don't get up soon," he says before entering the bathroom.

I get up quickly, not wanting to upset him any longer. There was a suitcase on the ground next to the bed, so I unzip it and look for something to wear.

I was able to find some blue jeans and a grey short sleeve shirt. I put them on and then throw on a worn-out hoodie. James comes out the bathroom while wiping water from his face," Go start the car."

He tosses me my car keys, but I don't catch them on time, and they fall to the ground. He sighs as he starts to undress. I grab the keys and leave the room quickly. The forest surrounding the small motel was moist with rain making an awful tree scent invade my nose. I zip up my hoodie and do as I was told by starting the car and waiting. But why would I be waiting for him when I could just drive off?

Just as I try to lock the car doors, they pull open. James, who was now dressed in decent attire, pulls me out the driver's side and hops in.

"Don't even think about it."

"Think about what? Getting the fuck out of here by driving off?" I bat my eyelashes at him in a confused manner.

"Just get in before I hit you with this piece of shit thing you call car."

I want to argue more to show him that I'm not afraid of his threats but the image of his gun pointing at my head clouds my mind. I swallow my pride and stride over to the passenger's side with nothing else to say.

James scoffs before pulling out the driveway and into the isolated road. I watch the trees as we drive off north. I make sure to keep a note of all the road signs we ride past by, though it doesn't help much since I don't recognize the area. The radio was playing old rock music making James sing along while snapping.

' I wonder what he was doing before all this. Did he meet me after killing his family or was that someone else's blood on the white collared shirt he had on yesterday? I have so many questions to ask but I'm scared, scared of what he'll do to me if I push his buttons. As much I hate my shitty life, there's a strong part of me that still wants to live just to see another shitty day. '

"What are you asking yourself right now?" He suddenly asks while staring at me.

My mind pulls out of its thoughts as I fasten my seatbelt," Can you please focus on the road?"

He keeps staring at me as he laughs saying," What? Are you scared?"

The car picks up speed as he slams the gas petal, I lean back into my seat yelling," Please stop!"

My breathing hitches as he cuts through lane to lane just to pass by people. Horns beep at us making my heartbeat rapidly. I can hear my cars engine fuming loudly as he keeps up his speed runner pace. Just as I think I'm going to pass out from all the adrenaline coursing through me, he slows down.

"Man, you should've seen the look on your face, priceless, what a fucking pussy," He laughs as he focuses back on the road. "Now tell me what's on your mind before you piss me off. I can't stand it when I have to repeat myself."

The asshole energy he had turned into even more asshole energy. Bipolar, he definitely has it.

I suck in a deep breath to calm myself down before answering," I was wondering about your wife earlier."

He raised a brow while asking," Why?"

"It's really none of my business, but......"

"...But what? Don't ever be afraid to say what's on your mind August."

My eyes meet his as I look at him," Did you kill her after killing your daughter?"

He turns his attention back to the road as his jaw clenches. I didn't want to make him even more upset, so I quickly apologize," I'm sorry—"

"I loved my wife deeply, but she didn't love me. She was sleeping with her boss even my daughter knew about it. I was never close with my daughter, so I didn't mind killing her, but my wife meant the world to me. When I found out about the affair, I was furious. 'Why should she be happy with him when she had me?  ' I thought. But then something in me just snapped. Just like her neck when I killed her. Don't tell someone you love them if you don't really mean it. I never understood how she could do that to me."

I could understand how he felt but I couldn't understand how he just killed them like it was nothing. I let out a nervous breath as I tug on my seatbelt.

"What else is on your mind?"

The image of me and him not only sharing a bed together, but a shower as well, made my skin crawl. I had to get an answer to his behavior.

"Why are you so touchy with me? I'm a man, no man should be that way with another. It's disgusting, the things you do and say to me makes me more than uncomfortable, It makes me disgusted. You had a wife and kid so why do you act that way?"

"Your hell of a homophobe August. Damn you've hurt me," he laughs as he clenches his hand over his heart.

"I'm sorry if I may seem that way to you, but I just don't think it's normal to behave that way."

James takes in a deep breath saying," I act like that because I like you."

The uncomfortable pit in my stomach grew deeper as I cast my eyes outside the window, this is humiliating.

"I mean, I had a wife but that won't change the way I feel. If I like someone, I'll naturally be attracted to them regardless of their gender."

'How could you like another man???? It's inhumane! '

I bit my lip as I try to focus on the clouds above us, no longer wanting to continue this conversation. He taps my shoulder asking in a childish tone," Why so quiet? Huh Auggie?"

Just before I can push him away my stomach growls making me hold it gently.

"I think you might be hungry, but I won't know unless you tell me yourself."

I refuse to look at him as I quickly answer," Yes, I'm hungry." A satisfied laugh sounds throughout the car as he focuses back on the road.