I Run to You

Chapter 7

Raven Reyes walked down the filthy street, her heart breaking. She'd been searching for her boyfriend for weeks, worrying and pining, trying desperately not to lose hope. She'd tracked him to the little college town of Ark, California.

Her footsteps were muffled by the wind as she made her way across town, her eyes searching for the familiar face of the man she loved. The scenery changed as she moved into a hipper part of town.

She wrapped her coat around her thin frame, the cold sinking into her bones. She was alone, and her missing love was all she had left. There would be no family to go back to, no friends, if this failed she was stuck- stuck in a strange town with no job and nowhere to stay.

Looking down at her ragged clothes, she was embarrassed. If she did find him, what would he think of her? Would he still love her, or had he forgotten all about her?

At one time they had meant so much to one another, then he'd gone off to college. He'd called often, reminding her how he felt about her and then one day the calls stopped.

She'd tried to reach him, fearing the worst, but she never could. She waited, hoping beyond hope that he would just show up. When two months passed with no word, she decided she had to find him.

She went to Berkley, but no trace of him. She'd asked around, someone letting slip a place called Ark. She immediately went in search of the small town, finding it only two days ago.

Raven's gaze moved from her dusty boots to a little coffee shop, "Mount Weather" glowing in bright pink neon. She was just about to walk on by when she noticed two shapes.

Looking closer, the young man had an air of familiarity about him that she would know anywhere. She took off, her footfalls echoing loudly on the hard asphalt. Then she was jerked back, just as an eighteen-wheeler whooshed past.

She looked up into a pair of dark eyes, and then began to struggle.

"Let me go! I have to get to him!"

"Get to who," came his voice, filled with concern.

"My boyfriend, Finn Collins," she answered, her voice shaking.

She felt her rescuer stiffen, his arms dropping from her waist. She was about to rush off again when one of his hands snaked out, grabbing her wrist in an iron-like grip.

"Finn Collins is your boyfriend," the stranger asked darkly.

"Yes, I lost contact with him two months ago."

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Clarke sat across from Finn in the Mount Weather Coffee House, sipping on her caramel late. It had been two months since they'd first met, and even though she was still unsure about her feelings she really did like the young astronomer.

He was funny and so easy to talk to. She didn't share the level of communication that she shared with Bellamy, but she still enjoyed his company. Even now he was telling her an astronaut joke, and making her giggle after a long day of classes and tests.

She hadn't felt well all day, but found herself laughing in spite of herself. Then she was staring deeply into his eyes. The blue orbs were shimmering with laughter, and burned with intensity. However, in that instant, memories rushed in- memories of a certain pair of dark brown eyes.

It was a cold November day, only a few days before Thanksgiving. She was sitting on the couch, a pencil in hand and her fingers smudged with charcoal. She heard the front door open, and looked up with a smile to see Bellamy walk through the front door.