(Katelyn’s POV)We all watched as Tyler disappeared into the rain, heading toward the convenience store inside the gas station.Ryder looked irritated and frustrated, but he kept it to himself, likely taking a moment to cool down and come to terms with our shitty situation as he stared out into the rain with his jaw clenched."Where are we even gonna go?" Jenna’s voice cut through the silence, soft but heavy with worry. Her wide eyes flickered over to me, searching for an answer.I shrugged, feeling the weight of the uncertainty pressing down on me. "I dunno," I admitted. "I guess we just drive until we find somewhere that feels safe."I knew it wasn’t the best idea I'd ever put forward, but I couldn't think of a better solution.Jenna sighed, leaning back against the seat, her shoulders slumping. We all felt it... the frustration, the helplessness. But compared to where I’d been just hours ago, alone in the dark with Harlan’s hand wrapped around my throat, this situation felt almost
(Katelyn’s POV)They finished playing their little game of musical chairs and then we were off, driving into the night as we tried to escape Harlan yet again.As Ryder drove, Tyler pulled out all the first aid supplies he'd purchased and I couldn't help but frown."Oooh! Disney Princesses! Nice!" I remarked with enthusiastic sarcasm, gesturing to a box of bandaids."It was this or Winnie the Pooh," he replied with a wry smile."Good call," I agreed, trying to mentally hype myself up for what was to come.He looked nervous. I could see it in his eyes but he tried to mask it. He reached out his hand for my arm, taking it gently and resting it on his lap while he soaked a cotton ball in the antiseptic. The strong, sharp smell wafted through the car, filling me with dread.His fingers held my wrist in place and I winced."Sorry, did I hurt you?" he asked, glancing up at me with concern as he released his grip.I shook my head. "It's fine. I just... I fell on it," I confessed awkwardly, re
(Katelyn’s POV)Tyler pulled a bandage out of the bag from the convenience store and stripped off the plastic wrapper with his teeth. "Ready?" he asked with a nervous expression.I nodded, bracing myself for what was next. Nothing could be worse than the antiseptic. I don't think actual fire could have been worse than the antiseptic. To my absolute and utter relief, I had been right. While uncomfortable and definitely painful, it was nowhere near as bad as the antiseptic had been. I exhaled slowly, the tension that had gripped my body finally starting to ease up.When Tyler had secured the bandage, I looked down at my arm and frowned. My right arm... The same one as last time...At least it wasn't a cast this time, I figured. But the repair job on this one had definitely hurt exponentially more. Last time I'd mercifully been anesthetized and was blissfully unaware of what was going on.“All done,” Tyler said, leaning back and inspecting his work with a critical eye. “That should hold
(Ryder's POV)"How's she doing?" I asked, looking back at Tyler through the rearview mirror."She's asleep," Tyler replied with an exhausted sigh, then he looked down at her, his finger gently trailing over her cheek. I saw a small relieved smile play on his lips, but it was quickly replaced by weariness as he leaned his head back against the seat."You should probably also try get some sleep. We'll need to switch at some point and it'll probably be better if you've had some rest," I suggested."I can drive too," Jenna offered through a yawn.I couldn’t help but laugh, the irony not lost on me. "Yeah... I'm gonna say no..." I replied with a smile. “Maybe you should try to sleep too.”She shrugged it off. "I'm fine, she insisted, taking a sip of her energy drink.After a moment, she spoke again, "Do you think he'll ever stop looking for her?" she asked softly. "If he's still alive, I mean."Both Tyler and I were quiet for a moment and I wasn't sure whether he was maybe asleep already.
(Katelyn's POV)I woke to the gentle touch of Tyler's hand brushing my cheek, his voice a soft murmur, tugging me from the depths of sleep, "Kate..."I blinked groggily, my eyes slowly opening to find his familiar face hovering over me with a gentle smile. I could think of few better ways to wake up as a small, sleepy smile tugged at my lips.My sleep had been deep. I couldn't even remember having any kind of dream. It was like I had just completely blacked out."Hey," Tyler said, smiling down at me while his finger brushed my cheek. "We’re at a motel."Through the fog of sleep, I registered the sky outside was gray, like dawn was just on the horizon. I sat up slowly, rubbing at my eyes as I tried to gain my bearings. My body still felt heavy with exhaustion and my mind was struggling to catch up.“You okay?” Tyler’s voice was soft with concern as he watched me, noticing the hesitation in my movements.“Yeah,” I murmured, my voice still thick with sleep. “Still just... tired.”I felt
(Katelyn's POV)Ryder's coldness threw me a little, but I tried to ignore it, doing my best to focus on what was actually a pretty important conversation with Jenna.I shook my head, wanting to reassure her. “I’m sure she’ll be fine, Jen. She’s got a pretty important role in the pack. There's no way Harlan will be able to manage all of the accounts and shit without her. I have no doubt that she knows more about where his family money is tied up than he does.”Jenna sighed, nodding as if she was trying to convince herself. “Yeah… you’re probably right. I just don’t want her to get caught up in all this.” She took a deep breath. "Guess I'd better get it over with... I'm not going to tell her where we're going, but I'll tell her I'll call when we get there... Just in case, you know? I mean, I'm going to guess Harlan will figure it out, but maybe he won't know whether we drove or flew," she said with a halfhearted shrug.With that, she got up and left the room to make the call. I could te
(Katelyn's POV)"Your arm," Ryder murmured, though he made no attempt to slow down. Instead, he only kissed me more fiercely, the fingers of one hand entwining themselves in the hair at the nape of my neck while the other grabbed my butt, holding me firmly against his body."I don't care," I said breathlessly, my palms pressed against his chest. I could feel his heart racing beneath my hands, the rhythm so comforting and familiar.The way he touched me, it felt like he was battling some kind of internal conflict. His touch seemed to shift between tender and caring to dominant and possessive. It was almost like he had to keep reminding himself to slow down. To be gentle.A soft moan escaped my lips as his kisses wandered down the side of my neck. He stopped suddenly, pulling away slightly with his jaw clenched. I could see something flicker in his eyes. Guilt, maybe? Regret?His eyes were fixed firmly on my neck and I watched as his expression darkened. I felt his thumb brush across it
(Katelyn's POV)The air outside the motel was cool and still, the sun barely making its way up the horizon, casting a pale light across the empty parking lot as it tried to heat up the day.Ryder and I moved quietly through the parking lot, the world around us seemingly deserted in these early morning hours.I shivered slightly as I slid into the back seat of the truck. The temperature adjustment between the morning chill outside and the hot shower inside was pretty severe, to say the least.Ryder and I had crept stealthily through our dark bedroom while Tyler and Jenna slept. He'd grabbed the car keys and the takeout bag on his way and then we stole down the quiet hallway, making our way to the truck to change my wet bandage out.And now, here we were, sharing the last remaining moments of a night that had stretched on for far too long.I watched as Ryder unwrapped the soaked bandage from my arm, the last physical reminder of our impulsive shower together. I bit my lip, regretting my