We leave very early.

Leroy wakes me up as the sun barely rises. "We have a long way to go," he said when I asked him why we had to leave so early.

I didn't reply to that, whereupon he first put some soothing ointment on my stitches, put a fresh plaster over them, and helped me get dressed, which I really struggled with for a long time, but you just can't mess with Leroy.

He always wins.

And now here I am standing outside the car, carrying a fluffy blanket on my shoulders, waiting for him to come down. Although he had insisted that I wait in the room until he came to get me because he still had to wake Danny and get dressed, I ignored that when I realized I could get up on my own. Still a little bit in pain.

Clouds of smoke form in front of my mouth as I exhale shakily. It is so cold that even the grass is frozen and wet mist drifts thickly along the ground.

My gaze falls on the gates towering far above, winking at me through the mist as if to lure me in, but I know it will do me no good to pursue this desire when, after all, there is no escape.

"I told you to stay in your room," I hear Leroy's pleasant baritone near my ear, making me wince slightly. I pull my shoulders in and sternly stop myself from looking him in the eye as he walks past me and packs Danny into the car.

"I wanted to get out for some fresh air before heading into the car for ten hours," I confess, looking up at the treetops that reach into the sky behind the gates until he averts his gaze from me again. Only then do I venture a glance in his direction.

He makes the back seat as comfortable as he can for Danny so he can continue sleeping in it. I smile slightly at him as he blinks tiredly at me, which he then returns.

But when Leroy sits up and gently closes the car door, where Danny immediately leans his forehead against the window and closes his eyes, I look away again. My gaze settles on my blanket this time as he slowly moves closer to me.

"You got shot yesterday, even though I was near you, and yet you dare to leave the house completely alone?"

Swallowing and knowing I've upset him, I slowly raise my head and look him in the eye. "I didn't know it was dangerous for me to leave the house," I confess quietly and it's the truth.

I didn't think about that for a second, I realise with a shudder, which is exactly what Leroy seems to see. He merely grits his teeth hard that his lower jaw juts out sharply before he grabs my arm disconcertingly gently and leads me to the car where he opens the door for me.

I get in on the passenger side without a word and buckle up straight away. Just as I'm about to thank him, the words stick in my throat as I see Kelly walking to the car.

So, she is coming with us.

Furious at this, I avert my gaze, with Leroy merely closing the door without noticing anything of my feelings. Why the hell is she coming with us?

It's all her fault! It's her fault I got shot yesterday. She lied so unbelievably brazenly that I am still amazed and stunned by it.

And I can't believe Leroy is taking her along.

What did you think, Rina? That he would send his guest away, or wouldn't believe her when she burst into tears yesterday?

I don't know what I believed. But above all, I don't know why the hell I care that Leroy believes her and not me. I couldn't care less!

I am jolted out of my thoughts as the car doors open and both Leroy and Kelly get in. I instantly tense up.

What a shit!

Now I'm sitting here trapped in a car with this witch for several hours. What have I done to deserve this? Sighing inwardly, I turn my head away and look out of the window as soon as Leroy drives off and leaves his property.

Now I finally see where exactly we really are. A dense forest stretches out in front of us and I immediately feel the longing to get out of this car and just run inside, but I couldn't because first I was wounded. And secondly, because Leroy has locked the doors. I take a deep but silent breath. Will I ever be allowed to go back to my old life? Will everything ever be the same again?

Without Leroy.

It takes a little while before we leave the wood, which intimidates me quite a bit. If I ever escape, it would take me hours, if not days, to cross this forest and by then Leroy would have caught me. Swallowing, I dismiss these thoughts. They only bring me trouble.

As soon as we leave the dense forest, a few minutes pass before Leroy stops again at a petrol station, but as soon as he does and gets back in, Kelly says she has to go buy cigarettes, so she gets out now and we sit in this car for longer. I sigh. I hate long car rides and when it starts like this I might go crazy. I feel Leroy's gaze on me as Kelly gets out of the car.

"Are you in pain?" he asks me. I just shake my head, not looking at him.

"Are you in pain?" he repeats more bitingly now. I scream inwardly, so annoyed by how bossy he keeps going before I look him in the eye.

"No, I am not," I reply more bitchily than I meant to, to which he narrows his eyes, but I pretty much don't care.

"You better drop that attitude," he murmurs to me as I turn my head away again. Stunned, my jaw drops open and I feel anger flood me.

"You better get rid of your attitude! What's wrong with you anyway?", I nag back and involuntarily turn violently to face him, causing a burning sting to make me wince. I contort my face, open my mouth in a silent scream and pause in place.

"Careful, for fuck's sake!" he growls immediately, grabbing me by the arms before slowly sitting me back up as I unconsciously double over completely. I lean my temple against the cool window, panting, and carefully grab my stomach with one hand. Oh God, it hurts!

"Wait a minute," I hear him say, but I keep my eyes closed and don't know what he's up to until I feel his warm fingers against my stomach. He gently brushes my hand away before lifting my jumper, probably checking to make sure everything is okay.

"Okay, seems fine," he sighs in relief after a few seconds. I don't say anything in response and wait quietly for Kelly to come back and sit in before continuing. Why do I let him provoke me like this anyway? At the end of the day, I'm just catching something.

Kelly immediately starts chattering away, but I don't listen to her. I think while I look out of the window and watch the people. I wonder how my parents are doing.

I wish I could talk to them on the phone at least once a week. Maybe I could convince the shithead next to me to do that. But what could I give him in return? What would he want in return?

Maybe a cake this time?

Then, as we reach the highway, I remember the time with Tara. We were supposed to go to Canada by car this summer, but I guess that won't happen anymore because I don't think Leroy will let me go until then. A glance outside tells me that we will soon have spring and when Leroy took me with him, it was just before the Christmas holidays.

It's been so long...

My eyes burn, sadness surrounds my heart and I close my eyes to escape the truth for a few minutes.

Because the truth is that I am slowly getting used to Leroy and the thought of returning to my old life leaves a bitter taste on my tongue.

☼ ❅

The next time I open my eyes, someone taps me on the shoulder. I look to my left, but Leroy is not sitting in the driver's seat. Danny looks at me and smiles. I rub my eyes tiredly and look out for a moment.

We have stopped in front of a public toilet. Kelly is outside smoking when Leroy comes out of the toilet. I notice that the sun has already set.

Oh God, have I slept through the whole day? This has never happened to me before.

"Did you tap me, Danny?", I ask him, to which he nods.

"I'm tired, can you tell dad that? The blankets and my pillow should be in the back," he explains, to which I merely raise my eyebrows in irritation. Tired? But he was asleep when I...

You've been sleeping all day, Rina.

"I can bring you your things too," I reply, glancing outside to see Kelly Leroy getting closer.

Grinning, she takes a pull on her cigarette and by now she's close to him, which he either doesn't notice or doesn't care. I get out and Leroy's gaze instantly shoots to the car.

I pretend that I didn't see it and put my hand protectively on my wound as if this could prevent it from hurting with every movement.

I walk around the car and open the back, spotting Danny's pillow with the Mickey Mouse and a blanket. As I want to reach for it, I feel Leroy's presence behind me.

"What are you doing?"

I flinch. He's so close to me that not only do I smell him, I can feel his upper body against my back. Sighing inwardly, I reach for the two things and turn around.

"I'm worried about your son. Will you please let me through?", I ask, raising my eyebrows. He frowns at me.

"He hasn't eaten yet," he speaks more to himself than to me, glancing into the car as if he can see Danny that way. I grit my teeth. So instead of bringing his son something to eat, he's flirting with Kelly.

"So ask him if he wants to eat. Why are you telling me that?", I ask more curtly than I meant to. Leroy furrows his brow before his gaze meets mine. He stares at me for a few seconds, as if he can see something like that in my eyes, before taking one deep breath and finally walking back.

He walks around the car and opens Danny's door, probably to ask him if he's hungry. I avert my eyes and close the back again before looking at Kelly, who is already staring at me.

Her gaze travels from my feet up to my eyes before a beastly smile spreads across her lips as if she can sense what my anger means.

Gritting my teeth, I walk back around the car and get in the back with Danny.

"Kelly can sit in the front," I merely say as Leroy sits up. He furrows his eyebrows and gives me a weird look, but I don't care.

If he likes Kelly's company better, I don't want to be the cause of him not enjoying it and make room for her instead.

I reach for a pillow and adjust my seat so I'm next to Danny.

"Thanks for sitting in the back with me."

I smile at him and put my arm around him. Then I relax and close my eyes and even when I hear Leroy and Kelly get in, I don't open them.

Not even when I feel his burning gaze on my skin.

☼ ❅