I watch as she steers her car into a space. I swing my leg over my bike and walk toward her. She’s just getting out the car when she clocks me.
I notice she holds onto the door frame as I approach. She’s tied her hair back. The way the light hits her face, I can see that she’s on edge. But there’s something else too, a look I don’t quite recognize.
That’s when I realize, I’m still wearing my helmet.
I ease it off and she looks kinda relieved.
‘Hey,’ I say, when I reach her and my gaze moves around the inside of the car. Noah’s lying across the back seat. I keep my voice low as she closes the driver’s side door. ‘How’s it going?’ I ask.
‘Fine,’ she says. ‘Noah’s been asleep since we left.’
‘We should prolly rest here,’ I say. ‘Get a few hours’ shuteye then head on out again around sunup.’
‘You mean get a room?’
‘They take cash. No booking necessary. I checked.’
‘Right.’ She sounds unsure.
‘Did you… uh, want your own room?’ I ask. ‘You know. For privacy.’
She can’t seem to look me in the face. I remember this about her now, that she always was always a little socially awkward.
She runs her fingers down her hair. ‘Please. I can pay.’
‘Naw, I got it. You’re here ’cause of me. And Noah. Can’t have you using your own money. Maybe wait here.’
It doesn’t take me too long to get us a couple twin rooms. I come back and hand her a key, attached to a block of wood with the room number scratched into it. I note she’s yawning already. I open up the passenger door and land a swift kick on the bottom of Noah’s sneaker.
He groans. Hollie throws me a look of disapproval, before she leans inside the vehicle and gives Noah a gentle shake. Noah stirs.
It takes her a good minute or so to coax him out of the car and I stand there impatiently with one hand on my hip, the other still holding my helmet. When he’s upright, I reach for his hood and tug it over his head. He bats me sleepily away.
‘Keep your head down, bruh,’ I remind him as we climb the stairs to the rooms on the second floor of the motel.
I glance back. Hollie’s got her arm wrapped around his shoulders. In her other hand, she’s carrying his bag. Not even my mom would do that.
When we reach our rooms along the balcony, Hollie hands me his backpack and I open the door.
‘Will you be all right?’ I ask her.
She doesn’t answer, just nods her head. I don’t know if she’s freaked out or just exhausted. She lets Noah go and he yawns, walking inside our room.
‘What time will we leave?’ she says as she backs away toward the door to her own room, which is the one next to ours.
‘Around six. Just before sunrise. You wanna grab some breakfast with me from the diner? You’re not, like, vegan or anything, are you?’
‘No,’ she says.
‘Then I’m gonna knock on your door at five-thirty.’
She nods her head again. The look in her eyes tells me she’s exhausted. I’m relieved, because it means she’s still all in on this plan to smuggle Noah across the state line.
‘Get some sleep,’ I say. ‘See you in the morning.’
I watch her get inside her room, then open my own door again to find Noah face down and spreadeagled on one of the twin beds. I put the safety lock on the door and toss my bag on the other bed.
‘I’m getting a shower, man,’ I tell him. ‘Don’t come in the bathroom.’