𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 || 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭

𝟑𝟏: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

It was pitch black inside the apartment, so it took a few seconds of squinting for their eyes to finally adjust, though that didn't help much.

"We should use a flashlight." Aryan whispered.

Sophia nodded, sliding her hand over the light before clicking it on so that it was slightly dimmed, hoping to keep them less noticeable.

In single file they stepped through the doorway, Sophia taking the lead and Bridgette bringing up the back. The space was small, so it only took a few seconds for the three of them to register the soft snoring of her father from down the hall.

Sophia's heart was practically beating out of her chest, her head sorting through a list of various hiding places that Walker could be. The jarring thought that he may not even be here at all flashed across her mind, but she pushed it away. He had to be. He just had to.

"Okay," she whispered, turning back to the others and making them both pause mid-step. "You two search here in the living room and also the kitchen. I'm gonna go see if he's in my room."

Aryan gave a silent thumbs up, while Bridgette set her mouth into a thin line. "Permission to deck your dad across the face with my flashlight if he wakes up?" She asked hopefully.

Sophia nodded. "Permission granted."

They split up, Aryan taking the kitchen, Bridgette the living room, and Sophia padding silently down the hall. She stopped at her door, which was closed, even though she remembered leaving it open the last time she was here.

Grabbing the doorknob, her shaking hand steadied a bit at the contact. She turned it and pushed the door open slowly, cringing at the slight creaking noise it made.

"Walker?" She didn't dare raise her voice above a breathy whisper, eyes scanning the room.

It was a complete mess. Books thrown on the ground, posters torn to shreds, and her comforter in a heap on the floor right next to the overturned bedside table. What the hell happened?

There was no response, but she advanced further into the room, her flashlight bouncing off the walls. She reached the center, spinning in a full circle as her eyes scanned anxiously.

"Walker?" She whispered a bit louder, desperation seeping into her voice when thought she heard something move behind her, near the door. "Wa-"

A hand slipped over her mouth at the exact moment an arm wrapped around her waist. Her fight or flight instincts kicked in and she let out a muffled scream for Aryan and Bridgette, desperately twisting and kicking in an attempt to escape her captor's grasp.

"Hey hey hey! Calm down, Soph." He whispered frantically as he pressed his hand more firmly against her lips to muffle her screams.

She froze. All it took was the sound of his voice. Just his voice and all her fear melted away, her desperate escape attempt coming to a halt at the same time.

After she had gone quiet, the hand slid cautiously off of her mouth. She spun around, still within the person's grip.

"Walker!" The exclamation was breathless, barely above a whisper.

And there he was. Ocean blue eyes just visible in the darkness, obviously concerned but mostly relieved. As was becoming the usual, his golden curls were nothing but messy waves, unkempt for days on end.

"Sorry, it's just I didn't want to scare you and have you scream and wake up your dad and-"

She latched her arms around him, squeezing tightly with her face buried just below his shoulder. "God, Walker, we were all so worried." She pulled back to meet his eyes again. "Why did you come all the way out here?"