01-03-2019, 07:56 PM
Hope you can sleep sitting up. He’d grinned around the words, and she’d smirked dryly in response, but it wasn’t discomfort that made the journey a hellish endurance for her. Natalie skimmed in and out of sleep like a drowning soul treading restless waters, trying not to let herself slip under. Not in a car full of strangers. By the time they rolled into Jensen’s driveway she didn’t feel particularly well rested, but since she couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept a full night anyway, she didn’t feel awful either.
Technically she ought to be reminding Jay of Brandon’s terms for agreeing to the leave, but she felt little inclination to do so. His sister was about as safe as she was going to get given the circumstances, but Jay deserved the time to sooth the bridges he burned. Responsibility would sting sooner or later; she was in no rush to hasten its tug back to Custody concerns. Apparently Brandon’s blackmail didn’t hold as much bite as it ought to, else her sense of apathy reached new heights. She didn’t dwell on the distinction.
If she’d been kinder to herself she probably would have parted ways at the park, but self-preservation was usually the least of her concerns. Though so many hours pinned amidst the cold silence of Jay’s family drama did little to err her towards feeling social once released from the car’s cage. Her smile was purely perfunctory. Jessika’s slight nod cast her into a role she was happy to accept for the distance it provided. Jay’s family needed the comforts of homely hospitality far more than she did, and she was glad to let them soak up Jessika’s warm welcome.
Technically she ought to be reminding Jay of Brandon’s terms for agreeing to the leave, but she felt little inclination to do so. His sister was about as safe as she was going to get given the circumstances, but Jay deserved the time to sooth the bridges he burned. Responsibility would sting sooner or later; she was in no rush to hasten its tug back to Custody concerns. Apparently Brandon’s blackmail didn’t hold as much bite as it ought to, else her sense of apathy reached new heights. She didn’t dwell on the distinction.
If she’d been kinder to herself she probably would have parted ways at the park, but self-preservation was usually the least of her concerns. Though so many hours pinned amidst the cold silence of Jay’s family drama did little to err her towards feeling social once released from the car’s cage. Her smile was purely perfunctory. Jessika’s slight nod cast her into a role she was happy to accept for the distance it provided. Jay’s family needed the comforts of homely hospitality far more than she did, and she was glad to let them soak up Jessika’s warm welcome.