Juliet Must Survive | 𝒂𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒚𝒂𝒉.

Chapter 6

Raindrops shimmered with an orange glow as they collided against the pavement under the street lights, various neon signs from local stores illuminated the night, cars spilled out onto the streets from every direction and people from all walks of life roamed the city. The smooth R&B tunes that played from the radio in Maurice's car perfectly suited the sultry yet dark vibe of the evening.

Trish's head rested against the cold window glass as she passively watched the hustle and bustle in the streets. Her left hand clenched the edge of her seat and her seatbelt felt as if it was tightening around her like a snake, she couldn't stop her legs from bouncing up and down with impatience. Like a sacred mantra, she kept repeating the same thing in her head: This will be all over soon. This will be all over soon.

Sitting on the other side of the backseat, Han instinctively reached out and took her right hand resting on her lap. As if he was reading her thoughts, he gave her a concerned look.

"Don't worry," Han massaged Trish's thumb against his, "we'll do everything we can to keep him safe."

Trish sighed heavily, interlocking their fingers. "I know, but sometimes it feels like things are never going to end. I just want this to be over, to be normal again."

"Me too," he softly answered, "me too."

Meeting Han's eyes, Trish saw how bloodshot they were and noticed the creases on his forehead had gotten deeper. All of this stress clearly affected him as much as it did for her, putting them right back in the dangerous circumstances when they had first met each other.

She didn't want that to define their relationship, being dependent of one another because of danger. They were both living through so much, but their relationship needed to be a safe space from all that.

"I'm sorry," Trish squeezed her partner's hand and managed to pull off a weak smile, "I'm bumming you out."

This made Han slightly smile too, slowly shaking his head. "No, it's fine. I would feel down too if I were you."

"Nah, you'd pull up on your enemies and fight them head to head," Trish let go of Han's hand to playfully punch him on the shoulder, his smile widening as she did so. She then remembered the time when they'd both taken down a woman that was trying to eliminate them. Han didn't want to hit women so he'd used Trish's fists and kicks towards her, almost like they were dance-fighting together. "Not the girl ones though, you need me for that."

"Come on, you totally liked that."

"It was okay, kinda chicken of you, but I'll give you a couple pointers next time."

"Oh, so you think you can teach me a lesson or two now?"

"Only if you prove yourself to be a worthy student. I don't settle for amateurs."

"Well then you'll have to find another student because there's absolutely nothing you can teach an expert like me," Han dusted his shoulders off with mock cockiness.

"No need," Trish leaned towards him, placing her hand on his cheek and dragging her fingers along his jaw, stopping under his chin. "I know you'll attend all of my classes anyway. You can't resist me."

Her eyes twinkled with mischief and a glint of flirtatiousness, catching Han by surprise at her unexpected yet totally natural shift. He could feel his face start to heat up as her fingers lingered on his skin, her gaze trailing over his facial features, appreciating their beauty.

Trish's hand finally dropped as her eyes landed on his lips, then back into his eyes again. Han quickly looked at her lips as well, making note of the clear lip gloss she had on as if it was going to be on a test later.