𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧' 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 ─────⋆⋅★𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘺

𝟐𝟔. 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠

The door to the back alley slammed behind Suki, cutting through the noise of the crowd like a shot. Her heart was pounding so fast she could feel it in her throat, adrenaline racing through her veins. The paparazzi were screaming her name, flashes exploding in the darkness like a thousand tiny lightning strikes, but none of it mattered. All she saw was Drew.

He was waiting, leaned casually against the side of the car, arms crossed over his chest. His hair was a tousled mess, and he looked calm—too calm for the chaos around them—but his eyes were scanning the alley, searching for her. And the second their eyes met, the world seemed to collapse in on itself, shrinking until it was just the two of them, everything else dissolving into a blur of static.

Without thinking, she broke into a run, heels clacking loudly against the pavement as she barreled toward him, the screams of fans and the frenzied shouts of photographers fading into white noise.

"Suki! Suki!" The crowd was closing in, their energy like a wave about to crash, but she didn't care. She was running toward Drew, her lungs burning, breath coming in short gasps. It was as if the whole world was chasing her, but the only thing that mattered was him.

As she reached him, Drew uncrossed his arms and caught her in one swift motion. Her body slammed into his chest, knocking them both off balance as his arms wrapped around her waist. They stumbled back a step, breathless and laughing, and before she could even think, his lips were on hers, the kiss frantic and messy, like they were starving for each other.

"You're insane," she gasped against his mouth, her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer.

Drew grinned, his voice a low rumble against her lips. "You love it."

Before she could respond, he pulled her toward the car, opening the door and practically shoving her inside before diving in after her. They slammed the door just as the crowd closed in, and the driver sped off, leaving the chaos of the alley behind them.

Suki was laughing so hard she could barely breathe, her chest heaving as she collapsed back against the seat. "What the hell just happened?" she managed to get out between gasps for air.

Drew was laughing too, his head tilted back, eyes bright with adrenaline. He reached for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. "This is what happens when we try to go anywhere."

She shook her head, still catching her breath. "Where are we even going?"

He turned to her, that mischievous smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "You'll see. First stop? The airport."

Her eyes widened. "The airport? Drew, we don't even have anything with us—"

"We'll figure it out," he said, his tone light and full of mischief. "I couldn't get a jet in time, so we're flying commercial."

Suki stared at him, incredulous. "Commercial? With regular people?"

He nodded, barely able to suppress his grin. "Exactly. It's going to be a nightmare. Come on, it'll be fun."

She could hardly believe this was happening. But then again, this was Drew. Chaos followed him everywhere, and somehow, it felt like the only place she wanted to be.

Within minutes, they were pulling up at the curb of the airport. The driver barely had time to put the car in park before Drew was out, rounding the vehicle to open Suki's door. She leaped out, her pulse still racing, and before she knew it, he was dragging her through the terminal, their hands locked together as they weaved through the sea of people.

It was madness. People were staring—of course they were—and some even whipped out their phones, snapping pictures or filming as the two of them rushed through the airport like they were on the run. Suki's heart was pounding in her ears, the world around them a blur of fluorescent lights and hurried footsteps. Drew was laughing, glancing back at her as they dodged past families, couples, and weary travelers.