Winter's Soulmate | Winter Soldier ✔

Chapter Nine

~Amelies POV~

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." He muttered, ducking his head as a large truck rattled around a corner next to us. His hand shook on the wheel, ever so slightly, but I noticed.

I gently reached out, trying to offer my help to see if he would relax, but he shrugged me away and settled back into his grumpy faced, slumped body, with his hair hanging limply from where it fell from the knot on the back of his head.

Happy birthday to me.

Our rucksacks were shoved on the backseat, and Winter was driving steadily towards an airport. He'd managed to catch wind of a flight out of the country, and he was insisting that we needed to be on it. I dreaded to think what would happen if we didn't make it in time.

Although we knew it left America, we didn't actually know where it was headed, and as we were smuggling on a flight without any passengers, it was likely we might not be able to find out until after we arrive.

I ran my fingers over the ring Winter had surprised me with. It was so delicate and gentle, it was almost hard to believe a man like him could make such a thing. I knew something was wrong - I knew his history was filled with violent murder and assassinations made on his part - but I was beginning to understand him as being more soft, and fragile.

He needed somebody to love him.

Someone to tell him he is okay, he is loved, he is worth it.

And he was beginning to show me that vulnerable side. He opened up about HYDRA, and made sure I could call my family at the small stops we'd taken. He was caring for me, even if he was highly possessive when near any other person, but his walls were slowly lowering.

Which was why I was now uncomfortable watching him shrug me away. He did it gently, but pushed me away all the same.

It pained me, especially as I had admitted to myself this morning that I was falling in love with him.

"How much longer do we have left?"

Winter spared me a short glance. "We're going to have to break some more laws."

I smiled, though he probably didn't mean his comment to be amusing, and the car picked up speed. We overtook the few that ventured onto the road this early, and veered around a tight corner until we broke through a crumbling wooden fence and into a field.

"Winter!" His name came out as a screech as he slammed his foot on the accelerator, the old car flying through the fields as if the barriers of plants weren't actually in front of us.

The thick leaves scraped along the windows, causing a slapping sound as the branches bounced and snapped on the doors of the car.

Winter smiled grimly as he skidded along an edge, tilting the car slightly as he continued until we broke through a second fence and joined a silent road.

We slowed down slightly, though we were still breaking the speed limit, and Winter finally sighed a breath of relief.

"How much time did that save?" I could barely choke the words out, still in shock from the ridiculous driving I'd just been a witness to.