The Chase by Amber Riel (best novels for students .TXT) 📕

          “What?  Are you some kind of---?”

          I felt Sam kick my shin before I could finish the rest of the question.

          Lainie continued to stare with wide eyes and tears as well.

          I took a deep breath and turned my attention toward the waitress.  “I’m sorry…. I’m just having a hard time right now,” I explained as I apologized.  I felt kind of horrible for what I had said and needed to make up for it.

          The waitress turned her attention over toward Sam.  “What about you, Miss?

          “I would like to try some bacon na-an?  I’m sorry…. I’m visiting from America and I don’t know how to pronounce some of these words.”

          “Well, let me see….”

          I watched as Sam pointed to what she had picked and the waitress nodded as she wrote it down.  Once the waitress finished, she smiled at Lainie.  “And what would you like?”

          “Mac ‘n’ cheese,” Lainie replied.

          I watched as Sam smiled.  Her smile was a beautiful sight to see but I wouldn’t tell her that.  I didn’t want her to know how I was weak inside.

          “Okay, I’ll be back with your orders.” 

          Once we were finished with dinner, we just sat around the table to give time for our digestive systems to work as the waitress walked by, placing the bill on the table as she scooped up the dirty dishes.  Sam started to grab for the bill but I stopped her.  “Whether I like you or not,” I told her, “a woman shouldn’t have to pay for the meal.”  I was the kind of man who didn’t feel right letting a woman pay for food or anything if I were around.  It wasn’t that I felt threated that women worked and earned money; it was just the fact that as a gentleman, it was a polite gesture.  I examined the bill with my eyes as I slowly nodded.  The total had been what I was expecting of course.  “Why don’t you two go out to the car?  I’ll pay for the meal.”

          “Okay,” Sam replied with a nod.

          I stood up as the girls headed out of the door and placed a tip on the table.  I worked my way over to the podium and pulled out my wallet.  Once I was at the podium, I pulled out my money and counted the amount which had been on the bill and waited for the waitress to arrive.

          Once she was there, she smiled, politely but this time didn’t try to act flirty toward me like she had earlier that night.  “Hope you enjoyed your meal, sir.”

          I nodded as I handed her the money and left.

          “But they want you to be safe…. Me and your uncle aren’t going to let anything happen to you and they know it,” I heard Sam tell Lainie as I was heading out of the building and over toward the car.

          I looked around wearily as I kept walking.  I didn’t know what it was but something felt worse than it had while we were still at the mansion.  “We need to go…. I have a bad feeling.”

          Sam nodded as she helped Lainie into the car.

          I worked my way into the front seat.  We had to get out of there.

          It had been about an hour or a little over an hour when we left the dinner.  I kept driving but my eyes were growing tired.  I had to shake my head to keep myself from falling asleep.  I had been driving for most of the day and it hadn’t really done me any good.

          “Pull over and let me drive,” Sam told me, worry was in her tone.

          “No.”  I figured that she didn’t need to be driving after the day’s events.  It was clear to me that she was a nervous wreck and didn’t need to be driving either.

          “You’re falling asleep…. You’ve been driving almost all day…. You need a break.

          “I’m fine….”

          “If you don’t let me drive, then at least pull into a hotel for the night so you can get a good night sleep…. Do it for Lainie’s sake.”

          I moved my eyes into the rearview mirror for a moment then nodded.  Lainie’s life was in my hands; Sam’s life was in my hands.  I couldn’t get us killed because of my stupidity so I agreed.  “I’ll pull into a hotel for the night, but first thing tomorrow we have to leave.”

          “Okay.”

          I found a little inn which seemed like a nice place and especially for only one night.  It wasn’t a bad choice and about the only place I could really find with vacant rooms.  I placed the car into park in an empty parking place right in front of the building.

          “Is this where we’re staying?” Lainie’s tired voice asked.

          Sam looked at her and nodded.

          “I want the both of you to go inside with me…. I don’t trust this neighborhood.”

          Sam nodded.  She opened the door and climbed out of the car.

          Once I was out of the car, I pushed my seat forward for Lainie.  I picked the child up and let her rest her head on my shoulder.  I checked to make sure that both doors on the car were locked before we went inside.

          We walked into the small lobby of the hotel and I wondered over to the front desk of the room.  I didn’t bother to look around because all I wanted to do was get a room and then go to bed.  No one was at the desk so I hit the small silver bell, trying to see if I could get anyone’s attention who worked there.  “I’m going to get two separate rooms.  One for the two of you and one for myself,” I told Sam as we waited for someone to arrive.  “I don’t think it’s a good idea for an unmarried man and woman to share a room together…. Besides, you have the child to look after…. I have to make sure that the both of you are safe…. So I’m going to get four keys for the rooms…. You’ll have your room key and my room key and vise-versa…. Just in case for any reason there’s danger…. Got it?”

          Sam nodded.

          “Okay good.”

          A moment later, a man who was wearing an outfit that a tourist would wear walked out of another room.  He had to be about in his late twenties and seemed to be a ladies man.  “Ooo,” I heard Sam say.

          I raised an eyebrow as I looked over at her only to notice how she couldn’t take her eyes off of the man.

          “What?  I’m not a loud to look?” she whispered to me.

          “I didn’t say anything,” I replied, defending myself.  It did make me kind of jealous to know that she was checking out another man but I knew I couldn’t say anything about it.

          “Sorry I was kind of busy,” the man replied as he slightly smiled at Sam, flirtatiously.

          I couldn’t help notice how she blushed at his words.

          Who is this guy anyways?  James Bond? I thought as I felt the jealousy grow.  I raised an eyebrow again.

          “How may I help you today?”

          “I would like two rooms please,” I told the man.

          “Two rooms?  You two aren’t a couple or something?”  The guy kind of sounded relieved.

          “No,” Sam answered.  “He’s kind of---”

          She was going to play those games so I decided that I had to interrupt.  “It’s a long story.  Two rooms for the night.”  I didn’t know if Sam or the hotel worker could hear the jealousy but I tried my best to hide it.

          “Okay then.”

          “You think I’ll be seeing your little friend again?” the guy asked me.

          Those words went right through me; it was almost as if someone had taken a dagger and pierced my heart.  “Nope, she’s not from around here and I don’t think you’d want her anyways….” I looked at Sam then back to the man.  “She’s too disrespectful and she believes that men should be fed to the sharks.”

          Sam dropped her mouth.  I knew she was angry but I didn’t care.

          “Ouch.”  The guy handed the keys for the rooms to me.  “You guys have rooms five a and b…. They’re both upstairs to the right and right next to each other.  You shouldn’t miss them.”

          “Alright.”  I dug into my pocket and pulled out my wallet.

          “That’s a hundred pounds please.”

          I nodded as I pulled out the money and handed it to the guy.  It actually was pretty cheap but I figured it was for one night anyways.

          I handed a key to Sam for her to know which room she was going to be in before handing the other one for my room to her.  “You two take five a…. I’ll be in five b.”

          I watched as she nodded and rolled her eyes.  Yea, she was ticked off.

          “What?”

          “Why did you have to tell that guy all that stuff that isn’t true about me?”

          I just shrugged.

          Sam slid the key to the room for her and Lainie and opened it.  She walked in and I followed her.  “That was so frustrating…. Do you realize that he---?”

          “Not your type.”

          She stared at me with confusion.  “How do you know if he’s not my type?  How do you even know what my type is?”

          “Ssshhh,” I told her as I laid Lainie down on the bed.  I removed her shoes and stocks and placed her under the covers.  I managed not to wake her up as I did so.  I stood up and turned toward Sam.  “I’ll be right back to get your bags so that way tomorrow you two can change and freshen up and then I’m going to my room where you’re not welcomed.”  I felt her eyes on me as I left the room.  I closed the door behind me, silently.

          I lied down on the bed and let myself drift off into a deep sleep so I could be refreshed when I woke up to leave the next morning.

          Christy sat on the bed next to me with her beautiful smile lighting up her lovely face.  She laid a hand on my cheek.  “You can move on you know.”

          “What?” I asked as I sat up on the bed and grabbed her hand.  Tears filled my eyes.

          She just kept smiling.  “I’m not here anymore…. Samantha…. She is…. Give her a chance…. You’ve suffered enough and for nothing…. It’s not your fault…. We both knew what would happen…. I love you and I know you still love me but I also know that you need someone who is there for you now that I can’t be….”

          “But, Christy---”

          She kissed me, but when she pulled away from me, she wasn’t Christy anymore.

          “Sam?” I asked confused.

          Etetet…. I smacked the alarm clock as I looked at the time and sighed.  Time to wake up.

          “Wake up, Sam…. Time to go,” I told Sam to wake her up.

          She sat up and looked around as she rubbed her eyes.  “Can’t I sleep a little longer?” her question made her sound like a child.

          “No, we can’t stay here.”

          She looked around and I watched as she began to go into panic mode.  “Lainie?  Where is she?  Did someone---?”

          “Ssshhh,” I replied as I placed a finger over my mouth to help her relax.  “She’s okay.  She’s in the bathroom getting ready to leave.  The kid’s fine.”

          Sam took a deep breath and sighed.

          I stood over the bed and looked her up and