Expect the unexpected

Chapter 4

With that being the last thing said, we fall asleep. Luke is hard on himself when it comes to me. Three summers ago, his girlfriend cheated on him with my boyfriend at the time, and he didn't believe me until he caught her in the act. Ever since then, Luke has always done whatever I want because he feels he owes me a debt. Honestly, I think it's a bit extreme for him to be so obedient—if anything, after these past few months, I should be the obedient one. He has saved my life more times than I can count.

Being a "wanted person" isn't as easy as they make it seem in movies or books. Luke and I weren't always on the run—there was a time when we were just normal teenagers. If Mikey and Luke hadn't made up that stupid competition, we'd still be basic high schoolers. The game was simple: do the most illegal things, outdo your opponent. And me, being glued to Luke, got dragged into it. Now Mikey is in prison, and we're on the run. Well, after what happened tonight, maybe not anymore. Luke told me that once he got the black duffel bags out of our lives, we'd be free. He never told me what was in them.

The sound of Luke's voice waking me up was much more comforting than the blaring of a hotel alarm clock. One thing I admire about Luke is his motivation.

"So, today is the first day of the new us. What do you want to do?" he asks as he gets out of bed and grabs a framed map off the wall. "Close your eyes and point, anywhere."

I look at him funny but do as he says. I place my finger on the cold glass and hear Luke laugh. I open my eyes to see where our new world begins, and I'm surprised to see the faint wording of "Beijing." I turn and smile at him.

"Then I guess we're starting our new lives in Beijing." Luke runs his hands through his hair and smirks.

I gather our things, load them into the car, and we hit the road. I zone out as Luke talks about Google's watered-down version of all the beautiful sights in Beijing. He pulls me out of my daze after noticing my attention span is about as long as my finger.

"Kylie, I'm glad you're with me. I wouldn't want anyone else to run away with," he says.

I laugh. "Oh, shut up. You're just saying that because I cuddle you at night," I tease.

Luke laughs and continues scrolling on his phone.

Later that night:

"All you need to know is that there's money in the bank for us, and that money is what we'll use to start over, okay?" Luke says as he gets out of the car and puts all the seats down to make a little bed for us to sleep in tonight. I try to think about how much money and where it came from, but honestly, I'm glad he won't tell me. Ignorance is bliss.

Luke and I cuddle up more than usual tonight because it's so cold. "Tomorrow, we'll go to the bank, get the tickets, and then we're off... okay?" Luke says softly, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear and cupping my cheek.

"A new us, with new experiences..." His hand moves from my cheek to my neck, then slowly to my upper chest. I blush at the sensitive touch, though it's too dark for him to notice. I can't tell if we're making eye contact, but I'm definitely looking at him. I feel him lean down and begin leaving soft, teasing kisses on my neck. I bite my lip and grab his shirt, pulling him closer.

"L-Luke..." I moan.
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