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Chapter Three

LILAH

PRESENT

It had been three days since we hit Bob's Convenience.

We were in full on lay-low mode, which meant no going out, no having fun, no doing much of anything.

It was detrimental, but it was also a drag-and-a-half. After eating the little food that we had, I finally managed to convince Noah to go on a quick run for supplies.

We left our crummy hotel, where the board was cheap and the other guests made us look like church clergy, and headed to the nearest gas station to find something to put in our empty stomachs.

Noah went in alone and came out with a plastic bag in one hand, a folded newspaper in the other. Something was off in his expression, and as I watched him cross the parking lot, a bad feeling twisted its way up the notches of my spine.

Noah tossed the folded newspaper down on the seat in between without uttering a word. From his silence, and the way he couldn't seem to look at me, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect, but I picked it up anyways and started reading.

2 suspects wanted for string of armed robberies

My heart sunk like an anchor, making a firm landing on the ocean floor of my stomach. Noah was surprisingly stoic, his face revealing nothing. His fingers ran absently over the stubble on his jaw, waiting for me to continue. With a heavy sigh, I did.

Two people are wanted in connection with a string of armed robberies that occurred over the past twelve weeks.

Officials say the investigation spans several jurisdictions and crosses multiple state lines, including the new border of Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky.

Witnesses claim a young man and woman are responsible for the crimes, entering the establishments armed and holding employees at gunpoint.

It's estimated that the culprits have made off with over $30,000 in stolen cash and merchandise. Police are asking for the public's help in bringing these criminals to justice.

It went on to include a very in-depth description of both of us—including the fact that we both carry heavy southern accents—where we were last spotted, and a hotline number to call with tips and information on our whereabouts.

I dropped the newspaper and placed my hands in my lap to hide the fact that they were trembling. Several, long seconds passed, the silence racing back and forth between us, charging the air with nervous ions.

Finally, I mustered up the guts to say, "At least, there's no reward out for us."

"Yet," he scoffed, still unable or unwilling to look me in the eye.

I couldn't blame him for being upset. More than once, he'd warned me that things were getting too hot.

And, what did I do?

I ignored the feelings of utter mortality that his words induced, and leaped blindly into the fire, dragging Noah along with me. And now, my naivety would burn us both.

He had every right to be angry.

He should've been angry with me for much more than that, including the fact that we had to leave Midnight in the first place. I had the strong suspicion that if it wasn't for me, Noah would still be there, surrounded by his friends and family-not running from the law.

In fact, it was his clear lack of anger that was the cause of my growing guilt. That, and the colossal secret I'd been keeping from him, one that was sure to destroy us.