Hearts on the Run

Collision of pasts

The sun hung low in the sky, casting an orange glow across the quiet road as Mia gazed out the window, lost in her thoughts. Liam, focused on the road ahead, was uncharacteristically silent. Ever since that kiss, their interactions had been strained, both of them unsure of what to say or do next. The silence between them was almost unbearable, filled with tension and unspoken words.

Mia's mind raced. She couldn't shake the memory of the kiss—how natural it had felt, and yet how terrifying it had been. She had opened herself up, and now she was retreating as fast as she could, afraid of what might happen if she let Liam in any further. And he wasn't pushing, which only made the growing distance between them all the more pronounced.

The road ahead was narrow, flanked by dense trees, and as they rounded a bend, everything happened at once. Out of nowhere, a deer darted across the road, and Liam instinctively swerved to avoid it. Tires screeched against the pavement as the car veered off the road, skidding toward a ditch. There was a loud crunch of metal as the front of the car collided with a large tree, and suddenly, everything went still.

For a moment, Mia couldn't breathe. The airbag had deployed, its force knocking the wind out of her, and her body felt heavy, pinned by the seatbelt that had saved her from being thrown forward. Her heart pounded in her chest, the shock of the impact making her head spin.

Liam groaned beside her, slowly stirring from the driver's seat. "Mia?" His voice was hoarse, filled with panic. "Are you okay?"

Mia blinked, trying to focus. Her body ached, but nothing seemed broken. "I think so," she whispered, her voice trembling.

Liam let out a shaky breath, his hand fumbling for her arm. "God, I'm sorry. That deer—"

"It's okay," Mia said quickly, cutting him off. She was shaken, but grateful they were both alive. "We're okay."

But as the reality of their situation sank in, she realized they weren't entirely okay. The car was crumpled against the tree, its front end a twisted mess of metal. Steam rose from the hood, and the engine made a faint clicking sound as it died. They were stranded.

"We need to get help," Mia said, her voice firmer now as the initial shock wore off.

Liam nodded, already reaching for his phone. But when he checked it, his face fell. "No service."

Mia pulled out her phone, her stomach sinking when she saw the same message. No signal. Of course.

For a few moments, they sat in silence, both of them staring at the wrecked car in disbelief. The sun was beginning to dip lower, casting long shadows across the trees. The air was cooling, and the isolation of their situation began to settle in.

"What do we do now?" Mia asked, her voice quieter than she intended.

Liam sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "We're going to have to walk to the nearest town or until we find a gas station or something. There's no way we can fix this here."

Mia nodded, her heart sinking. It wasn't the thought of walking that bothered her—it was the idea of being stuck with Liam in a situation that forced them even closer together. She was already pulling away, retreating after that kiss, and now they had no choice but to stay together. The tension between them would only grow more intense, and she wasn't sure how much more she could take.

They grabbed their bags from the backseat, making sure to take the essentials, and then started down the road. The forest was quiet around them, the sound of their footsteps crunching against the gravel the only noise breaking the stillness. Mia glanced at Liam from time to time, but he kept his gaze ahead, his jaw clenched.

The walk seemed to stretch on forever, the weight of their unspoken feelings hanging heavy in the air. Mia's mind was racing with thoughts of the kiss, of how vulnerable she had felt in that moment, and how scared she was of letting herself care about him. She had been burned before—her ex had taken everything from her emotionally, and she wasn't ready to go through that again.

But Liam wasn't like her ex. He was kind, patient, and understanding. And that only made it harder. The more she tried to convince herself that pulling away was the right thing to do, the more conflicted she felt.

After what felt like hours, they finally spotted a small town in the distance. Relief washed over Mia as they approached, but the sight of the rundown buildings didn't inspire much confidence. It was one of those forgotten towns, a relic of a time long past. The main street was nearly deserted, and most of the storefronts were boarded up.

"Well, this is charming," Liam muttered under his breath.

Mia shot him a look but didn't respond. They found a small motel at the edge of town, its neon sign flickering weakly in the growing darkness. It wasn't much, but it was shelter, and that was all that mattered.

Inside the motel lobby, an older woman with graying hair and a weathered face greeted them with a suspicious look. "Need a room?" she asked, eyeing them warily.

Liam nodded. "Yeah, just for the night. We had an accident a few miles back."

The woman didn't ask for details, simply handed them a key and pointed them down the hall. The room was small and musty, with outdated furniture and a lingering smell of mildew. But it was a bed and a roof, and that was enough.

They sat on opposite sides of the room, the silence between them growing heavier by the minute. Mia couldn't stand it anymore.

"We need to talk about what happened," she said, her voice firmer than she felt.

Liam looked up, his expression guarded. "About the accident?"

"No," Mia said quickly, shaking her head. "About... us. About that kiss."

Liam's face tightened, and for a moment, Mia regretted bringing it up. But they couldn't keep avoiding it. Not when it was hanging over them like a storm cloud.

"What is there to talk about?" Liam asked, his voice low. "You kissed me, I kissed you back, and then you pulled away. End of story."

Mia felt her chest tighten at the hurt in his voice. "It's not that simple, Liam. You know it's not."

Liam stood up, pacing the small room. "No, it's not. But I don't know what you want me to say, Mia. I can't force you to feel something you don't."

"It's not that I don't feel anything," Mia snapped, the frustration bubbling up inside her. "I do. That's the problem."

Liam stopped pacing, staring at her. "Then what's stopping you?"

Mia felt the words catch in her throat. What was stopping her? Fear, mostly. Fear of being hurt again, of letting someone in only to be betrayed. She had trusted before, and it had nearly destroyed her.

"I'm scared," she finally admitted, her voice barely a whisper.

Liam's face softened, but he didn't say anything right away. Instead, he sat back down on the bed, his shoulders slumping. "I get that. I really do. But Mia, we've been through a lot together on this trip, and I care about you. I don't know where this is going, but I don't want to lose whatever this is because we're both too afraid to try."

Mia looked down at her hands, her heart racing. She cared about him too, more than she wanted to admit. But the fear was still there, gnawing at her, telling her it was safer to keep her distance.

"I don't want to lose it either," she whispered, her voice trembling.

Liam's eyes softened, and for the first time since the accident, Mia felt a flicker of hope. Maybe they could figure this out. Maybe they could get past their insecurities, their fears, and build something real.

But the road ahead was uncertain, and as they sat in that tiny motel room, stranded in a town that felt like a ghost of the past, Mia couldn't help but wonder if they were destined to collide with their own fears all over again.