Escape

Chapter Twenty-Five

The weather is gorgeous. It's sunny and warm and the wind from the open car window is blowing my hair all around me. I can tell summer is just around the corner, I can smell it in the air. I look over at Samuel and he has one hand on the steering wheel and one on my thigh. His hair is flying around his face in the sexiest way possible. I didn't think it was possible for him to be any more attractive, until right now. He looks completely in his element, so at ease. He glances over at me and offers me such a genuinely happy smile before looking back towards the road. He gently grips my thigh and I place my hand over his. I run my fingers over his silver rings and admire the tattoos that travel down his arm and onto his fingers.

The drive is only about ten minutes before we pull up to a dramatic, and overgrown, garden. Within the garden there are white pillars that travel down a walkway, leading to a large matching pergola. Beautiful vines crawl up the pillars making it look untouched in the hundreds of years that it looks like it has been here.

Samuel opens my car door and helps me out.

"Where are we?" I ask, looking at all the different shades of green that surround us.

"Just a garden. It was built in 1906, and now it's where I come to think." He smiles.

"Just a garden? This place is incredible." I continue to take in the scenery around me.

He laughs and takes my hand. He leads me through a long stretch of pillars before we arrive at the pergola. The pergola overlooks a large garden full of all types of flowers and plants. It's quiet here. It feels like we are the only two people within 100 miles. I haven't seen Hampstead like this yet. I've only seen the busy city life that surrounds my apartment.

"It's beautiful." I have no other words. I glance at Samuel, and despite all of this beauty around us, his eyes are glued to me.

"Yes, you are." He smiles and I feel my face flush and I roll my eyes.

"So, this is your place." I say, matter-of-factly. I walk over to a railing and rest my arms against it, looking out over what looks like miles and miles of beauty. Samuel walks over and rests next to me.

"Yeah. Every time I need a breath, or a break, I come here."

"Does Sarah come here too?" I ask.

He shakes his head, "No actually. If she knows about it, it's not because I told her. I've never really told anyone about it, it's like my little secret spot."

"But you brought me here?" I ask, confused as to why he shared this with me if he's never shared 'his place' with anyone.

He laughs and drops his head, allowing his hair to hang loosely. He looks back up at me, "Yeah, I did."

"Why?" I ask faster than I even thought it.

He ponders this question for a moment, "Well, I never really wanted to share it with someone else before."

He pauses for a moment, "and I know that you have demons chasing you too, and I'd do anything to help you escape them. And this place has helped me so much, so I'm hoping that it could help you."

He has so much sincerity in his eyes. I can tell he so badly wants to be my savior, my knight in shining armor. To whisk me away from this life and protect me in a new one.

"Thank you." It's all I can muster. We both look out at the garden allowing a few moments of silence to fall between us. After a while he clears his throat.

"Ya know, last time I came here was after I met you. After the first time I walked you home." He continues to look outwards.

"What?" I ask.