Page 98 of How to Kidnap a Fake Date
For tonight.
33
MAGGIE
The road home feels shorter than it should.
Every mile brings me closer to uncertainty.
I slept wrapped in Roman’s arms, our exhausted bodies sated, but my mind was working overtime by the time I awoke.
In the cold light of morning, everything feels uprooted.
The ground rumbles under my wheels, mile after mile of worry leading the path home.
Grey sky and wet tarmac as far as the eye can see.
I grip the steering wheel until my hands burn, trying to find something to say to the man who sits beside me. This time, he’s not drugged or zip-tied, but the journey is no less fraught.
Roman is too quiet, like he’s carrying the past few days on his shoulders. There’s a bruise darkening his jaw, and I can see how painful it is even for him to sit still. The morning had brought a slap of cold reality along with the full realisation of our injuries. Roman’s far worse than mine.
But we’re alive.
And we made it out.
‘I’m sorry,’ I say, when he reaches for a bottle of water and winces. ‘For dragging you up there and ruining your life for a reprieve from mine.’
He sighs. ‘You didn’t ruin my life.’
‘You’re never quite the same after you’ve seen a dead body.’ And I inflicted that on him.
Roman is quiet for a time, watching the world pass by outside.
‘It wasn’t the first body I’ve seen.’
I sneak a look at him, leaving him to take a moment.
‘I was the one who found my dad hanging.’
The admission hits me like a rampant elephant.Fuck. No wonder he’d gone down the path he had.
‘Oh, Roman,’ I say.
‘It’s okay, it was a long time ago.’
‘That doesn’t make it okay. I’m sorry you had to go through that. I can’t even imagine.’
I swallow. My throat feels tight as I struggle to know what to say. Difficult conversations aren’t my strong point. I may have seen a lot of bodies, but I hadn’t been exposed to my mother’s. The pain is something I can only imagine.
‘It’s fine. Old news.’
The next dozen miles pass in silence until I build up the courage to break through the tension.
‘I want to thank you for playing your part with my family. I didn’t deserve your kindness. And for everything else.’
‘Next time you need help, maybe just ask. It’ll be simpler that way.’
Next time…
