A Flame Divine ♕

III. F O L L O W T H E S U N

s t e l l a n

I N T E R S T A T E  8 0

Stellan was fighting to stay awake. In the rearview mirror, the sun was just below the horizon, and the eastern sky held the faintest glow. He had been up nearly twenty-four hours now.

Everly looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Stellan?" she murmured. "Do you want to stop and get some sleep? I'd offer to drive, but I don't have a license, not to mention I can't drive a stick. I think you'd like to keep the engine intact."

He shook his head. "Not far enough yet." There was no telling the lengths Vinnie would go to track him down, especially if they thought he took their cash cow with him. They had resources, and knowing Vinnie, he wasn't afraid to use them.

She chewed her lip and looked at him; he could tell she wanted to protest. "Well, do you just want to stop at this rest area up here for a bit? Just get a power nap?" She indicated a blue sign on the side of the interstate.

Maybe she was right; he did feel his eyelids beginning to droop. Better to rest now than to drive them off the road to their deaths. "Just for a bit," he said, exiting and pulling into the rest stop.

He parked the car in the farthest corner, away from the main building and restrooms. He didn't need people passing by and being nosy. Not when the gang had eyes everywhere. Luckily, the windows were so tinted, that there was a slim chance that they could be seen anyway.

Leaning his seat back, he lounged and closed his eyes, but his mind was running in circles.

He was on the run, and needed to stay low-profile. He had basically kidnapped a girl from other kidnappers, and he had a feeling that she was probably worth more than she thought. He had to drop said girl off somewhere to fend for herself, and it really made his stomach uneasy. Round and round did his mind go, but before he knew it, he had finally nodded off.

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Some time later, Stellan awoke to a gentle touch on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and focused on the face before him, his gaze traveling over hers.

Everly smiled and said, "I thought you might want to wake up and drive some more. You've been asleep for like three hours." She buckled her seatbelt as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. "I got out to go to the bathroom and I looked at the map. It looks like we're like 175 miles from Cleveland. I know you're probably eager to get rid of me so you can really get on your way. I'm sure there's a women's shelter there, and I can stay there until I can get a job." She pulled his jacket tighter around her and he instinctively turned up the heat as he put the car in drive and merged back onto the interstate.

He thought about what she said. "You've never been on the street before, have you?" he questioned. Surely she hadn't—daughter of a rich man and all. She probably lived a lavish life before. "Are you sure you're prepared for that? It's not easy."

She laughed bitterly. "No, I haven't." She looked down at what she was wearing and back at him. "Do I look like I'm ready for that? I literally have nothing except the clothes on my back and half of that is yours. I know it won't be easy, but I don't exactly have a choice, do I?"

He couldn't stop from smirking. "Well, wearing other people's clothes is half of it." The humor in his voice carried over to her, and when she smiled, just the smallest upturn of her lips, something in him relaxed.

Stellan's stomach growled, and he was sure it was loud enough for Everly to hear. She whipped her head toward him, and it felt like his ears were on fire.

"We could stop for food. Do you mind?" he asked shyly.

She giggled and nodded. "I thought you would never ask. I'm starving!"