Dangerous Affection

Tangled Lies

(QUINN'S POV)

I could feel her eyes on me, even though she wasn't saying anything. The silence between us was deafening, but I didn't know what to say. What could I say? The tension was thick, like it was suffocating us both.

We hadn't stopped running. Not once. Every time I thought we might catch a break, another turn, another shadow, another street dragged us deeper into this mess. It felt like the city itself was closing in on us. The air thick with danger. With doubt. But the worst part? I was starting to feel it too.

Lila was done. I could see it in the way she moved now, less like someone who was running from danger, and more like someone who was running toward something. But I couldn't tell if it was hope or fear that was driving her forward.

"Quinn," she said, her voice sharp, cutting through the tension between us. "We've been running for hours. And who was that guy that tried shooting you? I didn't think to look at his face clearly at all."

I didn't know what to think nor say. But one thing was clear: We couldn't outrun it forever. The weight of the truth was sitting heavy on my chest, and I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep it from her.

She turned to me, her eyes scanning my face, searching for something, answers, maybe? I could feel her frustration and fear wrapping around me like a noose, pulling tighter with every step we took.

I knew this moment was coming. I could feel it. But the words that left my mouth still surprised me.

"The guy behind all of this is Clint," I said, my voice rough.

Lila froze mid-step, her breath catching. I could see the gears turning in her head as she processed the name. "Clint?" she repeated, her voice shaking slightly. "Who even is he? And why would he come after us? After me? Why would he aim for my hospital?"

The question hung in the air, unanswered for a long moment. I could feel the pieces of the puzzle falling into place, but I wasn't sure how much of the truth I was ready to share.

"He's the one behind it all," I started slowly. "I've been keeping it from you, because I wasn't sure how to explain it. And just to let you know, I only knew it was him as I was being held at gun point... Clint and I, at one point, we were good friends. We worked together. He knew everything about me."

Lila's eyes were wide now, a mix of confusion and disbelief on her face. "Good friends? You worked with him?"

I nodded, my throat tight. "Yeah. But that was before he started doing... whatever the hell it is he's doing now. "

Lila took a step back, her face pale. "You're telling me all of this now?"

"I didn't know what to say," I said, my voice strained. "I didn't know how to explain it without dragging you into it, without making everything worse. But he's dangerous, Lila. And I—" I stopped myself, my words faltering. "I should've warned you."

She shook her head, her hands gripping her jacket tightly. "So, all of this...the attacks, the threats... it's because of you?"

I didn't have a good answer for her. I didn't even know if I had one at all.

"To be honest, I don't know," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "But I swear, Lila. I'm done running. We finish this. We end it. Together."

There was a long silence between us. I could feel the weight of the words I'd just said, like I was offering her a piece of my soul. A piece of me that had been hiding for far too long.

And then, just like that, Lila stepped closer. She didn't say anything, but her eyes told me everything I needed to know. She was scared, yes. But she was also ready to face whatever came next.

"You should've told me sooner," she said quietly. "But I guess now we're in this together, aren't we?"

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. "Yeah. Together."

But as I looked at her, standing there in the darkened streets with the weight of this truth between us, I knew one thing for sure: this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

And Clint? He wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted.

But neither would we.

Let's be real,you guys DID NOT expect that.
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