Heading For A New Life

by Margaret Smith

  Looking around, Laura saw her bag - apparently, Chris carried it when she fell asleep. But as soon as I got up and took a step, my head started spinning, I had to stop and take a few deep breaths. Now all the attention was focused on one thing: to get your things and get to the bathroom without waking Chris or losing consciousness. A nasty weakness spread under her knees, and Laura tried to remember the last time she had eaten - the lost blood had to be urgently restored. Therefore, the next item after a shower, dressings and pills was a late dinner. Or an early breakfast, depending on which side you look at.

  Laura descended down the same slowly and carefully, but not out of fear of fainting, but because she could hardly navigate in an unfamiliar house, and their arrival here floated up in my head in bright scraps that were not connected with each other. A crazy race, excitement, fear - all this seemed far away and unimportant now, as if someone had tightened emotions to a minimum. The pain that gradually disappears, the rumbling of a hungry stomach - that was the only thing that mattered.

  Dawn was slowly breaking outside the windows. In the deep blue sky, the stars were gradually extinguished, and beyond the lake, at the very edge of the horizon, a pale gray stripe slowly flared up. But the beauty of a summer morning did not appeal to Laura, but the can of canned food on the table attracted with a magnet, forcing her to eagerly pounce on the tuna, probably left by Chris. It was only when the first hunger was satisfied that my head gradually began to clear up.

  Propping her cheek with her palm, Laura slowly went over the events of yesterday in her memory, trying to imagine what consequences might await after an attack on police officers on duty, a frantic race on the highway, which probably led to more than one accident, breaking into someone else's house and damage to someone else's property. Will she have enough money to pay off? “Chris and his family had enough money, but they didn't help him much,” thought suddenly, and a nasty chill slid down my spine. What if they get jailed? What if Chris gets jailed because of her? He and his father, even if unwittingly, dragged him into this business, and now he will not be able to leave, even if he wants to.

  Laura closed her eyes and rubbed her eyelids hard. What seemed simple and understandable two days ago has gotten out of control, but if she is exposed as a victim, then Chris looks like a kidnapper and a murderer in front of the whole country. And all because of her. The feeling of guilt, deafening, heavy, tightened the chest with steel hoops: neither breathe nor exhale. Yes, Laura didn’t know where everything would lead, but it didn’t make it any easier. More recently, she asked Chris

  forgiveness for dragging him into this. Now, with distinct clarity, she understood that even if he did not consider her to be guilty, it would not be possible to get rid of this feeling. Even if she runs away now, alone, surrenders to the authorities and tries to hand over the flash drive, even if a miracle happens and she falls into the right hands - who can guarantee that everything will end well for Chris?

  — Everything is fine?

  She shuddered in surprise, raising her eyes - he stood, propping up the wall with his shoulder, and looked at her attentively.

  — Hungry.

  Laura smiled faintly, hoping her voice sounded casual. But Chris, smoothly breaking away from the wall, slowly walked up to her, carefully looking at her, and, approaching, shook his head.

  — Do not even think. You have nothing to blame yourself for. Everything will be fine, do you remember?

  — It's hard to believe, ”Laura sighed, pulling her mug with the leftover coffee closer to her. - But the main thing is to believe, isn't it?

  — So. He nodded at the fresh bandage. - How do you feel?

  — Like a man who was shot a few hours ago. In an amicable way, you need to sew up the wound, but with what?

  — It's a shame Tony didn't think about that either, ”Chris joked as he walked around the table separating them. A cool hand rested on her forehead, and Laura closed her eyes, feeling her heart start to pound harder.

  — No heat, ”Chris said quietly, taking his hand away slowly. But as soon as Laura raised her eyes, he stepped back, casually nodded at the lake, which seemed gray in the light of the burning morning. - It's beautiful here. It is a pity that there is no way to enjoy this place.

  — You should have sewn up that scratch too. Laura stood up and held out her hand, her fingertips touching her cheek next to the cut.

  — Do not scars adorn a man? - Chris looked at her, and his chest ached longingly, longingly.

  — The scars on the face do not adorn anyone, ”Laura shook her head, outlining the outline of his cheekbone and following the path that her fingers laid with her eyes. If only not to look at him, not to let him read in his eyes a silent request not to repulse. - Especially those that remind you that it would be better to forget.

  Hug her, hug her, make her believe that he knows how it will end, that he is sure that everything will be fine, even if he himself does not have this confidence even one iota - Chris felt almost physical pain being so close, knowing that she needs it, she needs his support, not just in words - in deeds. "Coward" - flashed through my head. Whom did he try to protect by erecting a new wall between them: himself or her?

  Gently grabbing her wrist, Chris pulled her hand to the side, and a stifled sigh full of frustration slashed through the strained nerves. A hand rested on her cheek, and Laura looked up in confusion. Her breath caught as his lips touched hers, gently, carefully, tasting. Chris was breathing barely audible, stroking his wrist with his thumb, letting go and placing his hand on his waist, running up his ribs. Laura exhaled, reaching out to him, charging from his warmth like a battery that lacked the smallest amount of power to recharge. The body seemed to become weightless, not a single thought remained in my head, and only his lips on her lips, his hands, burning her skin, kept her from

  so as not to fly right now to the ceiling.

  Chris pulled away from Laura, leaned his forehead against hers, burning his lips with short, ragged breathing. Laura was slowly fingering the hair on the back of his head with her good hand, expecting that a little more time - and everything will end again, but Chris did not move. Only the fingers trembled slightly, stroking the back, crushing and straightening the soft fabric of the wide T-shirt.

  — You are very inconsistent in your desires, you know? - Laura whispered without opening her eyes. - Only recently I said that we must keep our distance, but today ...

  — And I speak today. I just realized, finally, that it was impossible.

  He felt her smile, although he did not see it. Something just changed, as if the rod that held her back straight relaxed, and Laura leaned forward, pressed her whole body, wrapped her arms around her, burying her nose in her neck. And he tightly hugged in response, kissed his temple, pressing his cheek to it. The feeling of peace, fleeting, but all the more valuable, turned my head, spread over my heart with dazzling tenderness.

  — What are we going to do now? - asked Laura, lazily thinking that the question can be attributed to their relationship, and to where now to run. She could have stood like this forever, I guess. Breathe it, listen to the measured beat of the heart.

  — First, let's go back to bed and get some sleep, ”Chris replied after a short silence. “If they find us here, I don’t know if there’s at least one safe place to hide.

  — And then?

  — Do you want to discuss our route now? - There was a smile in Chris's voice. -Then we will decide what to do next. I don't know about you, but I would like it to

  "Then" came as late as possible.

  Laura snorted softly into his neck, feeling that it was becoming an overwhelming task to force herself to lift her eyelids. Weakness spilled over my body again, I wanted to lie right here on the floor and sleep, sleep, sleep, and then open my eyes and find out that everything was somehow magically resolved. And you don't have to run anywhere, look for anyone, but you can just wake up, go out to the lake and sit all day on the shore, watching the water striders cut throug
h the brown surface. As if reading her thoughts, Chris carefully lifted her in his arms and went to the bedroom. Having put Laura on the bed, he lay down next to him, grabbed into an armful, settling down behind his back, and covered them both with a blanket.

  When Laura woke up again, the bright sun was already beating in the windows, and not a trace of her former fatigue remained. The arm still ached, but there was no dizziness or weakness in the body. Chris wasn't around, but there was a noise from below, and the faint aroma of freshly brewed coffee tickled his nostrils. In the bathroom, Laura stood for a long time, looking at herself in the mirror, trying to recognize herself in a haggard woman with deep shadows under her eyes. I wanted to dream about relaxation, about a spa, the skillful hands of a masseur, the rustle of waves and a sugary sweet cocktail with ice. But there was only one question in my mind: how to get to Washington? Who would have thought that a road that could take several hours in the air would turn into an endless race, in which even the slightest mistake could lead to irreversible consequences?

  Sighing heavily, Laura rubbed her hands hard over her face, driving the blood away, forcing the ghost of a healthy blush to light up on her cheeks. It was early to relax. Even this respite, short and desired, clearly did not go to their advantage - somewhere outside the house,

  lost in the woods, they were now on a real hunt. Laura suddenly imagined how she and Chris, applying war paint on their face, crawling through the fields, making their way to the capital, and helicopters humming overhead, snatching the plowed land with the beams of searchlights. Laura smiled and ruffled her hair and tapped her temple, looking reproachfully at her reflection. She never complained about the lack of imagination, but lately her imagination has taken too far away.

  — Everything is fine? - Chris's voice was heard, forcing to turn around - she forgot to close the door, but he was in no hurry to enter, staying in the bedroom.

  — Yes! I just thought about it.

  — Making plans like the Shawshank Redemption? - He entered and stopped behind, catching her gaze in the mirror. Laura chuckled nervously as she turned around.

  — Rather, in the spirit of Rimbaud.

  — Did you have any robbers in your family? Yesterday you offered to rob banks, but today, what? Run through the woods with a gun at the ready?

  — I didn't notice this before. She looked defiantly into his eyes. “I’m sure it’s you who awaken the dark side of my soul.

  — Believe me, you will not meet a more law-abiding citizen. - In the brown, almost black depth of his gaze, amusement danced. - Before jail I was too correct, to the point of cloying. I was even called Steve Rogers for a heightened sense of justice.

  — I didn't think I'd say that. ”Laura hugged him, threw her head back and swayed slightly, forcing Chris to be automatically grabbed under his back. “But I’m extremely lucky to have met Bruce Wayne, not Steve Rogers.

  — Captain America had more than just a conscience. - Chris's hands slid up smoothly, freezing at the elastic of the bra. “He was invulnerable. And Batman is just a man.

  — But he was clearly not a virgin.

  Laura placed her palms on his chest, lowered her eyes, watching her rise and fall in time with her breathing. There was a weak throbbing in his fingers, at the very tips, his breathing was sharply lost, as soon as his hands began to move again, going down to the hem of his pajama shorts.

  — Is this superpower now? - Chris wanted to say it jokingly, but his voice betrayed, dropping a few tones. The body seemed to heal with its own life, separate from the mind, forcing to take a tiny step, lift the T-shirt and pry off the elastic of the shorts, diving inside. Laura exhaled softly as his palms rested on his buttocks, squeezed lightly and began to write out unhurried circles.

  — For me, yes. She met his gaze, froze in fascination, looking into almost black eyes, and quickly sucked her lip into herself. - Can you imagine how hard it would be to seduce him?

  — You could seduce a saint too, ”Chris muttered, leaning over to her and kissing her softly. But as soon as the lips touched, the body seemed to be shocked, thrown into heat, and the fingers dug into the skin, pulling it towards itself. Clothes instantly became superfluous, causing discomfort, making it difficult to feel each other, to touch the skin that has become too sensitive. Chris pulled off his shirt with a jerk, returning to her lips again, tormenting them with furious rage, tongue curling, kissing as greedily as if he hadn't drunk for several days, and finally got to the well with water.

  Desire hit my head stronger than any tequila, making it impossible to think coherently. Only to feel the heat of her body under my hands, to hear the music of ragged exhalations, from which my chest vibrated, taking my breath away. Grabbing Laura, Chris lifted her, placing her on the table next to the sink, pulled away for a short moment to help carefully remove the shirt, and again pressed his lips to his lips while his hands fought with the hooks behind her back.

  Laura leaned back, leaning her good hand on the stone surface, grabbing the second on the tap, arching towards his kisses, which showered every inch of her naked body. Chris rocked his hips, rubbed against her crotch, pressing so hard that Laura involuntarily hissed: it seemed for a moment that he had not a member between his legs - a stone. His hands frantically slid down her back, crushing her skin, gripping hard, leaving white spots, but Laura did not even think to protest - after everything that they had experienced, his every touch proved that life goes on, gushes with bright colors, breathes the smell of passion.

  Chris pulled off her shorts, shivering with impatience, and again, unable to contain himself, moved his hips, smearing her moisture on the fabric of his pants. Laura groaned, leaned forward, taking them off him with short jerks with one hand, and when he pulled off the disturbing clothes in one movement, stepping over his legs, she impatiently pulled him to her, glaring at his lips with an eager kiss.

  A double, full of pleasure moan flew up to the ceiling, the soap dish and glass with toothbrushes on the sink clinked plaintively. The movements, abrupt, impetuous, made Laura gasp, choke with moans, digging into his back, leaving even red holes from the nails. Chris wrapped his arms around her, preventing her from moving, only their thighs were in contact with loud wet slaps.

  Later, Laura could not remember when it was over - she just came to her senses, exhaustedly pressing her cheek to his chest and breathing heavily. The pounding of his heart was deafening, languor spread through his body, and pleasure was still faintly throbbing inside.

  — Careful, ”Chris said hoarsely, lifting Laura and pushing her aside as she barely opened her fingers on the tap and wanted to lower her hand. Turning around, Laura frowned in bewilderment - at the bottom of the sink lay shards of glass mixed with brushes, but how it broke when - it escaped memory.

  — The coffee has cooled down long ago. Chris kissed her briefly on the shoulder.

  — Do you want coffee? Laura parted her dry lips with difficulty.

  — No, I'm just thirsty. Are you not?

  — I want to go back to bed and not get out of there until tomorrow morning, ”Laura admitted honestly, meeting his eyes. - Can this be arranged?

  — You can, ”Chris whispered. - Actually, I came up here just to say that we will be late here.

  — But something went wrong.

  — Something went very well. He unclenched his hands, stepping back, helping him down to the floor, and immediately it became cold. Laura shivered, wrapped her arms around herself and stepped barefoot on the cold floor, cast a sly glance at Chris.

  — I said - don't get used to it, - he replied with a grin and headed into the bedroom. With an indignant snort, Laura hurried after him, quickly climbed onto the bed and began to wrap herself in a blanket.

  When Chris returned, she didn't just get warm - she got hot. The sun was blazing with might and main

  and the room with the closed windows was stuffy. Laura threw open one of the doors, allowing fresh air to fill the bedroom, filling it with the smells of water and
forest. The bird's hubbub immediately deafened, foliage rustled in the wind, the quiet splash of water caressing the stones intertwined with the forest symphony. Holding out his mug, Chris lay down beside him, leaning against the pillow.

  — We're really in no hurry, ”Laura said in fascination, unable to take her eyes off the lake, along which the rare lambs of foam were running. Then she turned to Chris: - Here's your little vacation. Our first vacation together.

  “I would like to believe that it will not be the last,” he thought, but did not say anything.

  They were surrounded by silence, but not the one that usually accompanies at night in the city: there is no, no, and a lonely car will pass, the alarm will start, or a drunken company will pass by the windows, laughing loudly ... Here the silence was different, she lived, breathed and talked the trills of nocturnal birds, the rustle of grass disturbed by a hedgehog, the frogs that brought out frogs near the shore, and the incessant ringing of mosquitoes. Chris stood with his elbows on the hood, staring thoughtfully at the lake in front of them.

  — Are you sure this is necessary? Laura asked for the hundredth time, probably. He did not answer, just nodded silently, regretting that he did not smoke. For some reason, right now I wanted to fill my lungs with bitter smoke, slightly cloud my mind, or maybe calm down. The decision was made - the only correct one, but that is why it did not become easier.

  — Okay, ”he sighed, stepping back from the car. - Why pull, dawn soon.

  Laura opened the door and got behind the wheel. Chris disappeared into the dark and soon shouted: "Come on!" One foot, another, the pickup slowly started, rustling tires, and suddenly Laura jumped out quickly, running back a few steps by inertia. The broken rear window flashed before my eyes, the pickup accelerated and rolled downhill, falling with a loud splash from a small cliff.