It almost worked

Chapter 9- Oh shit.

                        ୨⎯ Chapter 9- Oh shit. ⎯୧

The sharp sunlight was piercing as I blinked awake, the quiet of the morning suddenly interrupted by a heavy weight beside me. My heart skipped, and I froze. Dal was stretched out on the bed next to me,

his face peaceful, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips even in sleep. My cheeks flushed as I took in the situation: he was lying there in nothing but his boxers, his chest bare,

and I was in nothing more than my bra and underwear.

The previous night's hazy memories were a swirl in my mind—flirting, laughing, that kiss that felt like fire, and then... nothing. But the closeness between us lingered, and it had definitely gone further than anything before.

My stomach twisted as I nudged Dal, who stirred, blinking open his eyes. For a split second, his sleepy gaze softened, his smirk growing into that infuriatingly charming grin.

"Well, morning to you too," he drawled, propping himself up on his elbow, looking completely at ease.

I took a deep breath, meeting his gaze with as much composure as I could manage. "Did we... you know?"

Dal's smirk widened, a glint in his eye. "Almost. But I thought better of it. Didn't want to give you anything you weren't ready for," he said, his voice dropping to a low murmur.

A part of me wanted to be relieved, but another part—the part that had leaned into his warmth, his wildness, his kiss last night—felt disappointed. Before I could gather my thoughts, there was a loud, authoritative knock on the apartment door. Both of us stiffened.

"Police! Open up!"

Dal and I exchanged a quick look, realization dawning at the same time. We barely had a second to process what was happening before he shot out of bed.

I scrambled out too, grabbing my pants and shirt, slipping them on hastily as Dal tugged on his jeans and found his shirt lying on the floor, yanking it over his head.

"Dal, this isn't good," I whispered, panic rising in my chest. The pounding on the door grew more insistent.

"Don't worry, I'm not letting them take us," he muttered, already looking around for an escape route. He spotted the fire escape and pulled me toward the window. "Grab what you can. We're not coming back here."

I snatched up a bag and stuffed it with anything within reach—our wallets, a couple of bras and panties,socks, a couple of jackets. Meanwhile, Dal darted into the kitchen and returned with a few granola bars,

stuffing them into the bag. Every second felt like it stretched too long as the police fumbled with the door lock, and the tension crackled in the air.

"Come on," Dal hissed, pushing open the window and helping me climb onto the fire escape. The metal was cold under my hands, and every noise we made seemed impossibly loud. The footsteps and muffled voices from inside were closing in.

We descended as quietly as possible, Dal's hand firmly holding mine as he guided me down the narrow steps, his face set with determined focus.

I tried to ignore the racing of my heart as we moved down, the realization hitting that this wasn't some game; we really were on the run.

Finally, we reached the alley below, and Dal glanced up to make sure no one was watching.

Without a word, he led me out onto the street, his gaze darting to a battered old car parked a few feet away. He glanced back at me with a mischievous, almost reckless glint in his eye.

I opened my mouth to protest. "Dal... you're not serious, are you?"

He just shot me a grin. "You got a better idea?"

Before I could answer, he was at the car, checking the handle. Miraculously, it was unlocked. Dal slipped in and started fiddling with the wires beneath the steering wheel. After a few tense seconds, the engine sputtered to life.

"Get in!" he called, patting the passenger seat as he flashed me a victorious grin.

Reluctantly, I climbed in, my heart pounding as Dal shifted the car into gear and peeled away from the curb. We sped down the street, the tires squealing slightly as Dal steered us away from the apartment building, away from everything we'd just left behind.

I exhaled a shaky breath, leaning back in my seat, my fingers still trembling as I clutched the bag in my lap. "So... where are we going?" I asked, my voice barely louder than a whisper.

Dal's eyes stayed on the road, his expression tense but determined. "Anywhere but here. Doesn't matter where, just... away." He reached over, squeezing my hand briefly, his thumb brushing over my knuckles as he held onto my gaze for a second longer than necessary. "I'm not letting them touch you. Not a chance."

I looked out the window, my mind racing. This was all too surreal. Just yesterday, we were in the apartment, hiding from the world, figuring out what this thing between us was. And now... we were on the run, with nothing but each other and the open road.

After a while, the adrenaline began to wear off, replaced by a strange calm as the landscape blurred by. We hadn't said a word for miles, but the silence felt almost... right. Like the whole world had faded away, and it was just the two of us.

Dal's hand stayed close, occasionally resting on my knee or brushing against my arm as he drove.

After a while, he broke the silence. "So, pretty sure this isn't how you thought today was gonna go, huh?"

I let out a soft laugh, the absurdity of the situation catching up to me. "Not exactly." I glanced over at him, meeting his gaze.

"But somehow, it feels like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be."

Dal's expression softened, and he reached over, his hand gently threading with mine. He gave it a squeeze,

his thumb brushing over my skin. "You know... running from the cops wasn't exactly in my plans, either. But I wouldn't change a thing."

We drove for hours, neither of us entirely sure where we were going, but for the first time in a long time, I didn't care. We were far from everything we'd known,

the city, the apartment, the life we'd left behind. And somehow, with Dal beside me, that uncertainty didn't feel so daunting.

Damn y'all didn't even fuck😭