Seven

Owen waited until she had put her seat belt on and fastened it before he started the truck. He feels kind of awkward around her, being alone with her like this in such close quarters but he had not wanted to pass up the opportunity to be around her for just a little bit longer. It has been a while since he had been around a woman that he liked enough to spend time with, so he was a bit out of practice.

The last time he had been alone in a car with a woman was two years ago when he went on that last disasterous date. He had met a woman at the grocery store and she had flirted with him. A lot. He had gone along with it, but he did not really flirt back, because he just was not a flirter. Any line that he tried to be smooth with sounded gringe-worthy and cheesy to him. But that does not mean that he does not recognize when a woman  flirts with him.

After a bit of back and forth banter, she had asked him out and he had accepted, since it had been a while for him since work had kept him so busy. The two of them arranged a time and place to get together, after they had exchanged numbers.

Over the week she had texted him a lot, coming on a bit strong, but he had not really see any red flags in the behavior. At the time, he had just thought that maybe she was lonely, possibly a little desperate, and that she was really interested in him. No big deal. 

He had picked her up on the Saturday night that was suppose to be their date, but they had never made it to the restaurant. She had asked him pull over on the side of the road, way up into the trees and then she had turned to face him.

“I want to be your next victim.”

At first Owen was sure that he had heard her wrong. Maybe she had said 'girlfriend'. I want to be your next girlfriend. That is a whole different converation but he was sure that she had said something else. Victim. As in Nate's victims? Who did she think that he was?

“Uh..”

“You don't have to take me to eat or anything. You can save the money and time. Just take me back to your motel. I won't put up a fight, unless you tell me to.” She had told him, looking completely serious as she says the words, other than the coy, flirtatious smile on her lips.

Owen had been shocked speechless by the things that she has said. Was she serious or had that been her idea of a joke? It was not funny, at all, it that was what she was going for. “I, um, I don't know what you are talking about. If you want to go to dinner, we can or I can take you back to your home. Whichever you would prefer.”

“I am going home with you. You kidnapped me.” She says and Owen freezes, his blood running cold as if she had just dumped a bucket of ice water on his head.

“No. No the fuck I did not. You are free to go at any time that you want. Now, would be great!” Owen tells her, getting freaked out by this woman and the crazy things that she is saying. But to accuse him of kidnapping her?

That could get him in a whole heap of trouble. That comes with a whole prison sentence or at the very least a jail term. Combine that with the notoriety that his family has racked up in this town and all of the prejudices against him, he know that the police, if not the whole damn town, will have no problem believing her if she decides to go public with these outrageous claims.

“But I want you to rape me and murder me. I want to be your next victim.”

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” What kind of crazy was this girl? She was seriously fucked up in the head if she was begging for him to rape and murder her. That is some freaky shit that women usually try to avoid and her this chick is, asking for it. 

The woman is completely serious right now. She is not cracking a smile, she is not blinking or showing any expression on her face, what so ever. There is something wrong with this woman and Owen has no idea what to do about this situation.

He does not want to just leave her alone on the side of the road, with it already getting dark. That goes against every moral bone in his body and it just feels wrong. He is completely conflicted about how to handle this mess. 

But he does know one thing for sure.. he wants to be very, very far away from this woman. “Alright, Taylor, I think that you should get out of the car. Right now.”

“What? No.” She finally shows some emotion, as she grabs the door handle tightly, holding on for dear life as she glares at him. “I am not getting out of this truck! I am yours now!”

“Oh yes, you are!” Owen shouts at her angrily. Enough of this shit. 

“No! I read all about you and the women that you take! I researched you and your family for years. I have read every article. watched all of the news and tv interviews. I know you and what you like!" She shouts. "I want to be your next victim. I even dyed my hair brown for you!” She tells him, sounding accusing. "You know that you want me too! Stop being like this!"

“Get out of the truck!” Owen tells her. "Now!"

“No! I know you want me! I am just as good as them!” She cries out and he turns to her, at his wits end with her bull shit.

“I am not my father and I am not my brother! I have never kidnapped anyone. I have never raped anyone. I will never do either. I do not want you! I want you to get out of my truck and I want to drive far away from you and never see your crazy ass again! I do not know how you planned to meet me or what you think that you know about me, but you are wrong about everything. Now, please, get out of my truck before I throw you out of it.”

“I could make you love me! We could be great together!” She cries out and Owen gets out of the vehicle, walking around to the passenger side of the truck. He flings open the passenger side door and drags her out. “You can have me! I want you to have me! I am yours for the taking!”

“Bitch, you are crazy!” Owen shuts the door while she sits on the ground, staring up at him as if she does not fully understand what is happening. She tries to grab at his leg but he side steps out of her reach, moving quickly to the driver's side of the truck.

He gets in and starts it, driving away as quickly as he can. The last time that he saw her was in his rear view mirror as he drove very far away from her as quickly as he could.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Owen turns to face Olivia, in the here and now, giving her a small smile and a nod. “Yeah, I am fine.”

He had started the car earlier, so now he puts it in drive and pulls away from the motel. He pulls out on to the road, heading into town, while silence prevails in the confines of his truck. He eyes her out of the corner of his eye, only to find that she is watching him. He fights back a smile as he turns to face her.

They are about fifteen minutes from town and an idea for a topic of conversation finally crosses his mind. “So, where was it that you needed to go in town?”

“Oh, um.. to the store. I, uh, just need to grab a few things..” She says and this time Owen does not try to hide his smile. He gets the feeling that she merely came along to spend some more time with him and he likes that. Far more than he should.

“Well, I need to run to the hardware store to pick up a few thing that I need, then to the furniture store and the bank. Are you okay to do all that running with me or should I drop you at the store while I handle my errands and then come back for you?”

“I can go with you.” Olivia says quickly, warming him. Her cheeks turn a tinge pink and he figures that she must have embarrassed herself with the quick answer. He is kind of flattered but motly just thrilled. Despite their rough start, he enjoys being in her company. 

“Great!” Owen says and leaves it at that. He is glad to have  her along with him, even if just for this one time.

They lapse into a comfortable, companionable silence as the sounds from the radio fill the cab of the truck. Neither speaks until they are just outside of the city limits. That is when she breaks the silence.

“So what are you getting at the hardware store?” Olivia asks and Owen gives her a quick look before returning his eyes to the road.

“Some wood and things for a little project that I am working on.”

“Project? What kind of project are you working on?” She asks him.

“I am making Christmas gifts for my family.” Owen tells her, saying the least that he could about it. He does not like to tell anyone about his woodworking or how he makes furniture for the store.. it always feels like bragging to him.

“That is really sweet of you!” Olivia says and Owen shrugs. He lapses into silence once more, while she watches him with a smile. Clearly he aid something that she liked. He would say anything that she wants him to if it would keep her looking at him like that, with those big, beautiful eyes and warm smile.

When they pull up outside of the hardware store, Owen rushes around to her side to open the door for her. He is trying to be a gentleman, as Lacey and Andy had taught him, but then he grows a bit self-concious of his actions, thinking that maybe she will think that he thinks this is some kind of weird date, since that was kind of a date move.

“You are overthinking this.” Owen mumbles under his breath and Olivia turns to him, looking surprised.

“What? Are you reading my mind?” Olivia quips and now it is is Owen's turn to look startled.

“What?”

“Nothing. Never mind.” Liv says and Owen shakes his head, confused by the turn of conversation. 

“Okay...” Was she overthinking this as well? Is that what she meant? She thought that his words were for her and she had reacted to them? What was she overthinking? Was she as confused as him by what is going on between them?

“Let's just go.” Liv says, taking his hand and tugging him into the store. Owen follows along absently, his mind completely focused on the sensations that the feel of her small hand is causing him to experience.