Forbidden Love

Chapter 29: Caught

Pov Nat

Y/n takes an extra step back, stumbling into another person and mumbling an apology.
Her face is pale, even in the colorful lights. She looks as if she just saw a ghost and I can very much relate to that.

My thoughts are reeling in my head and I can't process this at all. What is Rosie doing here? 
We are over an hour away from the university at a private party. There shouldn't be the chance of us meeting anyone from uni here, that's why we did this. But apparently, the chance was still there and now the one thing happened, we feared back then and still do now: someone spotted us. Someone, who isn't supposed to know at all.

I try to clear my head and think of a solution, my eyes back on y/n. Panic is written across her face and she retracts even more, almost as if I was the source of all evil.

A lump forms in my stomach but I ignore it and follow her one step. For a moment something flashes across her face that makes me afraid of her pushing me away.
But she doesn't and instead turns on her heel and pushes her way through the crowd and away from our co-worker.

I follow her, knowing she shouldn't be alone and also because I don't know what to do either. It's like my brain is blocked and can't think of anything, any solution or way to handle this situation. My skin feels hot but for a wholly different reason now and the anxiety grows inside me like a well-watered plant.
[I forgot about this comparison but I love it.]

We break through the crowd and once I can see more than a few steps in front of me, I have to look for y/n.
She's almost running towards the cars and I have trouble following her with my heels.
I stumble a few times but always catch myself before I can fall. Despite the few string lights hung up, it's still dark, appears even darker than before.
The air is cool against my skin but I barely recognize that, only caring about y/n and chasing her.

Once we reach the gravel, I can't run anymore with my heels and have to slow down to stay upright.
Y/n is still sprinting and it feels like my heart is going with her. I noticed before that her response to conflict is avoiding it and running away but we can't go anywhere, not right now.

But I am glad she is headed for the car and not the woods around us or the wide field behind the barn, that could have ended up very dangerously.

My heart trips when she does and hits the gravel. I peel the heels off my feet and run as fast as I can, ignoring the stinging of the little stones.
Y/n stays on the ground for a moment, a second, a third and fear claws at my chest. If she doesn't get up again, it must be bad, really bad.

I don't think I was ever this worried and afraid about her.
Not even when she stumbled into the river back on our very first date.

The moment I reach her, she pushes herself up and I am quick to help. Her breathing is frantic and her eyes wide. Tears run down her cheeks and my heart clenches painfully. I hate seeing her like this and want to make it all better. But this isn't something a hug can fix.

Before I can ask if she is okay, the darkness not allowing me to see, she pulls back to walk the rest to her car.
I follow, unsure how I feel about her silence. I just know that crying and running and silence isn't a good combination and definitely a bad sign.

She unlocks the car and gets into the drivers seat. I'm about to protest but the motor starts and I'm quick to run around the car and get in. She wouldn't leave me here but it's a clear sign she needs to get away. Which we shouldn't be doing after having drinks. At least she is buckled up.

"Don't drive, y/n, it's not safe. Please, just let us sit here and talk, okay?" I plead but she shakes her head and wipes away a tear before putting the car in reverse.