Second Chance

Chapter 41

My face immediately lit up as I saw Maria's head poke through the hole. I got off the crate and hurried over to her. I helped her out of the hole, and she kind of fell into me. I didn't know if she meant to do that, but I hugged her tightly, and she hugged me back.

"I'm so glad you're here." I said to her quietly.

"I'm so glad you're okay. I was really worried about you." She responded.

She pulled away from me and looked me up and down, examining me to make sure I wasn't hurt at all. I didn't know if I should tell her about the nosebleeds and headaches. If I did, she would have worried about me even more, and she probably would think that I was going crazy if I told her that I was having visions about Riley. So, for now, I decided to keep my mouth shut on that topic.

"I'm tired of worrying all the time." I said in a slightly lower voice, stepping closer to her. "I just want you, right now."

I smashed my lips onto hers, while grabbing onto her waist with one hand, and resting the other on the side of her face. Maria backed up as we kissed more aggressively, and I followed. Her back hit the wall a moment later, and I grabbed onto both her wrists and pinned them above her head. I broke away from her mouth, and grazed my lips along her jawline. I trailed down her neck, biting and sucking at her smooth skin. When I made it to her collarbone, I pulled away and smirked at her.

"You're so beautiful." I said in nearly a whisper.

I let go of her wrists and went back to her lips. She wrapped her arms around the back of my neck, and I trailed my hands down her body until I reached the hem of her shirt. I found my way to her belt, and I played with it until it came loose. I unbuttoned her pants and started to explore her body. She moaned into the kiss, and I got more intense.

After a few minutes, I found myself inside her, and pleasure swarmed my body. We kept going for a while longer, until we both hit our limit and exhaustion kicked in. We were both gasping for breath, and I slumped against the bars of the cell behind me. Maria slid down the wall she was pressed against, and gave me a tired smile.

"Well, that was fun." She said lightly, with a breathless laugh.

"I definitely needed that." I agreed.

A moment passed, then Maria said in a quieter and more vulnerable voice. "Justin," I met her eyes, which were filled with realization. "I love you."

I expected blood to immediately pour down my face, or a lightning sharp pain to slice through my head, or my vision to flicker back to the field, but none of that happened. I stayed here, in the present, with Maria.

Delighted, I grinned at her. "I love you too."

We sat there smiling at each other for probably way too long, until we finally decided to do something productive. The plan, according to DK, was for me to hide out here, and he and Alex would join me closer to nightfall. They didn't know about Maria being here, and Maria didn't know about them, so to avoid confusion I would get her to leave just before DK and Alex got here.

"We need to find a hiding spot for you." Maria suggested, looking around the cellar.

"No need, the cellar door is locked, and the only people who are supposed to be here are-uh, is me." I corrected myself, even though I already fucked myself over.

"People? As in multiple? What's going on, Justin?" She asked, frowning at me.

I let out a slow sigh from my nose. "I'm not the only one who's escaping. My cellmate and his girlfriend are coming with me." Her frown deepened, but before she could say anything, I added. "It's a long story, I'll explain it all to you later."

"Are you sure you can trust these people?" She questioned.

"Yes." I nodded confidently, although I would have been more confident if I was escaping with Riley, opposed to DK.

"Alright." She said, although she seemed a little uncertain.

Maria glanced at the hole in the floor, and I said. "You can go now if you'd like. I'll meet up with you soon."

"Why don't we just leave together now?" She asked.

"If we go now, while it's still light out, the guards might see me. They probably won't care about a lone girl who doesn't belong here, but if they see me, they'll kill me on sight, and maybe you too. It'll be safer for both of us if you leave now, and I'll find you later. Okay?" I promised, really hoping I could keep it.

"Okay, Justin. Just please be safe." She said with pleading eyes.

"I will." I nodded, as she stepped towards the hole. "See you soon."

She gave me a small smile, then said. "See you soon."

Maria disappeared down the hole, and I let out a relieved sigh. She was safe now, and all I had to do was survive the next few hours, then I would be safe and free too. Before I could move, I felt that weird woozy feeling again. Shit, this was not the time. A moment later, a pain that I never experienced before slammed into me. It started in my head but traveled through my entire body at lightning speed. I crumpled to the floor with a cry of pain and clutched my head, trying to keep my brain from spilling out of my skull. The pain increased to a searing agony, and I screamed until my throat burned. Then, I was dropped into a blinding white abyss.