Setting Fire to the Stars (a MM Sci-Fi Romance)

Chapter 10: Hunted

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Lauren
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I was never any good at sports.

As a kid, my lanky legs, coupled with my lean frame, always led people to believe I would be a runner. My growth spurt hit before most of the other boys', and honestly, it was pretty great. By the time I was in sixth grade, I was taller than most of my class.

But then the years went by and the other boys caught up, easily surpassing my five feet seven inches. In the middle of high school, I was left in the dust. No matter what I tried, I didn't seem to get any taller. I fell behind the other guys in gym class in both speed and strength. Peter quickly discovered he'd been made for football. I'd watched him try out as a freshman, and by our junior year, he'd earned the spot of starting quarterback. Not that I went to any of his games. I definitely didn't.

Okay, so like, maybe one time.

But it was only because Tristan had invited me to the first game of our senior year. Tristan was sort of my ex. We shared a math class and were seeing one another for a couple weeks. Granted, we weren't official and he was still in the closet. But behind closed doors, he was pushy as all hell, groping and being handsy, wanting more from me than I was ready to give. So it was kind of like our first date when he asked me to go see the game with him. I think he felt guilty for never once stepping in while the jocks made sport out of humiliating me between classes.

For obvious reasons, football games weren't really my scene, but that night I said yes.

Once the game started, it was almost embarrassing how quickly the field dissolved into background noise and my eyes found Peter among the crowd of burly men. Not just because the navy-blue jersey stretched across his back with DUCANE stamped in bold white letters, but because of the way he moved. Confident, commanding, like the field belonged to him and always had. I couldn't take my eyes off him the entire game. Every stride, every sharp turn of his shoulders pulled at something tight and aching in my chest. He was magnificent, and the worst part was knowing that he still had this effect on me.

When the announcer declared the Winchester High Blue Falcons the victors, Peter had torn off his helmet. Sweat had darkened his hair, plastering it to his tan forehead, his breath still heavy from the adrenaline, and then he smiled. It was wide, effortless, and positively devastating.

I broke things off with Tristan the next day, steering clear of anymore football games after that.

So yeah, anyways, back to my point. I wasn't athletically inclined.

That was why I was struggling not even an hour into our one-hundred-and-twenty-mile trek towards the capital. My side was throbbing from the pain in my ribs and my legs were incredibly sore from trying to keep up with Peter's brutal pace.

Columbus, Ohio was our only lead at finding other survivors, and more importantly, some answers regarding the alien attack. My family and Peter's both lived in Jackson, and if Wyatt's info was correct, they too were all heading toward the city's Safe Zone.

Ice-cold fear spun within me as I wondered what had become of my family. Although Peter had his phone, there was no service and that meant no way of contact. As much as I wanted to snag a car and drive to Mom's house, there was a high probability they wouldn't be there. So I had to believe that I'd see them in Columbus. The alternative would be too much.