In Exchange [H.S.]

III

• One Week Later •

Pulling back into the parking lot of the motel, I put my car in park and grab the paper bag of food that I had just picked up from the local diner down the street. Harry and I have been staying at this same motel for a week now, and I wasn't sure if we intended on changing to go anywhere else, but it didn't seem like he gave an indication that's something we needed to do just yet.

The past week has been pretty difficult. Between Harry hardly speaking to me, and us really getting no leads on where Mira could be, I feel like we're just treading water at this point.

I understood why Harry was upset with me over keeping the gun from him, but what else did he expect from me? We were strangers - we still are strangers.

The reason I had gone to the car before Harry on the night he found out about the gun, was so that I could stash it back into its spot in my car in case of an emergency, and I'm glad that I did. I had stashed it in my duffel when Harry had gone into the lobby to book the room for us earlier in the day.

If it hadn't been for the guy almost killing Harry that night, I feel like I would've eventually told him about the gun on my own terms, but that's not for certain. He did open up to me a lot within those first two days with each other, and I really appreciated that, but it didn't change what he did to Micah and Mira.

Micah was his best friend and he betrayed him. How easy would it be for him to do that to me? Someone he doesn't even really know?

I haven't been pushing Harry to try and speak with me, but I have made it clear that I'm open to following his directions when we keep going to these bars. We've frequented different ones every single night since the one where everything went to shit, and I've done everything he's asked me to do in order to avoid suspicion. I was hoping that by doing that, and by not putting pressure on him that maybe he would come around a bit, but I've been met with nothing.

It's sad that it's even worse between us than when we first met each other. At least we spoke then, and it didn't feel forced.

At the same time though, I have to think that maybe it's for the best. Getting attached would make things too complicated in the end, especially considering I know Mira and I will be getting as far away from all of this as possible once we find her. Whether or not she wants to still be with Micah will be her decision, but I will absolutely not have him participating in this lifestyle anymore if he plans to want to stay with her too.

I hop out of the car and head back up towards our door. Once I unlock it, I walk inside and see that Harry is now awake, propped up against the headboard of his bed with my laptop in his lap. He's shirtless with only a pair of black joggers hanging low on his hips - ankles crossed as he types.

"I got us some breakfast," I say, placing the bag of food down on the nightstand between our two beds. "I'm going to run down to the lobby and get us the good coffee."