Evermore

Chapter Sixteen

Aurelia 

I was running and running. 

Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, rain began to fall in relentless sheets, drumming against the pavement. The downpour blurred the streetlights and obscured everything beyond a few meters. The raindrops mixed with my tears. 

But out of nowhere, a sleek car rolled to a stop beside me, its headlights cutting through the darkness. The door opened and a tall man stepped outside, holding an umbrella. 

"Are you okay? Do you need some he-" A familiar voice asked. He must have recognized me too because we both shared a moment of shock. 

"Cade," I cried. 

"Aurelia?" He immediately knelt in front of me, meeting my eyes. "Hey, hey, hey, look at me." 

Between hiccups and sobs, I finally met his patient gaze. "Cade," I said again. 

"What happened, sweetheart?" He questioned. 

"I-I just had to g-get away." 

He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "I'm here, okay? You're safe." 

"I-I'm scared," I mumbled. 

"I know. Did something happen at your foster home?" He asked. Somehow the calm tone of his voice helped. 

"Y-yeah. Please - I can't go back." 

"You won't," he reassured me while wiping away the tears rolling down my cheeks with his thumb. "Everything is going to be okay." 

"I-I don't know what to do." 

"How about coming to my place tonight? You shouldn't be out here alone in this storm. We can talk to your social worker in the morning and get this sorted out." 

I hesitated, but his genuine concern and calm demeanor made me agree. Too exhausted to argue, I climbed into the back of his car. 

I rubbed my arms because it was cold and he somehow noticed even with his eyes focused on the road--turning up the heater. 

I told myself to breathe and let the feeling of safety sink in. 

-----

A/N 

A quadruple update!? This is to celebrate 5k reads hehe. :) 

Hope you guys like the story so far!