Chapter 17

Light rain tickles Lianna’s face as she makes her way out of the school, William running in front of her. They had finished the color run, but it started to rain while they were cleaning up. They managed to finish packing up and are now hurrying to the car that William arranged for them.

“Come on,” William calls over his shoulder, slowing his pace so that Lianna can catch up. She falls into step next to him and he lifts his jacket over them to shelter them from the rain.

William leads her to the abandoned building across from the school where they can wait for the car. He ushers Lianna to the nearest wall which serves as protection from the weather. Lianna falls back against the wall and rests her hands on her knees. She tries to catch her breath. William also rests against the wall, running his hand through wet hair.

“Ugh, I am soaked,” she says, twisting her shirt between her hands to get the water from it. William turns his gaze to her and notices that her white shirt is clinging to her body. Her arms are covered in goosebumps and she shivers slightly.

“So am I,” he says with a chuckle, draping his jacket over Lianna’s shoulder. She mumbles thanks before she sits on a piece of rubble. William checks his phone. It is getting late. Where is Blake?

William sits down next to Lianna, wiping the wet powder from his face and neck. His palms are smeared in different colors and he wipes his palms against his pants. There is no way this suit can be salvaged. He will have to throw it away.

Lianna laughs heartily and he turns his head to face her. Her eyes are crinkled up and she continues to laugh.

“What?” he asks, a smile tugging on his lips. Lianna shakes her head as she moves her hand to his cheek. She wipes his cheek with the back of her hand and he sees the red that covers her hand. He lets out a soft laugh.

“Thank you,” he says with a soft voice, smiling at Lianna. She flashes him a smile before she flattens her hair with her palms.

“I’m glad you could make it.” She pulls the jacket closer to her body, shivering at the cold wind. William turns his eyes to the front and he plays with his fingers.

“Thank you for inviting me. I thoroughly enjoyed it,” he says with a warm smile. She waves her hand to dismiss him, a chuckle escaping her lips.

“You need to have more fun. I never knew you could laugh like that,” she jokes, nudging him softly with her elbow. William smiles at the memory.

“Perhaps. But I do not know where to start having fun. You will have to show me.” William looks at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Lianna hums while scooting closer to him.

“I will look for something.” William wraps his arm around her to give her some warmth. She rests her head on his shoulder and he rubs her arm to generate some heat.

After a while, William checks his phone again. Something is wrong. Where is Blake? He should have been here by now.

He dials Blake’s number, bringing his phone to his ear. He waits as he hears the phone ringing, but it goes to voicemail.

William leaps up, startling Lianna. He furrows his brows as he tries again. Blake always answers his calls unless something important has happened.

“What is wrong?” Lianna asks as she stands up. William looks around, concern evident in his eyes.

“We should go,” he says, taking her hand. He leads her back to the street in between the school and the abandoned building. He pulls her closer to her, his eyes scanning their surroundings. They will have to walk back to her apartment.

Lianna turns her head while she looks around them, trying to find what William is looking for. Where is their car?

William’s tense shoulders catch her attention and she wraps her other hand around his arm. He guides her around the corner but he comes to a sudden stop. Lianna bumps into him and lets out a groan.

“What is wrong?” she asks with a whisper. Her eyes follow William’s gaze and she notices the small crowd approaching them.

“Run.” He spins around, dragging Lianna with him. She struggles to keep up with William, but he continues to run from the crowd.

The sound of cameras flashing informs Lianna that it is paparazzi. What even?

“I know a way back to my apartment. We can lose them,” she says, her chest burning from the cold wind she is forced to inhale. William nods and pulls her to the front so that she can lead them.

“Do not look back at them,” he shouts from behind her. She gives him a quick thumbs-up before she swiftly makes a right turn. William follows her and he notices the thin alley they have to run through. How are they going to get through there?

Lianna turns to her side, shuffling quickly through the narrow alley. William grunts while he copies her movements. She moves fast through the alley and they finally emerge from the alley. William is short on her heels and she gestures for him to keep up.

“In here,” she says over her shoulder, pointing to a closed gate. He frowns at the small green gate, wondering how they are going to get through a locked gate.

Lianna, without slowing, jumps onto the gate. Her feet land in the holes of the gate and her hands rest on the top of the gate. She pulls herself up and over the gate. A loud thud comes from the other side of the gate and William takes an encouraging breath.

With a huff, he manages to get a grip on the top of the gate. He pulls himself over with ease and lands in a muddy pool.

“Ugh, not again,” he mutters. His eyes search for Lianna and he catches a glimpse of her figure turning another corner. This cannot be the first time she has done this.

He runs after her and when he turns the corner, he sees the apartment blocks in front of him. Lianna is heading to her apartment block, but William catches her arm. She is panting and her breaths are visible in the cold air.

“Let’s make sure they did not follow us.” He walks with her arm still in his grip to a hidden spot between two apartment blocks. The space is small and they are forced to squeeze against each other into the space.

William peeks his head out of the hiding spot, searching for the crowd of pap, but he does not see them. They must have lost them.

He turns back to Lianna. Her chest is moving rapidly against his as her breathing is still uneven. Her face is red and a layer of sweat gleans on her forehead.

She wipes her face with her hands, but since her hands are still covered in the colored powder, she redecorates her face with green and blue powder.

William cannot prevent the laugh that escapes. Lianna snaps her eyes to him, her pupils dilated due to the poor lighting. She looks into his eyes, a smile creeping onto her face.

“How did you know about that path?” William asks her, his breathing returning to normal. Lianna shrugs with a sly smile.

“Sometimes, I like to do some parkour,” she answers, jokingly. William laughs at her and she has a bright smile on her face.

Lianna suddenly becomes aware of how close William is to her. Her chest is heaving against his and his hand is resting on her arm. Her hands are glued to his stomach and she feels a blush making its way to her cheeks and ears. At least she is already red from the running.

She watches William as he looks around the corner, pursing her lips together. She would never have thought that she would be running away from the paparazzi.

William returns to her and he smiles softly at her, his fingers removing a stray strand from Lianna’s face. He tucks the strand behind her ear. His fingers linger on her cheek before it moves down to her jaw. He takes her chin in his hand, tilting her face up to him.

“You are full of surprises,” he whispers with a grin. Lianna hums in agreement, her brown eyes shining as her eyes flicker to William’s lips. He guides her face closer to him.

Lianna’s breath catches, realizing that William is a mere breath away. His eyes move from hers down her face, landing on her lips. She bites her bottom lip, her heart beating in her ears.

As William leans closer to close the gap between their lips, his phone rings abruptly.

He bounces back from Lianna against the wall. His hands shoot to his pockets, feeling for his phone. He pulls his phone from his pocket and brings it to his ear.

“Blake, where were you?” he asks, sliding out of the small hiding space. Lianna takes a moment, staring at the wall across from her. Why is she disappointed?

Her hand shoots to her mouth, stopping a gasp from leaving her lips.

Oh no, no, no. She glances at William.

She likes William.

She swallows the sigh that wants to escape while she slides out, following William. They walk back to her apartment, William still talking to Blake.

“We got chased down by a group of pap, but we escaped them. We’re heading back to the apartment,” William’s voice echoes through the empty hall.

Lianna walks in the front, feeling for her keys when they reach her yellow door. She cannot wait to take a warm shower. And then she has to figure out what is going on with her.

“What do you mean it is not a good idea to go back? We lost them, so they will not be able to follow us to Lianna’s apartment.”

Lianna almost drops her keys when she notices that the door is already unlocked, standing slightly open. The place where the keyhole used to be is broken and there is a dent in the door. She turns to William.

He notices that she is paler than usual, her eyes wide and scared. What is going on? He looks past her, ignoring Blake’s blabbering on the other side of the phone.

The door . . . He grabs Lianna and pulls him behind him to protect her from whatever awaits them in the apartment. Who could-

His thoughts are interrupted when his ears catch the words from Blake’s rant. His hand falls from his ear to his side, anger rushing through him. His grip tightens on Lianna and he pulls her flush against his back.

Mother and Evelyn.