Fragments

9

I wake to the sound of soft rustling and the faint warmth of Kellan's breath against my neck. For a moment, I forget where I am. My eyes flutter open, and the reality of the cold, dimly lit chamber crashes over me. Kellan's arms are still wrapped around me, his body a solid warmth against my back. The guilt rises again, hot and sharp, as I become aware of how close we are, of how I've melted into him.

And then I become aware of something more...I've slept through the night. For the first time in recent memory, I've not been woken up by fragments or glimpses of my past. The realization shocks me.

Carefully, I shift away, trying not to wake him. His arms loosen, allowing me to slip free. I move to the side, wrapping the blanket around myself tightly. My head is a mess of thoughts and emotions I can't quite yet sort through. I glance back at Kellan. He stirs, blinking up at me with those warm amber eyes that seem to see right through me.

"Good morning," he murmurs, his voice rough with sleep. He sits up slowly, running a hand through his tousled hair, which falls messily across his forehead.

"Morning," I manage to say, the other words I want to speak stuck in my throat. Morning, in the sense that we'd survived the night, hidden from the Ministry's reach. But it's more than that; it's a new beginning that scares me. Last night was supposed to be a means of survival, nothing more, but the lingering warmth where his body had been pressed against mine says otherwise.

Kellan stands, stretching his arms over his head. I try not to stare at the way his shirt rises, exposing his waist, but the sight of him, so at ease in this dangerous world, draws my eyes. There's something primal about him-muscular and lean, a body honed for survival. His clothes, still rumpled and worn, hang on him in a way that emphasizes the roughness of his life outside the Ministry's control. He looks at home here, like this is where he belongs. Unlike me.

"We need to move soon," he says, breaking the silence. "The safe house isn't far, but we need to get there before the patrols start their rounds."

I nod again, standing up and trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. The chamber is even colder now that I've moved away from Kellan's warmth. I shiver, pulling the blanket tighter around my shoulders. He watches me, his gaze unreadable, and for a moment, I think he might say something about last night, but he doesn't. Instead, he turns away, gathering his belongings with a practiced efficiency.

"How long until we're there?" I ask, trying to focus on the plan rather than the confusion churning in my gut.

"A couple of hours, if we're quick," he replies, his voice calm. "The tunnels will take us close to the edge of the city. From there, it's a short trek to the safe house."

The word safe bounces in my mind like a taunt. Safety used to mean my life with Elias, with the Ministry's protection wrapped tightly around me. Now, the very thought of it makes me nauseous. I glance at Kellan, trying to reconcile what we had with what I am now. The man in front of me is a stranger, yet familiar in ways that make my heart twist.

We pack up in silence, each movement purposeful. Kellan hands me a water bottle and some protein bars, and we eat quickly, not speaking. His eyes occasionally flicker toward me, as if he's gauging my state of mind. I keep my gaze on the ground, the tension from last night still hanging between us like a weight neither of us can lift.

As we prepare to leave, Kellan hands me a flashlight, his fingers brushing against mine briefly in a way that makes my heart flutter. "Keep this on you," he says. "It gets darker further in."

I take it. "Okay," I reply, recalling the way Elias's hand used to feel against mine. Warm? Yes, but like a fire of passion waiting to explode...No.

We move to the other end of the chamber where the metal door stands ajar. Kellan steps through first, his posture tense, eyes scanning the darkness ahead. I follow, gripping the flashlight tightly in my hand. The tunnel is even narrower here, the air colder and biting at my skin. We walk in silence, the only sound our footsteps echoing off the damp stone walls.