Chapter 8
Optimus drove quietly through the night until Beth woke up and joined him in the passenger seat. She was friendly, but it was causal friendship, as he spoke to her politely.
"Are you hungry?" he asked her.
"Yes, I have to use the restroom too," she answered as his human holoform appeared.
"Beth..." he started to say as he pulled into a truck stop where a place to eat was and restrooms.
"It's fine; we're best friends; I get it," Beth said with a sad smile. "I apologize for attacking you like some crazed slut or something," she said as she climbed down and headed for the place to eat.
"Scrap," Optimus mumbled as his spark raced.
He had enjoyed the kiss. It was pleasurable to him. He wanted to, Primus; he wanted to do more. He was a gentle and compassionate being; he wanted it to be right for them both, and now he blew his chances with her.
Suddenly, it was like a dam broke, and he sobbed so hard, he kept losing the ones he cared about the most. He wasn't aware Beth was returning until the door opened, and she put the food down, shut the door, and went to him.
"Hey, why are you crying?" she asked as she searched his face and caressed it.
Optimus glanced up into her eyes.
"I did not mean to hurt you. I was not rejecting you; I didn't want you to feel rushed," Optimus said. "That was all," he said.
"You were protecting me?" she asked.
"Yes," he replied.
Those words made her care about him that much more, and she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him.
"I don't want to be just friends, Optimus; that's just it; I like you so much," Beth said as she never stopped hugging him tightly. "I always have since I found out about you and the Autobots because you care. You are a hero, my hero,"
Meanwhile, flying above were drones, high-tech toys Cemetery Wind used, and closing in.