12. Getting to Know My Husband

I was still somewhat irked with James, but I tried not to show it. He was probably just as comfortable as I was.

"So Ella's your little sister?" James asked.

Even though I empathized with James, I wasn't exactly in a pleasant mood. His excessive "chivalry" had really irritated me, though I couldn't exactly explain why. I decided to blame my foul mood on my nerves. Finally, I answered James' question with a half-mumbled "Yes."

"She's lucky to have a sister who cares about her so much," James said, extending the figurative olive branch.

"Where are we going?" I asked, switching the subject. I didn't want the conversation to get too personal. "I mean, I know we're headed for Illinois, but which route are we going to take?"

"There's a GPS here," James said, motioning to the glove compartment. "I was going to stop at McDonald's for something to eat, but I guess we might as well figure out where exactly we're going to go."

"Excuse me? I never gave you permission to go out to eat!" I snapped. "We're trying to leave this place quickly, James. If you haven't noticed, we're sort of on the run here."

James held up a hand. "Relax, Katie. I was kidding about the McDonald's thing."

Ellie spoke up from the backseat. "Can we get ice cream?"

"No," I replied, eyes still trained on my husband. "We're not going to McDonald's."

James shook his head. Glancing into the rearview mirror, I saw him meet Ellie's eyes. "We'll get some ice cream when we're a little farther away," he promised.

"I'm Ella's authority, James. Don't make decisions without my approval."

Taking a deep breath, James nodded slowly. "Okay," he said, and I could tell he was trying to keep his temper under control.

Once out of the city, I let out a long breath. "Phew."

James visibly relaxed, too. "Glad we're out of there. I kept thinking someone would recognize us and turn us in." He looked in the rearview mirror again. "They're both asleep. I'm glad - Annaliese hardly slept a half hour. She usually sleeps at least two hours at a time."

"You don't have to make conversation, James," I said, rolling my eyes. "I can take the silence."

Yes, I was trying to be difficult. I was still angry with James, and besides - if he hadn't come along, then perhaps Caruso could have found some other way to let me be a fugitive! Folding my arms across my chest, I leaned back against the seat and tried to send off as many annoyed vibes as I possibly could.

"Point well made, Katie."

I could hear the edge of exasperation in James' tone, and I felt somewhat guilty. Not enough to be civil, though.

I typically was a rather daring person, but this...this beat all.

I closed my eyes. Getting to know my husband was going to be nearly unbearable.

RATE THIS CHAPTER!

Author guidance for This story

I am experiencing major writer's block on this piece (actually, on quite a few writings in general), so I'm afraid I'm going to have to discontinue this story FOR THE TIME BEING. It will be up and running again, but as of now, I'm going to take a break from this piece. I'm sorry for the inconvenience!

Note: Please, please, PLEASE, tell me about the mistakes you find! I keep getting ratings that insinuate that there are flaws you've been finding, but there are no explanations. It doesn't take that long to write a comment, and it's the decent thing to do, anyways...
Please? :)

Katsie Thomas refuses to let her little sister, Ellie, fall prey to the same cruelties she herself has been submitted to. The only answer? Become fugitives. She will stop at nothing to protect little Ellie...even if it means throwing her pursuers off her trail by marrying someone she hardly knows.

IMPORTANT CHARACTERS:
Katrina "Katsie" or "Katie" Thomas
Age: 18
Appearance: Medium height, medium weight, white-blonde hair, green eyes

Ellie "Ella" Thomas
Age: 8
Appearance: Very petite for her age, white-blonde hair, green eyes (looks like her older sisters)

Geena Thomas
Age: 26
Appearance: Medium height, somewhat overweight, white-blonde hair, green eyes

Mikhail Caruso
Age: Doesn't tell anyone
Appearance: Short, stocky, dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, very tan complexion

James Oromchi
Age: 25
Appearance: Tall, auburn hair, blue eyes, lean, strong

updated Feb 26 by cassandramorrow