The Blues of Atlantis | ✔

Chapter Fifteen

Present day...

"Where ya folks headin'?" the semi-truck driver asked, as he pulled out of the parking lot.

Wade looked around the sleeper cab. Scattered across the floor were discarded candy wrappers, and socks up the ying-yang, smelling a bit like rotten eggs.

"Just north-east really." He didn't want to say too much, given their situation. The less the man knew the better.

"I can take ya as far as Granby. I'm afraid that's the last stop on my schedule."

"Thanks for your help."

They'd lucked out. The guy was getting ready to pull out when they walked by his truck, an early morning delivery he'd said. From the sounds of things, the man never saw the evening news because he didn't really bat an eyelash when they approached him. They gave him a cockamamie story about their vehicle dying, leaving them stranded.

"It's the least I can do. Having your engine crap out totally sucks balls."

Nerina bit the corner of her lip. Wade knew she hated lying, so he took the reins instead. Not that he liked being dishonest, but he didn't know what else he could do under the circumstance. She was too innocent to spin a web of deceit.

"The name's Marty." The man stuck out his hand.

Wade shook the callous covered hand. "Casey and April. We're on our honeymoon," he said, winking at her. She just rolled her eyes and looked out the window.

"Holy hell, what a lousy start! You guys first-timers?" Marty asked.

"Pretty much."

His response didn't go unnoticed by his wife whose forehead creased in confusion. Crap. He just put his foot in his mouth and dug himself a deeper grave than the one he was in already.

There was so much about his past that she didn't know, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could hide it from her, even he almost forgot about his past transgressions from before their time together.

He should have just said yes to the damn question. Nerina was staying quiet for now, but he knew that wouldn't last very long once they were alone.

The longer they drove, the more her expression made him worry, it was unlike her to be so quiet.

Wade reached around and touched her knee but she pulled away from him, moving to an area of the cab he couldn't reach. He sighed. They still had another three hours to go before they reached Granby, and he hated the idea of her having so much time to stew away in her frustration. He was sure that by the time they reached the safe house, she'd have thought of a million different ways to maim him.

Marty turned on the radio and they sat listening to a country music station in silence. The driver would occasionally belt out a line or two, tapping his fingers on the wheel to the beat of the music. The only thing the man didn't have on the floor was a set earplugs.

"Don't worry, pretty lady, things will get better," the truck driver said, glancing over his shoulder at Nerina who was still sulking.

She produced a weak smile before turning to stare out the window, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. What did Wade mean by 'pretty much'? Why couldn't the bone-headed guy ever give a straight answer? It's not like she would have cared if he was involved with someone before they met. Everyone has a past, even her.

What rubbed her raw was the fact that she could barely recognize the man sitting in the passenger seat. Each time he opened his mouth, a new crack appeared in the image of the man she used to know.