As I zipped up the last duffel bag, I sighed. At least we would both be clothed this whole trip. I set the bags down on the floor, followed by my backpack and purse, and I sat cross-legged on the bed, waiting.
I had been waiting on the bed for two hours before I got up and started pacing back and forth. Gregory seemed to be taking forever, which made me nervous. What if he’d been caught? What if he’d decided to just leave me here? What if he’d met up with that skank I saw him with the other night? I shook my head. I was just being paranoid. What would it matter if he met up with the skank? It wasn’t any of my business. Why was I even caring whether he was meeting up with her when my life was literally on the line? I could see my small soft hands fitting perfectly into his large calloused hands. I frowned. If he’d spent this whole time with the slut, I would beat him senseless. Didn’t matter if he could snap my body in two. He could be risking my life with that sk—
The door opened, breaking through my thoughts, and Gregory walked in, closing the door behind him; he looked haggard. I felt bad for the thoughts that had just been going through my head, but I quickly set them aside. “Any news?”
Gregory sat down on the bed. “There are rumors that you’ve been seen with a male, but no one knows for certain. Except for…”
“Except for?” I prodded after he’d been quiet for a few seconds.
“I went back to the restaurant to talk to the waitress. She wasn’t there, but the owner told me where I could find her. It wasn’t very easy—he gave shit directions. Anyway, I found her place and could see her talking to some guys in uniform. I got as close as I could without being detected. I could only hear bits and pieces, but they know about us.”
“Crap.” At least with this news, I hopefully wouldn’t have to fight with Gregory or bribe him to come.
“Fortunately, she doesn’t know who I am. Unfortunately, she gave a very detailed description of both of us. They told her if we come back again tomorrow morning to let them know immediately.” Gregory looked down at his watch and then looked back up at me. “We leave in five minutes.”
I picked up the duffel bag that had his clothes in it and threw it at him. “Here.”
He looked at me, his eyebrow cocked. “What?”
“I was able to fit all of my clothes in one bag, so I packed some of your clothes in that bag.” I crossed my arms over my chest, ready for the fight. When we’d come back earlier, we’d never talked about whether or not he was coming. I’d wanted to, but he’d left right away.
“And why are my clothes in the bag?” I could see his hand tightening on the strap.
“Because you’re coming with us.” I stared him down. There was no way he was going to win this.
“Listen, Mia, I’m not coming with you.” With that, he stood up and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. My mouth fell open, but I quickly closed it and went after him. Opening the door, I crossed my arms and stared daggers into his back, hoping he could feel the pointy ends.
“You are coming with me.” I started to tap my foot.
“I’m not,” he said as he splashed water on his face.
“Yes, you are.”
“No, I’m not.
“Oh my God, how old are you?” I was now officially angry. “Why are you being such an ass? You’re coming with me whether you like it or not.” I turned around and walked toward the bed. As I reached it, I turned back in time to see Gregory looming over me. Startled, I jumped and nearly toppled onto the bed.
“You do not get to boss me around here,” he said, spitting out every word. “I don’t give a shit what family you're from. I make my own choices. I do not answer to demands.”
I balled my shaking hands into fists, hoping he wouldn’t notice them. “I need your help.”
“So you think bossing me around makes me want to help you?” He stepped away from me, his body tense. A vein started to pulse on his forehead and he grinded his teeth.
I slowly stood up, keeping my hands in front of me to show I was harmless. “If I’d have asked, you’d still have said no.”
“So?” he bit out.
“I need your help. I don’t know how to protect myself. I don’t even know how to survive on my own. I don’t know this Alithea person. How can I trust that she’s on my side? How can I trust she’s really Agathy’s daughter? For all I know, this could be a setup. I don’t even know anyone but you who would be on my side. I’m all alone in this. Both my parents could be dead, which would mean that I’m the Leader of Lorburn. Which means people are trying to kill me. So, would you please help me? Until I can get on my own two feet. I’ll pay you for your help,” I added in at the last second. Maybe payment would change his mind.
He kept his angry eyes on me and stepped forward, where I instantly stepped back, putting my arms up in front of me to protect it. My breathing was coming in and out fast. I was waiting for it: The hit. I practically jumped when I felt his hand on my arm, slowly moving it from my face. As Gregory lowered both of my arms, his face no longer showed anger, but I couldn’t quite tell what it showed.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said. He let go of my arms, and I nodded my head. Tears formed in my eyes. I tried to hold them back, but one slipped through the gate, followed by thousands more. I put my hands up to my face to try and hide. I sat down on the bed and just cried. I could hear Gregory breathe in and out for a good solid minute before I felt his arms wrapping around me. I didn’t know why I was crying, I had been so strong up until now. I cried until I had no more tears to rain out of my eyes. Gregory held me the entire time, even after the tears were long gone. I didn’t mind. His arms and body were warm and soft. I had never been held like this before; Agathy’s hug definitely had not been like this hug.
As much as I wanted to stay cocooned in his arms, I knew I couldn’t. We had to leave for the train, so I slowly moved my body away from his and toward the bags on the floor. “We should get going.” I could feel his gaze on my back but ignored it. I slipped the backpack on. “And I would like us to pretend that never happened.”
“Agreed. I think I might have caught something just from your tears.” I rolled my eyes and ignored him. “Here.” Gregory dropped a large black hoodie on top of my duffel. “Put it on over the backpack. Keep the hood up and put your jacket on over it. I want us to be as inconspicuous as possible.”
I nodded and did what I was told. I slipped on my jacket and put the hood up. I grabbed my duffel bag and slid it up my arm. Next went my purse. As I turned around, Gregory was dressed all in black too and holding the other duffel bag. I raised an eyebrow.
He shrugged his shoulders. “As long as you’re paying for service, I’m your man.”
I shook my head and tamped down the smile threatening to form on my face. “How much?”
“We can figure it out on the train.” He walked toward the door. “But we need to leave now.”
I followed Gregory through the abandoned building, and out into the night. It was dark out, but Gregory had us walk into the deep shadows of the buildings so we wouldn’t be bothered or followed. Gregory moved at a fast pace, while I, on the other hand, had to walk twice as fast just to keep up with his long strides. By the time we arrived at the train station—ten minutes later—I had to catch my breath. My lungs burned in protest and my calves ached. I reluctantly followed him up the stairs and sat down as I noticed the bench next to the building. I sat there wheezing and trying to catch my breath. I hated exercise, and I hated more that I was terribly out of shape.
There wasn’t much to the building; it was one story, had a door in the back where the workers went in, and a small window in the front to buy tickets. Another small wooden bench sat against the building, right next to the window. Trains were the only way people could travel between regions.
Gregory shifted and started to walk around. I just wanted to sit and rest but knew I had to look for Alithea. I stood up, my legs protesting as they started to cramp up and moved around. Gregor
y walked toward the stairs that led to the path up the hill to Gildonia. I shuffled in the other direction toward the railway, looking back and forth, trying to see if I could catch sight of Alithea.
“We will be leaving in five minutes,” a man yelled from the train.
I looked over at Gregory. We’d been here for only a few minutes, and Alithea was about ten minutes late. Had she gotten here and not found us? Did she leave to go looking for us? I started walking up and down the train again, looking for her. My pace quickened and my heart started racing as panic bloomed in my chest. She had to be here. The train started making noise as it turned on, and I rushed back to Gregory to see him running toward me.
“She’s not here,” I said. Tension started to crawl up my throat.
“I need to get a ticket,” Gregory said, looking over his shoulder. “Get on the train. I’ll meet you there.” He grabbed my shoulders and pushed me toward the train.
“You can use Alithea’s ticket,” I said.
He looked behind his shoulder again and looked back at me. I tried to see what he kept looking at, but I couldn’t since he towered over me. He raked a hand through his hair, and his eyes darted all over the place. “You looked everywhere for her?”
“Yes.” I started to bounce on my toes.
“Fine, let’s get on.” He shoved me onto the train and he just made it through the doors before they closed. “What compartment are we in?”
I rifled through my purse, looking for the tickets. When I pulled them out, Gregory snatched them out of my hands—causing me to glare at him—and walked toward the very back of the train. I followed and kept looking in each compartment on the way down to see if maybe Alithea was already in one. As we made it to the compartment, Gregory shut the door behind us. The compartment was small with a chair on either side and a small window. Immediately to the left of the compartment door was another door. I opened it up and a tiny lavatory appeared, big enough for one at a time. I tried to imagine Gregory’s tall frame going in there but couldn’t. He would have had to duck while he went. I closed the door and walked over to the chairs, which were made of brown leather and each had a share of holes in them. As I sat down on the chair to the right of the window, Gregory sat opposite me and looked out.
It was dark out, and our reflections shone back at us. I looked at Gregory through the glass; his face was impossible to read and he seemed to be concentrating on something, but I wasn't sure. That could be the face of man just trying to think. I smirked, and he glared at me. I tilted my head and wondered if he could read minds. If you can read my mind, you look really sexy with all that stubble on your face. He turned his glare to the window. Nope, he couldn’t read minds. He looked exhausted though I knew he wouldn’t admit it, but I was happy he’d agreed to come with me, even if I had to pay him.
“Thank you,” I said. He turned to look at me. He was quiet for a few minutes, and I squirmed in my seat.
“They knew you were going to be at the train station,” he said.
“Who?” I asked. My eyebrows crinkled in confusion.
“The rebels.”
“How? We were careful when we left your place.”
“I saw a bunch of odd-looking military Jeeps, not like the ones the army drives, back at the station. Only a few guys were near them, so I figured they were on the train looking for you. When we got to the entrance of the train, I watched a bunch of them get off at the rear exit.”
“That’s why you shoved me in,” I said.
“Yeah,” he said. “I don’t know how they found out you were going to be here. Maybe they caught Alithea and she gave you up.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I don’t believe that.”
“You don’t even know her. You said it yourself earlier. She could’ve wanted the reward and decided to turn you in.”
“Why would she have gone out of her way to give me tickets?”
Gregory just shrugged his shoulders. “Believe what you want, but I think sh—”
The compartment door opened, making both Gregory and me to jump up from our seats. “Tickets, please,” the elderly man in front of us said. He was wearing a light-blue t-shirt and tan corduroy pants. His hair was white and thinning, and he had smiling brown eyes. Gregory handed over the tickets, assessing the ticket collector. The elderly man ripped off the bottom piece and handed it back to Gregory. “We will be getting to Inonia in eight hours. Please relax and enjoy the ride.” With that he left, shutting the door behind him.
Gregory pocketed the tickets and walked toward the door. He took off his leather jacket and shut off the light. I could see the silhouette of his body as he walked back toward his chair. He propped the jacket up against the window and lay his head on it. “We should probably get some rest. Who knows what will be waiting for us.” He closed his eyes.
“What did you want for payment?” I blurted out.
A smile formed on his lips. “I’m not sure yet, but once I know, I’ll let you know.”
The bastard probably already knew what he wanted, but he was going to be a stubborn ass in the meantime. I rolled my eyes and tried to make myself comfortable. I kept my jacket on—no pointing trying to take everything off. It would be too much of a pain. I leaned my head up against the cold window and closed my eyes. I had no idea what to expect when we got to Inonia. Were people still going to be after me? Would I even find safety? The train jostled our bodies as it made its way to our destination. It took me quite a while to get my mind to shut off. When I was finally able to do that, I fell asleep.
“What do you think?” Gregory asked, peering into my eyes. We lay on our sides, facing each other. His hands cupped my face, his thumbs caressing my jaw.
“I don’t know…I’d have to ask my parents,” I said. I slid my arms around his waist, pulling him closer to me. His body heat kept me warm.
His eyes darkened at the mention of my parents. “We are not going to tell them.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”
“I don’t like them—especially not how they treat you. You deserve better,” he said.
I let go of his waist and slid one hand up to his face. I moved my hand back and forth, smoothing out the anger wrinkles. “But won’t they worry if I just leave without telling them where I would be going?” I leaned closer to his face, our noses touching.
“Let them worry,” he said. He rubbed his nose against mine. I stared into the depths of his eyes, hypnotized by what I saw. I closed my eyes as I felt his lips hovering over mine. I could feel his hot breath on my mouth, and I leaned up a little bit closer, hoping to finally kiss him. Just as our lips almost touched, the bed shook. My eyes popped open at the same time Gregory moved his head back and looked at me quizzically. “What was that?”
The bed shook harder. I grabbed a fistful of sheets. “I don’t know. Where are you going?” I asked. Gregory was disappearing from my eyes.
“Hold on to me!” he said. I tried to grab on to him, but my hands just kept slipping through. It didn’t make sense. I watched him disappear as fear entered my body. I was alone. He’d left me. “Mia!” I could hear his voice calling for me, but I couldn’t see him. “Mia, wake up. You need to wake up.”
I opened my eyes, blinking rapidly as Gregory's face swam in and out in front of me. Heat brushed against my cheek as the dream popped back into focus. Why would I ever dream of us? Like…that? It…it was…it would never, ever, ever happen.
The train was still rustling us around but seemed to be going at a slower rate. “What’s hap—” I started to say when he clamped his large hand over my mouth. He put his finger to his lips and shushed me. He removed his hand after I nodded my head.
“We have visitors,” he whispered. He moved away from me and walked to the door to our compartment; I watched him closely, noticing he'd put his jacket back on. Nervous energy radiated off of him, his hands rubbing the back of his neck.
It brought me right back to that dream. God, I hoped I hadn’t yelled or said somet
hing out loud. Agathy used to tell me that I talked in my sleep. Nothing would have been more embarrassing than if he had heard me talking in my sleep. I swallowed and clamped my hands together. I had questions I wanted to ask, like What’s going on? How long have you been up? Did I speak in my sleep about you kissing me? I put my head in my hands and shook my head. By the time I was finished berating myself for dreaming such a dream, I looked back up at Gregory, who was looking back at me. I raised an eyebrow. He tilted his head. I wasn't sure I understood how we were going to talk through body language; I was clueless at what he was trying to say. “You can talk as long as you whisper.”
Duh. I flushed even further. I’m pretty sure my face resembled a tomato by this point. I cleared my throat. “What kind of visitors?” I crossed my fingers that it would be the kind of visitors who sang.
“The same kind who were looking for you back in Gildonia.” My heart sank, and my stomach dropped. We were now stuck on a train with nowhere to hide.
“How did they get on board?” I asked. I rushed out of my seat and over to him.
“Some of them must have stayed on and decided to do a thorough search of the train, and now they’re headed this way,” he said. He opened up the door slightly, peering through it.
“How do you know?” I asked, trying to peer through the small crack, but I had no way because of Gregory’s large, muscled, annoying body. The body I had dreamed about. The view now would be much better if he weren’t wearing anything. I shook my head. I could not think about something like that. What was wrong with me? Our lives were in danger, and the only thing I could think of was his naked body? Had I hit my head recently? Yes.
Gregory slowly shut the door and turned toward me. He cocked an eyebrow, as I tried to keep my face neutral. I did not want him thinking I was thinking of the wrong thing to think. “I woke up and went looking for a food cart, and that’s when I heard one of them. Said they were looking for a girl and that she might be here.”
The Divide (The Divide Series Book 1) Page 11