Robbers

twenty - nine

{{ this chapter took me SO LONG to write nd I'm sorry for the slow update! I'm beyond excited to write now because this story is reaching the climax so the end is soon, but there's so much more action still to come haha. I'm guessing there's probably between 5-10 chapters left, even though I suck at estimating these things. just wanted to give you an update! I'm so grateful to you guys who consistently vote / comment, I notice nd it means so so much to me. ily all and I can't wait to write more! }}

// twenty - nine //

The days unraveled behind them like asphalt disappearing beneath rubber tires, the time slipping away out of Ryan and Ella's grasp. It was impossible for them to pretend they were normal, now, because playing with ignorance was deadly. They had to get the rest of the money because time was wearing thin, and Ella could see how badly Ryan was affected by it.

She could see it in his hunched posture, in the dark circles beneath his eyes and in the constant haunted look that plagued his expression. Christmas day was drawing closer, and although Ryan hadn't said the exact date they had given him, Ella knew it was around the holidays. The people around them grew more cheerful and excited for Christmas time, while Ryan and Ella seemed to have the opposite state of mind, only growing more anxious and distressed as the holiday approached on hasty feet.

Ella had pushed their meeting with Kurt to the back of her mind. She had continued to think through the event over and over, and she'd become paranoid to the point where it didn't feel safe inside her own home. If she didn't remember the way Kurt had spoken to her and Ryan, the way he'd hinted that they knew exactly where she lived, then Ella didn't feel the constant tug of anxiety in her chest. It was easier to live in blind ignorance, even if it was only a little.

In the week after Kurt had seen them at the coffee shop, Ryan struggled to figure out where he would get the rest of the money. He had recounted what he'd gotten already, and he'd told Ella that he only needed around five hundred dollars more. Neither of them wanted to steal from another gas station after what had happened with the fake gun, but it seemed as though they had little other choice.

School was canceled that Tuesday due to a morning snowstorm, but the snowfall had stopped by noon and the cleanup crews were already clearing the roads of slush and ice. Ella left her house early that afternoon to drive to Ryan's, telling her parents that she was going to Mindy's house to make hot chocolate. Her mom had been less than thrilled – "The point of a snow day is to stay home" – but she didn't stop her, allowing Ella to take the white Honda out of the garage and into the street.

As she coasted slowly through partially iced roads and piles of slush, Ella began to think that making cocoa with Mindy sounded much better than what she and Ryan were going to do. Of course, speaking with Mindy beyond a few careful greetings in psychology alone would have been a pleasant change.

Julie's grey station wagon was parked in the driveway beside Ryan's truck. Ella shut off her own car and prepared to brave the cold, but Ryan was already hurrying out of the house towards her so she stayed put. She watched him nearly slip against the freshly shoveled driveway, his heather grey backpack slapping against his side.

A rush of cold air swept through the heated interior of her car when Ryan entered. He quickly slammed the passenger door shut behind him, holding the backpack between his knees. "Hey, Ella."

"Hi there," she said. Ryan rubbed his hands together and blew in between his palms, warming the skin with his breath. Somewhat teasingly, Ella added, "Slippery driveway?"

He snorted and grinned, "Shut up."

She backed out of his driveway and into the street, twisting the wheel and putting the gear in drive without another word. There seemed to be nothing else to say as Ella drove back down the way she had come, and Ryan did nothing more than stare out the passenger side window at the buildings passing by. The atmosphere inside the car was tense but not awkward, and Ella felt oddly comforted by the silence. The nerves would have resurfaced if they forced a conversation about what they were about to do.