ANMELDENNathan's POV I stand two blocks away from the villa. Still feeling the heat from the few punches I had from the gangs.The villa is all lighted up, even from the gate.I miss my room. Lying on my soft bed, being on my phone all day.I wouldn't have come back, but I lost the money that could have been my ticket out of here.Guess I have no choice again.I should have gone back to the motel instead, but I have only few days before the payment expires.My shirt suddenly feels tight.Ricky's words replay in my head, “Come back home.”I appeared in front of the villa's gate.My face is swollen from bruises I got from the men at the garage.They just take the duffel bag and leave me with nothing.Such freaks!What do I do?I can't go in like this. And I don't have anywhere else to go.My stay in the motel expires today.I heave a sigh, not exactly relieved but somewhat depressed.I stare at the iron bar gate, thinking if it was write to go in or just return.I know what Ricky would say if
POV: Nathan It was about few minutes past 2:00am.I got the duffel bag and walked to the window. Once the coast was clear, I threw the beg through the windowI hesitated to jump, thinking about my actions one last time.Is this really the way forward? What if I get caught running away? Well then, I shouldn't get caught then.For a second I thought about Abigail again.What does she think?I expected a call at least or...a message.Does she even miss me?She must probably hate me by now. If she found that warehouse, she must probably think I'm part of that operation.This feels like a nightmare. Never thought I'd have anything to fear in living my life. But this isn't a life. This is terrific.Running like a criminal. Now I wish I was a ghost, that way I could hide properly.My sins have surely come back to hunt me.They're haunting me in several ways.I feel like I'm drowning in the pool of misery.It's unbearable.I jumped out of the window at last. Landed on the bag, but slide an
POV: Nathan I stride back to my room in the motel.My gaze high in alert looking for signs of anyone following me.Cops usually hire civilians to track their wanted.I can't believe I'm now living my life in the shadows.I have to get out of this. It's no good if I remain hiding. I have to come out of it at some point.I have to clear my name.The motel room smells like bleach and old cigarette smoke, the kind of smell that never quite leaves the curtains no matter how many times the maids spray it. The aircon rattles like it’s about to give up, blowing cold air.I'm sitting on the edge of the bed, the mattress is sagging under me, my elbows are on my knees, my hands are clasped so tight upon them.The curtains are drawn. The door lock is on. The “Do Not Disturb” sign hangs crooked on the door handle, paper curled at the edges from the humidity.Still yet, it feels unsafe.I take a look at the cracked mirror hanging on the wall oppositeThe TV is on but muted, a news ticker scrolling
POV: NathanThe word hangs in the air between us like smoke. Pregnant.It doesn’t make sense at first. The letters don't like up.She's pregnant? My brain tries to rearrange them into something else—preparing. Pretending. Present—Anything that would fit. Anything but that.Claire's face doesn't lie. Her hands are shaking and her eyes won't maintain contact with mine for more than two seconds I stare at her. My stomach feels like it’s fallen through the floor of the booth and kept falling. A tight knot in-between.My hands are like ice. My heart isn’t beating so much as stuttering, like an engine that is failing.“Say that again,” I hear myself say. My voice comes out flat. Wrong. Like it belongs to someone else.Claire swallows. “I’m pregnant, Nathan.”The bar noise in the background fades. The low music, the clink of glasses, the guy two tables over laughing— it all gets muffled, like someone stuffed cotton in my ears. All I can hear is my own breathing, too fast, too shallow.I
POV: NathanI sit on the floor of my motel room with my clothes all around me. I don’t even know what I’m looking for anymore. I pull out a shirt, throw it aside, then pull another one. Nothing feels right. Nothing fits how I feel.My phone lights up again.It’s Ricky.I stare at the screen while it vibrates.He calls again.I let it ring.Then again.I let it ring too.I drop the phone on the bed and run my hands over my face. I don’t have the strength to talk to him. What am I supposed to say anyway? That I ran from the police? That my friends blamed me? That I am hiding in a cheap motel because I don’t know what to do?I breathe in slowly.I haven’t eaten since yesterday. My head hurts. My chest feels tight. Everything is a mess.And Abigail…I swallow hard. I shouldn’t think about her, but I do. I think about her more than anything else.I remember that night.When I reached the warehouse. I saw the boys arguing with Luca and… Abigail. She was there, shaking, scared, and still stu
POV: AbigailThe moment I step into the house after school, everything feels wrong.The air is too still and the silence is too heavy. My steps echo as I walk down the hallway.I drop my bag near the stairs and head to Nathan’s room before I even think about anything else.Something inside me pushes me toward his door and I open it slowly.The room is quiet as I walk in and look around.His closet door is still open from last night. His desk is messy.But something is different. A few of his jackets are gone.His watch is missing from the nightstand. His black backpack is not in its usual spot.His phone charger is gone.The shoes he always wears to school are missing too.My heart speeds up.“He didn’t come home,” I whisper to myself. “He didn’t come home last night. And he didn’t come home this morning either.”I grab my phone fast. My hands shake as I unlock it.I stare at my mom’s number.Maybe I should call her. Maybe she knows if Ricky talked to Nathan. Maybe he told them somet
Abigail's POVThe girl doesn't apologize.She doesn't even slow down as she brushes past me, her shoulder knocking into mine with deliberate force.Instead, she lets out a low hiss under her breath, barely sparing me a glance before she disappears into the darkness.I stiffen, my heart pounding.Wh
Abigail's POVNathan's phone rings again.The sharp sound slices through the tense silence in the car, making me flinch. I glance at him out of the corner of my eye, watching as his fingers tighten around the phone, his knuckles turning slightly white.He still doesn't pick up.Mom shifts in her s
Abigail's POV The ride back home in the cab is silent. Mom sits beside me, staring out of the window, her arms are crossed, her jaw tight.No one says anything, but the tension is thick, filling the space between us.I sneak a glance at Mom, waiting for her to say something-maybe to defend Nathan
Nathan's POV The second we step into the mall, I know I won't last long. Abigail and her mom disappear into some boutique, all smiles and excitement, like this is the best day of their lives. I don't get it. How does Abigail keep pretending? Acting like she's happy about all of this? And dad thr







