Brody Read Free Page A

“Lot lizards” as some of the guys in the other rigs called them. Was she a first timer? I didn’t know. All I did know was that her name was Alex and Alex was trying to get to California.
    A couple hours later, I learned something else about the girl riding with me. She wore a watch and its alarm went off like a shot clock at a basketball game.
    The beeping pulled Alex instantly out of sleep, startling me as well. Again, another odd thing about her. Who made their watch go off at random times like that? It was well after midnight. And if someone needed to do, it they usually set their cellphone. Did she not have a cellphone? The whole thing all seemed off to me.
    Alex shut the sound off immediately. After she did, she gazed around frantically, her fingers clutching her chest. Her other hand pushed into her hair and she had a far off look in her eyes like she was lost or something. Shit, maybe she was. She seemed so disoriented.
    “Alex?” I asked, trying to make solid eye contact with her.
    Her eyes flashed my way, body breathy and shaking.
    I raised my hand, patting the air gently, soothingly. “It’s okay. It’s okay, you’re safe. It’s me, Brody. We’re just driving, traveling together.”
    At my words, she seemed to come out of it. Relief swept her face. Pushing the bright hair away that matted to her sweaty brow, she swallowed hard. I’d managed to calm her and bring her down a bit. I was glad.
    “I’m sorry,” she said, letting out a breath. She let her head fall back against the seat, crossing her arms. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I guess I forgot where I was for a second.”
    I wondered where this woman had been and if she woke up in a new place every night. I wanted to know her story, but I didn’t want to push her or risk overstepping my boundaries. In the end, I smiled at her. “I figured you might be disoriented. And you can sleep. It’s all right.”
    Though, she did turn her head to look at me, I lost her gaze just as easy. She stared upon the road before us and I knew she didn’t feel sleeping was all right. She was so closed off. She had a large seat in this truck, but she curled herself up into a tight pocket of it.
    She raised her wrist, studying her watch for a moment as if she had some place to be. But saying it was late was an understatement and the girl was clearly a wanderer. Her needing to be somewhere at a certain time didn’t make sense.
    She lowered her wrist, biting her lip, and I quickly gazed away, back to the dark world ahead.
    “Will we be stopping at a motel soon? You know, to rest?”
    She really was nervous to let herself sleep. I had a feeling people before me messed that up for her. I glanced over at her, tapping the steering wheel. “I don’t usually do motels. The company doesn’t pay from them. I have a bed in the back. I usually sleep in my truck.”
    She gnawed her lip at that and I quickly said, “You know what? Never mind. I can look for one. No big deal. I haven’t seen anything in a decent amount of miles. We’re bound to come up on one soon.”
    Dishing out funds I knew I wouldn’t get back didn’t sound ideal. Especially, after I pretty much cleaned myself out of cash with that guy at the diner. But I would so she could be comfortable. I wanted her to trust me. We had a lot of miles together and I didn’t want her uneasy during them.
    “I… I can’t ask you to do that. Spend more money after what you…” She bit her lip. “Do you usually stop at a truck stop or something? I’m sure I can find a bench to lie on and stretch out. I don’t want to be a bother to you.”
    She’d actually rather sleep on a bench than in my truck? Again, seemed odd. She had been so hesitant to sleep around just me, but had no problems doing so publically. Was it because more people would be around or something else? “Yeah, I usually stay at a truck stop, but you wouldn’t be inconveniencing me. I can stop if that’s what you need and don’t worry