“Can I help?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I’ve got it. You rest. Drink some more water and eat anything you like.”
After he had most of his stuff put away, she followed him over to his truck. “Will we be far enough away they can’t find me?”
He nodded. “We can drive a few hours. That will put distance between us.” He turned to take the tent pack to the truck but then spun back to her. “Do you know which direction you came from? Just so I know we aren’t traveling close to them.”
“I came from the northeast.”
“And you’re sure of that?”
“Yes. We learn how to navigate using the sun’s position from an early age. I know directions and which way I traveled.”
“Okay, we’re headed a little south and to the west. We’ll stop in a town, and you can get cleaned up. Then we’ll get you some clothes.”
Flora couldn’t believe someone from the outside world wanted to help her. She’d heard stories of people from her community running into outsiders and how they were abused and killed. Fear should have kept her away from Q, but he seemed nicer than anyone she knew from the community.
Because she couldn’t stay still, she helped him load the last of his bags into the back of his truck. A part of her was nervous about going with him. He could turn on her, and she would endup being sacrificed. But living with a demon seemed preferable to staying here. Besides, there was something in his eyes that seemed kind. Also, the way he talked to her made her feel warm, like talking to her mother had made her feel. Maybe this was a sign she could trust him.
In their community, only the men were allowed to drive. She’d ridden in the back of a truck before and once inside a car when she was younger. She started to climb into the back of his truck with his packs when he stopped her.
“You ride inside the cab.”
She put her feet on the ground, staring at the spot of dirt between them. “Inside?” That spot was relegated to other men or pregnant women. She knew outsiders were different, but she didn’t know how different.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Get in. It’s getting dark, and I want to put some distance between us and this place. You said we probably have thirty-six hours, maybe forty-eight hours, before they start looking, but I don’t want them to come earlier.”
She nodded and went around to the passenger side of the car. There were so many rules they lived by, so many laws she had to obey, that she wasn’t sure how to act around this man. He was allowing her to ride in the front of the truck, and she wasn’t even pregnant. Maybe she should tell him. She stopped walking and turned to him.
“I’m not pregnant.”
Her words must have confused him because he frowned. “Honestly, that’s not really my business, but I didn’t think you were.”
“But why are you letting me ride in the front?”
His lips thinned, and she could tell he was angry. She stepped back, not wanting to feel his fists. He didn’t punch her. Instead, he spoke softly.
“You’re a human being, and you deserve respect. I wouldn’t think of making you ride in the back. Please get in and get comfortable. I promise not to hurt you. We’ll figure out what to do tomorrow after you’ve cleaned up and slept some.
Flora did as he asked, sitting quietly in the passenger seat as he drove. She wasn’t sure what was in store for her, but things were changing. Maybe she was making the biggest mistake of her life, or maybe she could finally start living.
4
Explaining the shower to Flora had tested him. She’d wanted him to get in and demonstrate, but that would have meant getting naked, and the last thing he wanted to do was show her his dick that he was having a hard time taming. He didn’t want to be hard around her, but she was beautiful, even with the dirt covering her.
She’d also been shocked the toilet was inside. She told him she had to heat water for a bath, and they had to go outside to use the toilet. He was getting a very interesting picture of how she’d lived.
She finally agreed to shower, and he left the bathroom, noting that the one close big box discount store closed in an hour and a half. They didn’t have much time to get there and shop, but if she finished soon, they could just make it.
When the bathroom door opened, he saw that her hair was still wet. Thankfully, she’d pulled on the clean shirt he’d given her and more shorts. They needed to get her hair dry or she would be cold. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the temps had gone down with it.
He tried not to stare too much at her, but she was beautiful. She had creamy skin with a few freckles. Her blue eyes werebright and filled with wonder. She looked very innocent though, and doing anything more than being her friend would be taking advantage of her.
“Wow, I’ve never experienced anything like that. And that stuff, the conditioner you told me to use on my hair after I washed it made it so smooth.”
He nodded. “Showering does feel good when you’re dirty. It’s cold outside, and your hair is still wet.”
