The Wrong Side of Rock Bottom

by Jennifer Foor

  “Come on. Tell me.”

  “I killed someone,” she struggles. I can tell she’s becoming emotional immediately, and a part of me feels bad because I’ve yet to see her cry over it. She’s telling me she held in her feelings this entire time we’ve been together. I also know the sex was probably some sort of distraction for her, at least temporary. By helping me, and caring for Mila, she was keeping herself occupied to refrain from the unending regret and pain she must be under.

  “Like accidentally?”

  I’m hoping this is the case. An intentional manslaughter charge is much different than a person cleaning out a gun and it accidentally firing and killing someone. In my head it’s playing out that way, but I’m usually wrong when it comes to women, so I keep my ideas to myself.

  Sadie shakes her head. She’s reluctant to continue. “It’s complicated.”

  “Uncomplicate it, or take your things and go on your merry way.”

  “Please don’t be mean.”

  “I have every right to kick your ass to the curb. I’m responsible for one child, not two.”

  “I’m not a child,” she reminds me. “Today is my eighteenth birthday.”

  “Regardless.”

  “I shot my father.” The room is silent, except for the show playing on the television. While I search for the right questions, she slowly continues. “Are you happy now? Is that what you want to hear? I shot my own father and fled the scene. I used his shot gun. It was the first time I ever fired one. I had no idea it would be like that. There was so much blood.” She’s trembling as she withdraws suddenly. “I’m sorry.” Standing, Sadie searches for her bag and the rest of her things that are still strewn all over the rented room. “You’re right. I can’t be here with the two of you. Thanks for getting me this far, Rogan. I’ll figure out how to reach the border on my own.”

  “You have a car.” I say it because I need to know the police aren’t looking for it.

  “It’s not mine. It was my grandmothers. It’s still in her name. I’m not even on the insurance. It’s been sitting in a garage for nearly a year.”

  “Did she pass away?” She told me she had.

  “No. She lives in a nursing home. We had to rent out her house in order to pay for the place she stays in, so I was forced to move into a double wide with my father. I’m sure you don’t want to hear about the sad details of my upbringing, and everything I’ve been through. I don’t blame you for being angry with me, Rogan. The least I can do is leave you the car. They won’t be looking for it. My own car was ditched at a junk yard the night before I showed up at the abandoned house. They have no idea how I’ve been getting around, and my grandmother is too far gone to give them any details. Take it. Ditch it when you reach the border. Do whatever you want with it. She won’t ever need it again.” Tears stream down her face as she opens the door to exit.

  “What about money? Food? How will you get by?”

  “I have a couple hundred bucks on me. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep running. You’ve given me a head start. No one was looking for a family.”

  “Wait,” I struggle to say. “Don’t go. Don’t go off on your own getting into more trouble. I still need you to cross that border, and I won’t feel right taking your car. Let’s just get to Mexico and then we’ll part ways. I’ll figure out where Mila and I will settle down once we can breathe a little easier.”

  Sadie wipes the tears away as they continue streaming down her high cheeks. I get that she’s emotionally coming undone, but at this point I need her to ensure we get across the border.

  “We’re about sixteen more hours out. We can leave now if you want, as long as Mila’s fever stays under control. The weather is getting warmer the further south we get anyway.”

  “Are you sure?”

  I throw up my hands. “What else can I do? We need you.” I wait a few seconds before continuing. “Just tell me your passport is legit.”

  “It is,” she’s fast to promise. “I’m friends with the girl. She doesn’t even know I borrowed it. She keeps it under her bed in a box. She’s not going away again until Christmas. It’s fine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. She was my neighbor for a while. She’s in college now, stays in a dorm. She let me crash in her bedroom even when she wasn’t there. Her parents travel for work. None of them were there when I took it.”

  “Is there anything else you want to tell me?” I feel like I need to ask this. In less than twenty hours we can part ways, but for now I need to be certain I’m not allowing a monster near my child.

  “There is more, but nothing I want to talk about now. It’s nothing that makes me more of a bad person than I already am.”

  “So you’re saying you had reason to kill someone? Your own family?”

  “Do you want to talk about your father, Rogan?”

  She has a point.

  “No. I really don’t.”

  “I don’t expect us to be friends after we get to Mexico, but I’ll do whatever it takes to help you make it there.”

  “We appreciate that,” I admit.

  She extends her hand and closes the door. “Can we be friends, at least until this is over?”

  I accept her request, our eyes meeting for an intense moment between us. “Eighteen, huh?”

  “Hell of a way to celebrate isn’t it?” She shakes her head. “Want to know the worst part?”

  I shrug. “Sure.”

  “This is probably the best birthday I’ve had in years.”

  This breaks my heart. This is the exact reason I knew I had to get Mila away from my in-laws. When a child is young they are impacted by what goes on around them. Being ignored. Being sheltered. Witnessing abuse. Hatred. Even drug use. I want more for my kid, and for that reason I won’t stop until I know she has the life that every little girl deserves.

  Chapter 16

  We’re back on the road a couple hours after our serious chat. Sadie takes the first turn behind the wheel, while I stay in the backseat with Mila. After much consideration I pick up a used portable DVD player and a couple cheap movies for Mila to stay entertained with. It was the best forty bucks I could have spent on her, because ever since I got it up and running she’s been an angel.

  Keeping our conversations to a minimum makes the drive go by slowly. Sadie focuses on the road, sometimes humming to the tunes coming from the front speakers. I’m still harboring animosity regarding the lies she’s told me, but I want to understand what drove her to such extreme actions. I have a good idea what she’s keeping from me, and because of that inclination I refuse to bring it up.

  After six hours we switch positions, but by this point Mila is back out for the night. I’ve been steady giving her medication to make sure her fever doesn’t have a chance to come back. Throughout the day she seemed to be in better spirits.

  It doesn’t take long for Sadie to climb into the passenger seat beside me. There is so much tension between us I feel like we could cut it with a sharp blade. She’s quiet, staring out the window while her fingertips play with the condensation. A couple times I hear her sniffling, but refrain from offering any sort of consolation. I don’t want her getting the wrong impression, and since we’ve already crossed a line, I’m afraid of what could happen if she thinks it’s okay to try again.

  I’m about three hours into my first turn driving when I notice Sadie has fallen asleep. Her head nods from one side to the other, finally coming down until she’s leaning on my shoulder. With her in this position I catch a glance at her cleavage and feel like a complete jerk. I went from desperately wanting this woman to fearing I’m a pedophile. It’s absurd.

  Reaching into the back, I manage to pull a small throw we purchased while making a stop for snacks. I cover her up one-handed and go about my drive feeling like I won’t have to feel guilty for taking peeks.

  I’m thankful for a quick stop to collect myself again. Being in this close of proximity is making me crazy. One second I’m attracted to
her and the next I’m picturing her killing someone, and then I’m imagining her being someone’s daughter. It’s enough to make a man wish he was anywhere else but close to her.

  At the next rest stop, close to three in the morning, Sadie gets out to freshen up, while I tend to a wide-awake little girl who needs another dose of medication. Afterwards, Sadie takes her into the restroom while I go over the directions for the next few hours. It’s going to be daylight soon, so we’ll have to stop with Mila more.

  I no sooner begin looking down at a map when I hear someone coming up behind me. His husky masculine voice catches me off guard, sending me jumping backward against my car.

  He’s a burly man, probably a good six foot six, thick shoulders, with enough size to overpower me easily. “You got a light?” He asks.

  I touch both pockets as I answer. “No, man, sorry.”

  “Well then how about all your money?”

  I can’t believe this is happening to me. Unsure if he has a weapon, or has scoped me out enough to know I’m traveling with two innocent females, I quickly pull out my wallet and give him two hundred dollar bills. This guy doesn’t know the rest of my cash is in my bag in the trunk of the car. While I’m nervously trying to give him what he wants so he can leave before the girls come out of the restroom, I see the bright blue lights coming in our direction and my stomach knots up. The burly man tries to run toward an eighteen wheeler, only to have two police cruisers box him in. They’re out of the vehicle yelling for him to get on the ground, while a third car comes up beside me. I check behind me to make sure the girls aren’t in view, and start silently praying they don’t show their faces until this ordeal is said and done.

  I’m asked if I’m okay first and foremost, and then the medium build man proceeds to ask what the guy took, and if he threatened me with any kind of weapon.

  I’m standing with my hands in my pockets when I catch Sadie and Mila coming toward us with a female officer at their side. Then it hits me. They have to know. Sadie’s face is plastered on the news, and Mila’s has been posted everywhere on the internet and television. There’s a lump forming in my throat as I try to keep my cool under such dire circumstances.

  The girls are being questioned separately, finally brought over to meet me. Sadie throws her arms around me while still holding Mila. “Geez, babe. The officer just told me what happened. Thank God he didn’t hurt you.” I can tell from the look on her face that she wants me to play along. My arms pull them both close as I kiss the top of her head. “Nothing is going to keep us from finally getting married, Rana.”

  Before she can respond the female officer says something that makes my skin curl. “You look so familiar. Have we met before? I swear I’ve seen you.”

  Sadie smiles and shakes her head. “I get that a lot. Actually, I’ve never been anywhere before. This is my very first trip. Ryan is taking me to Mexico so we can get married on a beach.”

  “That’s right. My little hometown girl is ready to have her toes in the sand.”

  Another officer says something in the female’s ear. She nods and gives us both a once over, before walking away and getting on her radio. I’m panicking. If these officers suspect who we are, at least one of us, we’re in a world of trouble. I keep my arm around Sadie, whispering in her ear. “Stay calm. Play the part.” I kiss the side of her face to make it seem like we’re just a family looking to be on our way, even though I’m not sure they’re buying it.

  When the officer has my full statement, he explains that they’d been getting calls about small robberies along the interstate and had been running a sting, putting officers in place to catch the culprit in action. I’m still looking in the rearview mirror as we pull out of the parking lot and start back on our journey to freedom.

  Sadie adjusts after a while, cozying up against me. Her arm reaches through mine, hugging it. With every little touch I’m reminded how close we came to having intercourse. Parts of my body react to her whether I want them to or not. She’s stunning, and when she kisses or touches me she makes me feel alive again. It was great while it lasted, but now I’m having to deal with a serious case of badgering blue-balls.

  Before I can attempt to pry her off of me, I see a pair of copper eyes staring in my direction. She’s looking up, as if she’s innocent and honest. Starting to sit up, she notices the blanket I’ve once again put over her and pushes it down across her lap. “Thanks for covering me up.”

  “I didn’t do it because I thought you were cold,” I accidentally admit.

  She blushes, only making the moment uncomfortable. I feel her hand attempt to lace with mine and pull away. “Don’t, Sadie. We can’t.”

  “Why?” She tries again.

  I retract. “Because.”

  “My age?”

  “Yeah. You’re a kid.”

  “You’re like six or seven years older than me. When I’m thirty it won’t make a difference. Why should it now?”

  “Because it does.”

  “But we’ve already messed around, and now I’m eighteen. I’m legal.” She forces my hand into hers and draws it up her thigh. “You can have anything you want now.”

  I tug my hand and tuck it between my legs for safe keeping. “Don’t be like that. We’ve made it clear where we stand. Let’s get through this last five hundred miles and call it day, all right?”

  Sadie peers out the passenger side window like she’s angry, or upset. “I thought every man would want to be with someone younger.”

  “It’s not you. You’re beautiful, Sadie.”

  “Then what?” She asks while gripping my leg, drawing it up the inside until she reaches my hidden hand. Pricking it away, she slides up further, until she’s cupping my groin. I bite down on my lip and feel my eyes getting heavy. This simple touch has me regretting the limitation I’ve set. As her careful finger narrows in on the forming bulge, I fight with my conscience about allowing it. Next thing I know my zipper is coming down. Her hand dips inside of the hole, a light tickle scatters as she frees my cock from the opening in my boxer shorts. A quick glance down shows me what I already feel. I’m rock hard, and she’s about to take me to new heights.

  The roads are dark. There hasn’t been another vehicle for miles. Street lights don’t exist here, so my only worry is staying on the road while having her soft puffy lips engulfed around my stiff erection. The second her tongue coasts over the head of my shaft I know she’s won the battle. She takes me in, further, lower, until I hear a gag, and then she slips away only to repeat the process again. The friction of her tight lips mixed with saliva make this feel amazing. My free hand plays with her hair while she bobs up and down between my legs. A few minutes into the process and I’m pulling over so that I’m able to become engrossed in what’s about to happen. She’s bringing me to ecstasy; this young troubled girl is pleasuring me while we’re both on the run from the law. The intensity sends an explosive eruption into her mouth, before my eyes burst open and I avoid veering off the side of the road. My hands are shaking, as two wheels skid through the grass, suddenly forcing me to realize I’ve dozed off. Everything I thought I was experiencing was a damn dream, one that could have cost all three of us our lives had I not woken up.

  Slowing until I’m able to make a full stop, I rest my forehead against the steering wheel to catch my breath. I hadn’t even realized how tired I was. My anxiety is through the roof as I continue to stress over putting my child in such danger, not to mention the intense dream that felt so real I could have sworn it was happening.

  Sadie stirs in the seat next to me, leaning her head on my arm, similar to the dream. “You okay? Need to stop for gas or a restroom? We can switch.”

  I tap her lightly until she sits up. “Yeah, I think we need to, or stop somewhere so we can both sleep.”

  “Why? What’s wrong?”

  “I think I fell asleep at the wheel. I was dreaming. It was …” I can’t tell her what it was about. I’m not even sure how I feel about it. “Sorry, I
think I’m still freaking out.”

  Sadie sits up and looks around. She notices that we’re pulled over on the shoulder of the dark road. The hazard lights are flashing, but it’s quiet with the exception of the car motor. “Did we hit anything?”

  “No.” My head flops back against the steering wheel. “I’m just pissed at myself for putting all of us in danger.”

  She climbs out from the passenger side door and walks to mine, opening it before I have the chance. I step out of the vehicle and feel like she’s blocking me from slipping by her. Our eyes meet, and that intense feeling arises when I remember every single detail of my dream.

  “You sure you’re okay?”

  “Probably not.”

  Her gentle hands come up and palm the fabric of my shirt. She takes a hand full and uses it to pull me close. I try to turn my head to the side, but her sweet mouth catches the corner of my lip anyway. “I don’t want to want you, Sadie.”

  “We have chemistry. It’s undeniable.”

  We kiss once, before I manage to push her away. “That doesn’t mean anything. We can’t do this. I won’t.”

  “Keep telling yourself that, Rogan. It’s only a matter of time before you give in.”

  Sadie knows she’s gotten under my skin. I can’t deny her now, not after letting her do that to me. I need to come to terms with the fact that she’s not a child. She’s a grown woman, who has needs and emotions like the rest of us.

  Still being aware of the things she’s running from, I choose to get back on the road and not talk about it, though I doubt she’s going to let it go that easily.

  Chapter 17

  We’re at another hotel, this time one with two beds. Mila fusses for about twenty minutes after I bathe and put on some clean pajamas. Sadie turns out all the lights before heading in the bathroom to shower and change. While I cuddle with my daughter, I think about our new life and how we’ll probably struggle for a little while until I can find work and a nice place for us to call home. I’m getting excited the closer we get.