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The steering wheel rotated lightly under tightly clutched hands. Every so often, the fingers lifted from the rounded harmonious shape and danced nervously in the air before returning to its place pressed on the leather. The anxiousness was fairly unwarranted, considering that the jeep was not in drive mode. Instead, it was parked at the mouth of a driveway, leading up to a motel called the Sea Breeze.

Shane looked up at the brightly lit neon sign, ‘Vacancy Available’ flashing under the fancy Vegas-like name, it’s sole purpose was to attract overnight travelers that exited the freeway just a quarter of a mile before. It was not difficult to spot this nice place, and Shane found it almost immediately after driving for 20mins, speeding, the moment she turned of the I10. And that was an hour ago. She had sat in her jeep for the better part of the hour debating on whether she should go ahead and see Carmen, or turn back and head home.

It was so ironic that Shane looked all over LA for her love, taking days and days, but once she knew where Carmen was, it took only 30mins to get to her. But, Carmen specifically said she didn’t want to be disturbed, Shane brooded, unable to come to a decision. She looked up at the neon sign again, and saw a sign that she missed before. A neon lit hand, with one finger pointing towards the direction of the motel, seemed like a message that the heavenly beings were sending her. It’s ridiculous of course, every motel would have a sign similar to this one, but Shane was desperate for signs to support her decision to come. Fatigue took over her head space and she figured that she would get a room in the motel and decide what she was to do in the morning.

Carefully, she pulled her jeep into drive and headed two streets down, parking the vehicle away from plain sight. This was just in case Carmen comes out and saw her jeep, and then before Shane could get to her, ran away again. Shane couldn’t risk Carmen disappearing without a word again, and she knew that this time, because of the betrayal of trust, Carmen would not tell her where she was again.