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*Luna*

The warm and soothing water washed away the grime and gunk and anything else that stuck to my body. I spun around a few times to be sure all the dirt on my body was finally off my skin. My hands wouldn't stop shaking; I couldn't control them. I almost used most of my small shampoo bottle and started overdoing it on the conditioner, but it felt like my hair wasn't clean enough. No matter how long I'd been in the shower, I didn't feel clean enough. And I knew I needed to get out of here soon. But I couldn't pull myself away. I needed to feel this water pour over my body and hope it washed away the memories of what happened tonight. I loved being in here, in my perfect bubble, away from society. I shaved my body hair and let time flow by.

Water continued to course over my skin, cascading off my shoulders and along my limbs, pooling around my ankles. I lowered my head and glanced down. The water wasn't draining quickly enough, and the drain is probably stopped up because of the mud I had on me. 

I gulped and finally finished bathing as gradually as I could. I couldn't help it. Being in that hospital made me do things quickly. When it was our bathing time, we had exactly three minutes. If we were in there longer than the allotted time period, we were punished. I learned to adapt as Chase called it. I didn't even want to think about him. Just like the towel I was holding in my hands while patting my body dry, I rubbed it along my skin, wiping away his existence. 

I reached for another towel and wrapped it around me, tightening it at the top. I did my best with getting as much filth off me, but I still felt dirty. I tried to towel-dry my hair many times, and there wasn't any hope. Wrap and Squeeze method was barely working, but I'm not trying to complain. I guess in some ways I was dolly lagging in here. And I wasn't sure why. 

Dolly lagging, like I had nothing else better to do. 

I didn't really understand why, aside from the fact that my forehead was bruised and fried and exposed. I was out—we were free. That alone was something to celebrate and feel happy about, but we were far from being free. There was the unknown whereabouts of Chase and his activity. I wondered where Amir and I would go from here. He'd risked everything for me. And he gave up everything for me, too. He didn't have to fight for us to become free, but he did. And I was grateful.

Faisal had an antidote handy, and I wondered if he tried it out on Cami and Darren yet. They must have agreed to be the test dummies for it. And I couldn't live with myself if something happened to Cami. She befriended me since the first moment she saw me; she was my ride-or-die friend. 

I shook my head and wiped the tears that were forming in my eyes. I had to stop thinking about negative things and get out of here before Amir thinks I passed out. I couldn't believe we were finally alone, away from that madhouse, and could finally explore a life together. We can breathe and see what the future holds. 

Holding onto my towel, I crossed into the room. Amir was staring out into the window, his back turned toward me. He turned his neck and stared at me from the top of my head, down to my waist. The light was on beside the table, and it was dim, but when he gazed at me like that, I felt like a spotlight was shown my way, causing my toes to curl into the carpet. 

"Everything... okay?" he asked, standing still. 

I smiled. "It is. I feel much better. I'm sure there's a bit of hot water left. I was in there a while." 

One side of his lips spread into a thin smile. "Do you realize what day is coming up?" I shook my head, and he stepped away from the window. "It's almost July Seventh." 

"Oh God," I whispered, deeply upset that I didn't think about it before. "I've been so... so caught up into the mess of that place. I forgot about my birthday. I forgot about our birthday." 

He stayed silent.

"I didn't even think about it, and I don't think I cared. I mean, I would have spent my birthday in that hell-hole if you and Decker didn't get me out. If you never flew over here, like you did..." 

"There was a lot on your mind. I understand." 

"But it's a big deal," I said, my lips trembling. "You risked your life for me. You almost didn't have your birthday either." 

His shoulders tensed, and he turned back to the window. Then he glanced at me and grinned. "It's okay. Let's focus on the future, all right?" I nodded. "I will go into the bathroom while you change. Give you some privacy." 

"It's not like you've never seen me before." 

"I know, but I want to make sure your comfortable, Moon."

I bit down on my lip before he stepped into the bathroom. "Amir...?" He peeked his head around the corner, his exquisite eyebrows flashing my way. "I just wanted to say thank you. For everything. If you never came out to me-" 

He paced quickly toward me and cupped my cheeks. I sucked in a deep breath as he lowered his forehead to meet my eyes. "You do not need to thank me for what I did. I did it because I love you. I couldn't stand it any longer with you being inside those walls. And what they did to you and everyone else they will pay. You don't need to thank me for something I had to do. I had to get you out of a place that you should've never been in." 

"You still didn't have to risk your safety," I said. "Your life is just as important, you know." 

He pressed a kiss to my sore temple and cuddled me close. "Both of our lives are important and flying here to break you out of that wretched place was worth it. Listen, I need to clean up. I don't feel comfortable hugging you like this. I'm still dirty. I put some snacks and drinks on the counter over there. You should eat something and get some rest." 

"Amir-"

"I know, Luna. I can sense your sadness." He lowered his hands to my hips and gave me a small peck. "If anyone shows up while I'm bathing, tell them you need some sleep, okay?"

"I will." 

"And I want you to get some sleep. I've studied the effects of tranquilizers, and I can still feel it running through you. Luckily it isn't affecting me as much." 

He had a point, but as I watched him grab his hygiene stuff, he also grabbed some clothes and then disappeared into the bathroom. I leaned over and grabbed the bag, bringing it with me. I sat down in the middle of Amir's bed and began rummaging through the items after I heard the water kick on. 

Then I gazed at the bathroom door and smiled a little, feeling a warm flush creeping over my face. Amir was in the shower, naked, and cleaning himself up. I was still wrapped in my towel, and we were finally alone for the first time together, physically. 

My heart did a trippy dance. 

The effects of the tranquilizer were suddenly over run by the flush heating in my veins. 

Why am I even thinking about that kind of stuff right now? Over the course of our time together, he had taken many showers before, and he and I have bathed together too. We weren't on some romantic getaway at the Holiday Inn, but maybe running for our lives counted as foreplay? 

I shook my head and refocused on all the stuff in front of me. I grabbed a Three Musketeers Bar and chewed it quickly, which caused me to blink a few times, squeezing my eyes shut so I didn't end up crying all over the candy. God, this man was so considerate when he thought of me. He sensed my longing for my favorite candy, and it tasted so delicious. 

I got up and reached for some Coke, then guzzled it down. I hadn't tasted that in such a long time. I placed it back down onto the counter and walked over to the clothes Amir grabbed for me. The shirt looked comfortable, and the cute black and gold undies were a perfect fit. I gazed over at the dolls and grinned. 

"Ibrahim and Aluna..." I quietly murmured, just fathomed at how he felt about our future too.

Shuffling through all the stuff across the bed, I found some Louisiana State University flip flops. I tried them on, and they were a perfect size. Then I tried on the pants, too, and they hung softly around my hips. Having this connection had its perks. We knew everything about each other, and he really went all out to make sure I was cared for. 

I heard the water turn off, and then the door opened, revealing Amir wearing the sweats he got earlier, hanging low on the dips of his hips while wearing an opened button-up white shirt. His skin was glistening and mesmerizing to look at. My eyes were steadily fixated on his chest and his abs, staring at the drops of water dripping along his body. His hair was slick back, and his face was nicely groomed. Wow. 

And my dumbass was still in a towel, barely being held together by my nervous body.

My face was red hot, and I'm sure he could feel my heart beat pounding. 

One dark eyebrow rose.

My gaze fell back to the wall and then down to my lap. "Sorry. I shouldn't look at you like that." 

"Look at me any way you please. It's okay." He sauntered over to Faisal's bed and sat down in front of me, but he kept his gaze averted. "I'm trying not to stare at you, either, so you wouldn't feel uncomfortable." 

I laughed under my breath. "You realize it's me who's in the room, right?"

"Yeah, but would you care if I were staring at you?" Amir kept his eyes down as he asked that. We were both trying hard not to take things to the next level, and this challenge was... challenging. "Did you eat or drink anything while you stayed in your towel?" 

I looked up at him and met his gaze. My stomach flopped around like a twig. A laugh burst from me—a real laugh for once. 

Amir's smile widened, and his pearly whites shined from the light. "I want to hear you do that again," he said, his voice deep. 

His sound sent a tingle down my spine. "What?" 

"Giggle. Laugh." He moved closer to me, his hand running along my cheek. "I need to hear you laugh more. It was a beautiful sound." 

I wanted to give him what he wanted, to laugh for him, but the humor was no longer there. Emotion swelled inside me, and I didn't know what I should do. I opened my mouth, but I clamped it shut. My muscles felt cramped as my belly felt like a million butterflies started fluttering around. 

He moved over to my side and sat down right beside me. Then I lifted my hand to his jaw, running a finger along his trimmed face. The slight pricks of his facial hair tickled my skin and caused my heart to thump. I brought my hand over the curve of his jaw and then up to the top of his dark hair. He shivered under my touch, and he inhaled deeply.

"Luna." His voice rumbled as he said my name. He said it in a stern, deep sound, breathing out every syllable. 

I couldn't turn away, or do anything else but stay in this moment, feeling his aura connecting to mine. I was frozen, unable to look anywhere else. The soft color of his brown eyes shimmered from the light, and I leaned forward, placing my lips against his. The slight touch sent a heatwave of emotions through my system. I moved my tongue along with his, feeling our souls connecting again. Strange, but this moment felt like it was our first kiss, and it felt more passionate and hungry; we truly missed this feeling. My pulse was racing, and my mind felt dizzy and light. 

If we didn't stop this now, we might end up doing more, and I didn't know how he'd feel about that. He's never had sex with no other woman in his life, and I wasn't sure how I'd feel about taking that moment away from him. I knew within his soul he had always waited for his wedding day, like some people, to be intimate, and it shouldn't be me who took that reservation away from him.

Amir slipped his hand on the back of my head, his fingers slightly tugging the strands of my damp hair. Our kiss deepened as I tasted all of him. His taste was everywhere on my chin, neck, cheek, and skin. There was nothing but us—us lost in our moment. What happened tonight just slipped away. All our problems seemed to have vanished, and they weren't going to stop me from opening my mouth wider, taking him in. We kissed like we would slip away and never have this moment again, and that could happen, but we yearned for each other so much more now, ever since our lips physically connected. His kiss had kept me intoxicated, drunk and thirsty, and his fingers delicately traced my jawline, drifting down my throat, gradually tracing a path. 

I brought a hand over his chest and worked my way down his stomach. My fingers traced the outline of his ribbed abs, and I could sense how my touch affected him; he made a sound as he marveled against me. And when his throat made a cute growl, I melted. It turned me on.

I eased back on the bed as he positioned himself over me, supporting his weight with one arm and holding me with the other. Our mouths never broke apart as we continued lying down and ravishing in our embrace. We'd been physical in our minds, but this time would be our actual first time together. This moment was never thought to happen between us. Our love was so unique and pure and timeless, I was ready to share my whole body with him. Excitement and nervousness coursed through my soul, and I felt my blood heating. 

Amir lifted his head up, gazing passionately into my eyes. Between the soft parts of him, his pupils sparked like beautiful polished diamonds as he slowly ran a hand down my arm. My fingers tightened around his shoulder as he worked his way to the edge of my towel. Each slow movement and the soft touch of his fingers had my heart beating, pounding harshly inside my chest. My eyes traveled over his exquisite jawline and later settled on the beautiful design of his face. God—Allah—he made him so beautifully. 

His hand traced the spot that kept my towel in place, and his eyes fluttered with mine. "If you feel uncomfortable, I'll stop." 

"I don't," I said a little too eagerly. 

"I wasn't expecting for us to do anything." 

I let out a soft giggle and felt his erection hit my core. "Really? You weren't?" 

"I mean, we are finally together, and we're away from there." He swooped down and kissed me softly. "But I know right now may not be the best time. It could be too much-" 

I slipped my hand over his mouth and silenced him. Then I brought my hand down to the waist band of his sweats, tugging them lightly. "Everything's fine. None of this is too much. You're perfect." 

He let out a tiny laugh and bit his lower lip. "You're perfect, too. I was hoping to hear that, but I didn't expect to. Was that weird or stupid to want that?" 

I barked out a laugh. "No. But you seem to forget that I can sense what's going on inside your mind. Most of the time." I grinned a little, making him smile.

"Oh? Is that so?" He leaned down to kiss my lips, then nipped the bottom one. "What am I thinking now?" 

"That you're in the mood for something sweet." I giggled and arched my back as he brought an arm around my side, and then he propped himself between my legs. "And maybe sweets aren't enough." 

"Maybe," he said, chuckling deep in the back of his throat. 

As he lifted himself up, his mouth lowered down to the many goosebumps forming around my shoulders and near my neck. His eyes stared deeply into mine, causing my heart to bounce around again. 

You are so beautiful. You were beautifully made.

I smiled and reached up to meet his lips. 

"Everything about you is beautiful," he said, like he could tell what I was thinking. Maybe he could. 

I brought my hands back to his chest and eased his shirt off him, then I opened my towel, exposing my body. 

He gulped, eyes widening, and his arousal really hit between my legs under his pants. I brought my hand up and tangled his hair with my fingers, then wrapped a leg around his hip. 

He took a sharp breath. "Your aura is... so... sensual. I can feel it vibrating my soul, if that makes sense." 

"It makes perfect sense, and the feeling is mutual." I leaned my body up, urging him to keep going. 

His biceps bulged as he continued to glide his mouth along my lips and chin. I wanted him to lower his pants, but then again I was enjoying this sexual tension we had going on here. Those clever fingers of his went down my body as they soothed my skin, causing my body to shake. I began feeling my anatomy—a bright white light suddenly flooded the room, ruining the moment. 

Amir hopped off me quickly and grabbed his gun, then paced toward the window, and slowly peeled back the thick curtain to see what was going on. I pulled myself up, hitting the mattress several times to look for my lost towel, and then I found it. I covered myself and darted off to the pistol Decker handed me earlier. 

Terror ran down my spine as I pondered what was going on.

Were they still searching for us? 

Did they know we were here?

I stepped over to where he stood, still securing the towel around my body. My hand was shaking so rapidly as I held onto the pistol. This thing scared me. 

"It was only headlights," Amir said, letting out a long breath. He let go of the curtain and glanced back at me. "They had their bright lights on." 

My hand tightened around the gun. "Just lights?" 

His gaze dropped to me, and toward the gun, and then he slightly laughed. "Just lights, Annie." 

"Annie?" 

"Yeah. Annie Oakley." 

"Are you seriously making jokes right now?" 

"You want to wonder about my jokes and not how I know who Annie Oakley is?" 

I laid down my gun and breathed heavily. That light scared the devil out of me. And Amir was making jokes. My heart was pumping so fast, even a roadrunner wouldn't be able to keep up. It hit me now that this was what our lives were reduced to. Looking over our shoulders non-stop. I'll be flying into defense and panic mode each time I saw lights shine my way, or stay cautious every time I heard someone knocking on my door. And why not add cops and anyone else who was patrolling and doing their job? 

This was what we'd be doing from now on. 

My reaction to the lights beaming in the window was to grab a gun, stand back, and get ready to shoot-to-kill. That was pitiful and exhausting. 

"Moon...?"

I lowered my head and tried to calm myself down. A fire crawled down my limbs and inside my stomach, creeping inside my chest. Tears came flooding out of my eyes. So many horrible memories flashed through my head. It was on repeat. Pressure hit my chest so deep, it tightened around my lungs with pain going down my veins. I remembered my treatments. I remembered my injections. I remembered... I remembered... Oh God, I remembered how painful the last experiment was. A shudder rolled down my neck. Several weeks of tears that I never let fall because I didn't want to show them any weakness. I didn't want them to know they were getting to me, even though I was poor with that. 

Amir stood in front of me in seconds, carefully tracing my cheeks with his fingertips. He tried to get me to look at him, but my gaze could only stay down to the floor. I couldn't look anywhere else. "Luna," he said, holding my shoulders with both of his hands. "Hey, it's okay. We are fine. There's nobody here but us. Just us. We're safe." 

I realized that, but the headlights weren't the biggest thing on my mind. It was an accumulation of everything I went through for those long, rough weeks. It was knowing that while I was inside, I had no control over my life or my body. Everything was piled up on me at once, and it hurt the worst realizing my daughter hadn't seen me for days. I felt the pain of every shock and watching how others were treated. It cut through me, shattering my soul. The harrowing escape where I shot people and hurt them just so I could run from there. Each one of those people had families who will miss their loved ones because they did their job at protecting the inside. And I was sure I killed somebody. Their blood was on my hands. 

And then there was Chase... 

"Say something," Amir murmured, his caramel eyes so full of concern. "Luna, I need you to talk. Please." 

I sat up straighter on the bed and closed my eyes. I needed to be strong. I didn't need to be thinking about this. I pleaded with myself over and over to be strong and push past everything, but it was hard to so. 

"Baby," he said calmly. "Look at me." 

I kept my eyes closed, knowing that if I saw his face, the dam will break again and tears will slip out quicker than filling up a bathtub. I was beaten and torn inside, and this wasn't something I wanted him to see.

But he turned my way and leaned over, softly laying a kiss on each of my closed eyelids, kissing away my tears. That just made me hurt even more. "Whatever you're going through is okay. I've got you, Moon. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here. It's okay. Let it out." 

His last words were the final straw.

The dam burst open, and I lost it.

***

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