The Lost Roses

Chapter Eighteen

And the next time I awake I'm in the van and we're in the woods. When Lucas gets back in the car he just stares at me a moment.
"You're awake."
"Where are we?"
"New York."
"You've already dropped two girls?"
"Yea. Sarah and Ashley."
"Who's next?"
"Amanda in Maine. Then Stacia in Rhode Island, Kimber in Virginia, Nicole in South Carolina, and Aria in Florida."
"Oh..."
"Time for you to sleep." He reaches over and injects me with something again. Or I'm assuming it's an again. I doubt I slept so long on my own. I black out pretty quickly. When I wake up the next time I have to pee.
"Where are we?"
"Rhode Island. Do you need the bathroom?"
"Yes. And I'd like to change. How many days has it been?"
"Almost two days. We'll stop at the next gas station. Then you can eat something and drink."
"Do I have to go back to sleep?"
"I guess at this point, no."
"Thank you." I stare out of the window watching the cars go by. I see an exit ramp with gas stations and fast food places and point them out. Lucas exits and he pulls up the closest gas station.
"Alright get out. I'll check in the back and see if any of them are awake again. If so they can stop for the bathroom too." I get out and wait for him to open the back. Only Kimber is awake. I help her out and we go to the bathroom. Lucas waits outside the door to make sure neither of us try anything. We go back outside and he hands her a bottle of water and a pack of cookies before shutting the door. He gives me the same. When I finish he goes back outside to the back door. I'm sure to make sure all of the girls are soundly sleeping. He comes back with a needle full of some liquid.
"I thought you said I didn't have to be?"
"I changed my mind." He says sticking me with the needle again. I drift into blackness once more. When I wake up again it's pitch black and we aren't moving.
"Lucas?" I whisper.
"Yea?"
"I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't mean to upset you."
"It's fine."
"Why aren't we moving?"
"Because I'm tired."
"Where are we?"
"Well be entering Florida in a couple hours."
"Can you come closer? I know you can. It's a bench seat." He doesn't say anything. But I do suddenly feel his arms around me pulling me to his chest.
"I'm the one who should be sorry. Letting them go is really stressful. And I can't stop thinking about Luca. And the baby we almost had. I've just been thinking about a lot and it's been building. I'm sorry. I should have just told you."
"It's fine. For all the time I've slept I'm still exhausted."
"Because you don't really sleep. You're just unconscious."
"What's the difference? You know what, I don't really care. I'm just going to sleep."
"Okay well move a bit so I can lay down." I move forward as far as I can. "Okay." I feel around for him and accidentally touch his face.
"Oops! Sorry." I slide down and lay next to him. He has to kind of hug me to him so I'm not hanging off the seat.
"You know what. I need to sleep differently." He turn onto his back and drags me on top of him. I don't really mind. We fall asleep and stay that way for a while. "Zoey. Wake up. We need to get going."
"Hmmm."
"Zoey, sit up."
"Okay." I yawn and sit up. What am I sitting on. I feel around and Lucas grabs my hand.
"Don't." I open my eyes and look down and see my hand hovering over his crotch.
"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't even know.  I still had my eyes closed."
"It's fine. We just don't have time for that." He kisses me and lifts me off and over him. He buckles up and starts driving again. I lay my head on his lap still tired. I fall asleep again pretty quickly.
"Zoey. Zoooey. Wake up."
"Whyyy." I open my eyes and I'm staring at his stomach. I look up and he's looking down at me. "How did I get here?"
"You laid on my lap."
"I'm sorry. Why did you wake me up?"
"Look where you are." He has a huge smile on his face. I sit up and look out of the window and can't believe it.