THREE

When it came to her destination, Gianna had no plan. She believed that if she didn't know where she is going, no one will as well. So there won't be any means of finding her. One hour into the journey, she established how stupid she was for that idea. Six hours driving to nowhere, she accepted her stupidity.  

Her urgent need to urinate led her to her first stop, a gas station. She peed in the toilet of the supermarket, bought tons of snacks for the road, and filled car with gas. It was also there she came up with the plan to abandon the car just in case Edward memorized its plate number, to prevent being tracked.

Two hours driving in search of where to abandon the car, she finally decided to leave it on the side of the road, so it can be tolled by the proper authorities. She took two trains to places she hasn't heard of, when she got off the train, she located a gadget store, where she bought a new phone. She also went to a mall, replaced the duffle bag with a suitcase, and bought jeans, tops, panties, and bras.

The day was slipping away and night came, for someone who spent her sleeping hours driving the previous night, she knew she needed rest. She entered a cab and requested the driver take her to the nearest motel. On their journey, she noticed the signboard as the driver drove into a town called Purple Ville. She pretty much zoned out after that until the car stopped in front of a crappy motel.

The Sunshine motel, the name from which Gianna spotted from the faulty neon sign outside, which made her roll her eyes. The name was an irony. The people smoking outside was enough for Gianna to plead to her driver to take her elsewhere. The cab driver said he was going home because of the rain that is to fall.

The receptionist was nothing close to sunshine, she barely looked at Gianna doing their transaction. She popped her gum loudly and threw the room key at Gianna when she paid.

Just when she thought things couldn't get worse, she made it into the dump they call a room. The bed had stains on its sheets.  The sound of rats running around, a huge hole on the wall which they used a lamp to barricade, and the sound of a 10 dollar hoe moaning from the next room.

It isn't the life she is used to, she was the girl that stayed in V.I.P sections of hotels. Those fancy hotels that are built in such a way that when you jump off the roof, you plummet into its pool.  She and her friends had parties there all the time. This motel is a huge backslide from what she used to.

Just when she thought she could manage and suppress her inner brat, she saw the rats that were making noise.  This sent her rushing out of the room and back to the reception to request a better room.

So here she is, waiting in line to have a word with the receptionist.

"Here's the key, I have fixed your car's engine." The tall man in front of Gianna says. His deep voice catches her attention. She looks up at the muscular man with a great behind. The white singlet he is wearing his stained with engine oil, his arm also have stains. Without seeing him from the front, Gianna imagines him to look rugged.

"Good." The rude receptionist says grabbing the key from his hands.

The tall man stands to wait as she puts her key in the drawer. She looks up at the man looking at her, "What?" She asks rudely,

"That will be 30 bucks," He says.

"I am not paying shit, my car broke down last week and I brought it to you, then I paid you. This week, it broke down again, if you did it right the last time, we won't be here." She replies.

"Come on, Jess," The tall man pleads.

"Could you?" Jess indicates that he shifts so she can attend to Gianna behind him.

The tall man turns to Gianna, their eyes meet. Within a few seconds of getting to see his front view, Gianna is quick to check him out. It is her superpower. Ruffled midnight black hair, brown eyes, firm jaw, and abs so ripped it's revealing from his stained singlet.

He shifts as requested by Jess. Gianna tucks her hair behind her ear as she walks forward, pulling her suitcase behind her while putting her head down to hide her red cheeks.

She clears her throat, "The room is unfit for me to spend a night in."

"Oh really?" Jess says sarcastically.

Not paying attention to her tone, Gianna continues, "There are rats and the sheets aren't clean..."

"What do you want me to do?" Jess interrupts.

Gianna forces a smile, "I can pay more for a better room"

"Oh okay, the keys to the-" Gianna didn't have to wait for her to finish the sentence before she hands over the key to her.

"Excuse me, Sir," Jess yells to the man who's on the couch of the reception.

The old man walks towards them and stops beside Gianna.

"You are in luck, here's a key to last room available," Jess says with a smile, the first smile Gianna has seen her give since she arrived.

The old man takes the key, drops money on the counter which Jess grabs and puts in the old cash register.

"Thank you," The old man says walking away.

Gianna taps her fingers on the counter waiting for Jess to give her a key to a less disgusting room.

"What?" Jess asks in annoyance.

"How much for the new room you will be providing."

"There are no rooms available, have a nice day." Jess gives her a tight smile.

"What?" Gianna yells, "Then why did you give another person my room?"

"You said you are too fancy to sleep in it, so I gave someone who can." Jess pouts.

"It's raining outside, where I supposed to stay?" Gianna balls her fist, trying not to punch the bitch. The red-headed girl looks like she will beat Gianna's ass but it will be worth it if Gianna gets to punch her.

"Could you figure that outside or in the diner across the road because I don't give a fuck?" Jess says with a smile, as she takes the money given to her by Gianna earlier and placing it on the counter.

"Bitch," Gianna spits swiping the money off the counter. She grabs her suitcase before she walks past the handsome tall guy, and walks out of the motel into the rain.

~~~

Gianna rushes into the diner dragging her suitcase behind her, she enters drenched in rain. She looks at the surrounding of the almost empty diner. It has red high backed booths with white shiny countertops and a row of parted windows.

She walks in slowly due to the squeaky noise coming from her converse. She takes her seat in a booth, two booths away from the only person eating in the diner.

The waitress walks up to her holding a notepad, with a bright smile on her face. "Welcome to Darcy's diner, chosen anything yet?" The girl with the name tag which reads "Loren" asks, gesturing to the menu on the table which Gianna didn't know it was there.

"Oh," Gianna stares at the menu, she scans through it before saying, and "I will like a strawberry milkshake. Thank you."

"Okay," The middle-aged woman says.

As she attempts to leave, Gianna calls her back, "Loren, do you know any motel around here, aside from the one across to this diner?"

"The Sunshine motel doesn't have any competitors around this neighbourhood. You can drive up to the fancy part of Purple's Ville where there are tons of hotels. I heard their charges are outrageous." Loren says.

Accepting the fact that she is screwed, "Thank you," Gianna says with a tight smile as Loren walks away.

Gianna turns to the window, it is still raining cats and dogs outside.

"You are fucked," Gianna says to herself, as she puts her head on the table.

~~~

Remember the handsome tall man, well now he is simply just the creepy man. He arrived at the dinner 20 minutes after Gianna and he sat across to her nursing a glass of water. Gianna didn't mind at first but then she caught him looking a couple of times which got her scared. What if he wants to rob her or rape her? What if he is one of her dad's men and they have found her? What if he works with the Texas drug lord? The more she questions the man's identity, the more afraid she becomes.

She is regretting putting her gun in her suitcase, it should have been in a place easily reachable. She thinks she should make a run for it but he will definitely catch up with her.

Interrupting her train of thoughts, the creeping handsome man speaks, "I am Jacob and I believe you need a place to stay."

With newfound optimism, "You know a motel I can stay in?" She asks.

"Not exactly, I have an empty room at my place. I will rent it for you for the night with the same amount you were about to give Jess."

Her optimism comes crashing down, "No thanks,"

She is not going to sleep in a stranger's house knowing full well how cruel the world can be. Plus she is carrying over 9000 dollars cash in her suitcase. He might be trying to rob her.

"If it makes you feel better, I am gay and I live with my sisters and cousins. You have nothing to worry about." Jacob says trying to look innocent and accommodating despite his hard features.

Gianna feels a little bit bitter about his sexuality, she had a minor crash.

"Thanks for the offer, but no thanks," Gianna says. She does not want to take risks enough though she is in desperate need of where to lay her head.

"Suit yourself, but you should know this neighborhood isn't safe to roam around." The warning sends chills down Gianna's spine. Not convincing her any further, Jacob leaves.

She has this unsettling feeling that she should have accepted the offer. She feels the urge to call him back but she stays frozen until he walks out of the diner.

A few minutes after he leaves, Loren walks up to Gianna's table. She picked up the glass cup which was used to serve the milkshake and she puts it on her tray.

"Madam, the diner will be closing soon," Loren says before she walks away.

"Shit!" Gianna says under her breath.

~~~~

Like these girls in those romantic movies, there Gianna is walking in the rain, dragging her suitcase behind her in a pitiful way. As she is wet, she reflects on her mistakes. Maybe she shouldn't have left home, maybe she should have come up with a place to stay before leaving, and maybe she shouldn't have dumped the car when-

A loud sound of a pickup truck horn snaps Gianna out of her thoughts. In shock, she turns to the direction of the sound. The Pickup truck stops, so do Gianna.  The window of the pickup truck rolls down and reveals Jacob without a cocky smile on his lips.

Gianna says a quick prayer of thanks.

"My offer still stands," Jacob yells.

No one had to tell Gianna twice, she enters Jacob truck in haste and lets the stranger her the unknown place he calls home.

~~~~~

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

WORDS: 1970

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