We're down to nine chapters to go! Thanks for reading! And Itsi! So glad to see you're enjoying this!

Chapter Ten

It took her a while but she finally talked him into letting her drive for a change. Once they hit Little Rock she had pestered him so much he finally got irritated enough to actually pull over onto the side of the road and switch her seats. By the time they finally drove into Oklahoma City he had been asleep for a few hours. He hadn't even woken up when she had stopped again for gas. Driving was hard because she couldn't stop glancing over at him. Her remorse over what they had done the night before had faded long ago. She still hoped that he didn't think she was the type of girl that did that with just anyone. She wanted to talk to him about it but that wasn't something that she knew how to do. What was she suppose to say?

She didn't linger in the city, knowing somehow that he would rather be on the outskirts than in any metropolitan area. She found a suitable motel on the side of a lonely highway about thirty minutes west of the city. It wasn't anything fancy but it didn't look like one of those motels that you could pay by the hour or anything.

It was after eight o'clock and she meant what she had said. She wanted to go somewhere with him. Somewhere she could sit down and eat a real meal and maybe, just maybe, try to get to know him a little better. She turned off the van and took a moment to stare at him like a freak. She held her camera at the ready and then poked him in the side hard enough to wake him up.

He jerked awake, blinking up at her with the most confused look on his face. She snapped a pictured and he growled at her like an animal and to her surprise he snatched her camera away, glanced at it briefly and then took a picture of her.

She made a grab for it but he sat up, leaning his back against the door and just kept snapping. "Daryl, give it?" She gave him a severe look and held out her hand.

"How do you like it?" He asked, finally handing it back.

"Okay, so it isn't as fun on this end. But only because I look like crap," she added hastily when he shot her a smug look.

"You don't look like crap," he muttered as he finally took in the scenery. "Holy shit. Where the hell are we?"

"Right outside of Oklahoma City. I didn't think you'd want to stay there so I drove on out here to find a better place."

He nodded and opened his door, jumping down and stretching with a loud yawn. She joined him by the passenger side door. "Pretty empty," he muttered around another yawn. "You want separate rooms? We got the money now."

She blinked, not knowing why the question felt like he'd just slapped her across the face. She swallowed and forced a smile but he wasn't looking at her. He was still looking around at their stark surroundings. "Sure."

"It's different than Georgia," he observed.

"You ready to get some rooms?" She asked quickly, finally getting his attention.

He studied her eyes for a few long moments and then nodded, shouldering his own bag and following her to the office. When they walked in there was a girl behind the counter that looked to be around their age. She gave Carol a once over before her eyes settled on Daryl. Carol felt a surprising jolt of jealousy causing her to frown because she had no reason to be jealous.

"What can I do for you?" She asked Daryl, leaning her arms on the table and flashing an ample amount of cleavage. Carol crossed her arms over her own chest, feeling a little inadequate in the presence of boobs as big as this girl's.

"Two singles," he said, pulling money out of his wallet without even looking at the over eager girl.

"Singles?" The girl raised one dark eyebrow and glanced between the two of them again. "Okay then."

Carol felt her teeth grinding together at the smile on the girl's face.

"I need to see some ID and then I'll ring you up," she smiled and leaned further, her arms moving closer together. When the girl turned her smile on her Carol rolled her eyes and gave her the dirtiest look she could muster.

He elbowed Carol in the side lightly. "She said you gotta show her yours, too," he said quickly. "Where's your head at?"

She frowned at him. "Why? You already have your wallet out."

He shrugged. "Separate rooms so they gotta be in separate names."

She rolled her eyes again. "This is so stupid," She grumbled under her breath.

The girl blew a bubble with her gum and then shrugged. "Just following the rules. It's policy."

Carol pulled out her license and smiled sarcastically before slamming the card down on the counter next to Daryl's.

He frowned, looking confused and she knew the feeling. She had no idea what had gotten into her but she didn't like this girl at all.

The girl sauntered off for a moment and Carol made every effort to not meet his eyes. She was kind of sad that he wanted separate rooms but she wasn't about to say anything about it. The girl came back and took the money from Daryl, handing him both keys. She smiled at him again but his eyes were on Carol's so she missed it. "You're in room, six, mister. It's right near the office doors." Her eyes landed on Carol. "You're in room twenty nine, up the stairs and at the far end of the hallway."

Carol put her hands on her hips and glared at the girl. "Why is his room all the way down here and mine is at the end on the second floor?"

The girl shrugged. "Those were just the numbers I typed in and the keys I handed out. Is that going to a problem? I didn't think it would matter since you two aren't sharing a room anyway."

Carol opened her mouth to say something but suddenly Daryl was slamming the key back down on the counter. "Actually, how about a refund for room six. I changed my mind."

The girl stood up straighter. "Oh. I could give you a room closer together if you want, I just-"

Daryl shook his head, clearly agitated. "Nah. Just give me the money back for room six."

The girl glanced between them. "Well, let me just change it to a double and get you another-"

"No," he said, his voice flat.

Carol was trying to repress a smile but when the girl's eyes landed on her again she grinned. She knew it was immature but it didn't matter. This girl was horrible.

"Okay then," she said, handing him the money back and hanging the key up with all the others. "So, anyway, you aren't from around here and I get off in about an hour. Need someone to show you around?" She asked, flashing that smile and leaning against the counter again.

Daryl actually looked at her this time but then his eyes quickly slid over to Carol. "What do you think? We need a chaperon?"

Carol looked right at the girl and shook her head. "Definitely not."

Daryl shrugged. "Good, lets go."

Carol gave the girl one more smug look before she followed Daryl out the door. The girl looked completely shocked. It was obvious that she didn't get turned down. Ever. So Daryl's complete lack of interest in her was probably a really hard shot to her over inflated ego. Carol was surprised by his lack of interest too but she didn't say anything.

"What a bitch," he grumbled as he headed up the metal steps.

"Actually she wasn't being a bitch," she observed. Well, she had been a bitch to her but she had been all smiles and boobs for Daryl.

He snorted. "Trust me, I've been around plenty of chicks like that because of my brother. She's a goddamn bitch that thinks she's better than everybody else when she ain't nothin' but a two bit slut. And did you see the way she kept lookin' at you?"

Carol was still trying to fight the sting from the two bit slut jab. Hell, she had been way worse than that girl last night in the van. It worried her all over again. "I did see that but I didn't know you did."

"I see more than people think I do," he grumbled as he pushed the door open and turned on the light.

She followed him inside and shut the door. "You could have gotten that other room, Daryl. I didn't really mind."

He studied her like he had down by the van. "You really want a room of your own?" He asked.

She didn't see any point in lying. "I don't know. After the run in with those creeps today I kind of just feel safer if I was closer to you. And why do you look like that surprises you?"

He shrugged and tossed his bag onto the one bed in the room. "I don't know."

She sat down and pulled her own bag closer. "Well, thanks for sticking it to that girl anyway." She rummaged through her bag. She grinned when she found her favorite pair of faded jeans with a hole in the knee. "Are we going somewhere fancy?"

He snorted. "No."

She grinned. "You sure? Cause if you want to go somewhere fancy I can wear something fancy but if we're going somewhere more casual then I'm wearing my old jeans."

"I'm sure."

"Did you really not even notice that girl's boobs spilling out all over the counter?" She asked as she looked for a shirt. She pulled out a crochet top that tied around the neck and back. She was about to dismiss it because of the low v cut and it showed too much of her stomach and it was too tight. He'd already made the slut remark and she wasn't about to try to enforce that image of her in his head. But then she glanced over and saw him staring at it as she held it up. He swallowed hard. She sat it aside with her jeans and then stood up.

"You want the shower first?" He asked, clearing his throat.

She nodded. "If you're willing to let me have it."

He gestured towards the door. "It's all yours. Just save me some cold...er... hot water."

She smiled and stepped past him, feeling his eyes on her until she shut the door. The stupid grin on her face almost made her laugh when she looked up at her reflection.