I ran down the metallic stairs and arrived in a small dark alley. I looked around me trying to find a way out, when my phone buzzed again. 

Nym-0s : Don't go back in front of the motel, there are other FBI agents there. Go on your left, there is another alley. Down the alley there is a door leading to an abandoned office. Hide inside the room, you can lock the door from the inside. 

What was this? Was I really in trouble? I chose to trust Jake and followed his instructions. As I turned in the smaller alley, I heard footsteps rushing down the motel's stairs. I walked faster and spotted the door Jake's indicated to me. I opened it and closed it quietly behind me. Keys were indeed into the lock. With a beating heart I locked the door and hid just in time behind a desk when two shadows appeared behind the opaque glass of the door. 

"Where is the woman?" I heard a male voice asking. "Can you locate her phone?" 

"No… I have lost the signal." someone else replied. 

The first man punched the door and I raised my hand to my mouth to suppress a cry. I remained still for a long time even holding my breath. "What about the other woman? This… Cleo?" 

"Sorry sir, we have nothing against her. We can't arrest her," the second man seemed quite worried while saying this. I sighed with relief, at least Cleo could go home free. I heard the footsteps of the men walking away but I didn't move. I don't know how much time I stayed here, hidden. But at a moment I received a new message. 

Nym-0s : They are gone. You can go out. Follow the location I'll send. 

The location? What location? The screen of my phone suddenly glitched and a map appeared, indicating a spot to reach maybe two kilometers from where I was. A route was also traced on the map. It wasn't the most direct way to get to the destination, but I thought it was the safest. 

I slowly stood up and opened the door of my hidden place quietly. I peeked in the dark alley before I stepped outside. I studied the map carefully before heading to my destination. 

I walked in small streets avoiding the main avenue. I didn't know where I was going. I blindly trusted the small dots on the map indicating me the way. It was entirely dark and I started to be afraid, but luckily I never met anyone on the way. After almost an hour I arrived in a residential area. I was very close to the place I should go. When I arrived in front of a house isolated from the other, the map closed. I looked around. The house was quite big and seemed pretty luxurious. I walked in the yard and approached the front door. Above my head there was a CCTV and the lock was equipped with a small panel. I needed a code to enter it. I frowned, was I really at the right place? I started to walk back thinking I was wrong when my phone buzzed again. 

Nym-0s : You know the code. 

I know the code? I came back to the door, now sure this was the right house. What code could it be? It was only numbers. I tried my birthday, but it didn't work. It couldn't be something related to Jake as I knew nothing about him. It should be something important for both of us. I looked at my screen and Jake's messages. "Nymos…" I whispered. I raised a hand and type '01040' a soft noise indicated the door was opened. I pushed it slowly and closed it quietly behind me once I was inside. 

I was in a dark hall leading to a huge living room with a huge and excessively neat kitchen. The floor was covered with a thick and soft carpet that absorbed the sound of my footsteps. On my right I saw a long corridor probably leading to the bedrooms. At the very end, a door was slightly opened and a gloomy light passed through the small gap.

I slowly walked to the door and pushed it without a noise. I held my breath. He was here, sitting at a desk in front of a laptop and several monitors. He was mesmerizing. He had his back to me and wore a large sweatshirt with his hood on. I could hear him typing on the keyboard, and I could notice he was typing fast. His back muscles moved while he typed. I was finally next to him but I couldn't move, though. I was longing for that moment for weeks, and now I was a few meters from him, I was frozen. My heart beat so fast and I had to grab the door frame to support me. 

"Please, make yourself comfortable. I need to finish this before we talk," I jumped when I heard his voice. It was calm, deep, soft and confident. I stared at him a few more seconds and then awkwardly walked to the couch on his right. From where I was I could see his fingers on the keyboard. Long and agile fingers. It was even more impressive to see him type than hear it. He typed so fast I had the impression his fingers were flying above the keyboard. Once out of my contemplation, my gaze was irreparably drawn to his face but all I could see was a few black strands sticking out of his hood. 

Jake stopped typing and rubbed his eyes with exhaustion, "Good," he mumbled, "I closed every access to your phone, the FBI won't be able to locate you anymore."

He stood and approached the coach where I was sitting. He passed his hand through his hair making his hood fall on his shoulders. I stood up, clenching my fists. I wanted to confront him, to tell him I had been worried to death, that I was angry. But I made a mistake. Once I looked up at him, I locked my eyes with his. It was my mistake. His gaze showed so much worry, so much kindness and love. His gray-blue eyes seemed to glimmer, his straight nose, his thin lips, everything about him stunned me. His stubble made him look serious which was accentuated by the dark circles under his eyes. But all of this made him so attractive to me. I had imagined him so many times.. But I would never think I would be so flustered and overwhelmed to see him. I just froze in front of him with my mouth slightly open. 

Jake's hand rose a little and he gestured as if he wanted to stroke my cheek. But in the middle of his move, he withdrew his hand and rested it on my shoulder, squeezing it. I flinched a bit under his touch, but I still couldn't take my eyes off him. Slowly, my anger faded away. I started to realize Jake was really in front of me. I was so relieved and after all the stress of the last few days, my nerves let go. 

When the first sob escaped my lips, Jake's grip immediately tightened on my shoulder and soon, he pulled me into a hug. I was so small compared to him that I felt as if his whole body was wrapping mine. He had to bend down his head and put his chin and mouth next to my forehead. I grabbed his hoodie so tight that my fists started to hurt. "I tho-thought you were de-dead" I stammered between my sobs. 

"I am sorry MC. I am so, so sorry. It was too dangerous to contact you earlier. But I am here now. I am safe, you are safe," while he talked, I felt his hot breath on my forehead. I buried my face in his chest crying loudly. I impregnated myself with his presence. The warmth of his body surrounded me. I could feel his big hands rubbing lightly on my back to comfort me, his muscled arms tightening around my sides to support me. I heard his heartbeat. The most beautiful sound I had never heard, a regular rhythm proving he was alive. His smell intoxicated me, there was a hint of cologne with something else, something I couldn't describe. The scent of his skin perhaps? Going through his shirt. I only knew it was too addictive. 

Jake slowly turned us around and sat us on the couch, making me straddling him. As I started to calm down, he brushed my face with his fingers to wipe my tears away. My breath was slowing down and now I was so close to him I couldn't help but want him even closer. I wanted to pass my hand in his messy black hair, I wanted to run my fingers along his jaw and above all I wanted to kiss him. I needed it. To press my mouth against his, to slide my tongue into his mouth and taste him, to gently nibble on his lips. The more I looked at him the more my body temperature started to climb. Not to mention that the way I was sitting on his lap didn't help to calm my thoughts. 

I tried to change my mind by talking about something else, "So… This house. Why did you choose this place to hide? I mean… It's full of security systems, isn't it dangerous?" 

Jake softly laughed, "The owners are on holiday. They think that because of all those cameras no-one can break into their house but… I just had to hack the cameras and put the same recording all over again so they'll never suspect anything."

"Oh! That's bold!" I giggle. "There is something else," I spoke with a more serious tone, "Hannah… Alan arrested her."

Jake sighed and rubbed his face with his hands, "it was to be expected."

"Lilly is supposed to keep me informed about it," I replied while Jake nodded, "and… there is one last thing. Alan interrogated me about Hannah's case, and about you. I said nothing. Well I knew nothing actually."

"And it was for the best," he frowned, "the fact you have been interviewed about Hannah and I is already too much." 

I bent down snuggling on his neck. Jake stroked my hair, he seemed lost in his thoughts. "You know… I can't stay too long here. I've got a contact in Colville who should provide me with a vehicle. I need to hide far away from Duskwood for a while."

"Can I come with you…" 

"No! There is no way I let you come with me. As much as I want to be with you I can't allow you to run away with me."

I knew he would have said this. But I couldn't give up. "Could I, at least, come with you to Colville? You said we will find a way to be together. Just leaving you now isn't a way to make it work."

He looked away and I remained silent while he thought. He seemed to be torn between his willingness to stay with me and to protect me. After a moment he intertwined his fingers with mine,"OK. It will give us two days maximum. Then I'll have to go. But do not worry," he raised his hand to put it on my cheek, "I will find a way to contact you and we will meet again. As you said, we both want to make it work, so we will."

I smiled, I felt so happy and relieved. Jake stroked my cheek sending goosebumps in my body. He grinned when he noticed it. With my heart beating so fast I leaned over him and we finally kissed. It was a passionate kiss. It was obvious we wanted this for a long time. He tasted like coffee, which didn't surprise me. I grabbed my hands on his hair and I felt his hands gripping my hips. He tightened his grip as he carefully stood up holding me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and he headed to another room, a bedroom. 

He put me on the bed. I was kneeling on the mattress while he stood in front of me. He took off his hoodie and I slid my hand under his t-shirt. I lifted it up when I spotted something. He had a huge crimson bruise on his ribs. "Jake! You're hurt!" 

"It is nothing MC. I fell on a rock while I got out of mine." He replied calmly.

"Nothing?! But… It looks really bad. I mean does it hurt when you breathe? Are you sure you don't have a hemorrhage?" I started to panic. 

"Hey, hey…" he cupped my face, "I am fine. I promise. This is just a bruise." He kissed me softly on my jaw and neck. 

"Yeah… Ok," I gently passed my fingers above his bruise, trying to calm down. If it was really grave, he would have faint but despite this huge bruise, he seemed fine. "Okay… But promise me, tomorrow you'll let me go to the drugstore to buy you some painkillers or cream."

He smiled, "I promise. Thank you MC.. No one has ever cared about me this much." He kissed me again. "I love you," he mumbled against my lips and we fell on the bed. 

He slowly started to undress me, letting soft kisses on my bare skin. Every one of his touches sent electricity all over my body. His kisses made me shiver. I couldn't think straight anymore. We moved together learning to know each other. Exploring every inch of our bodies. My hands ran down his back. Tracing the small scars on his skin, his beauty mark and gripping his muscles arms when the sensation of our intimacy became overwhelming, almost unbearable. 

He never looked away from me, even for a second, watching me carefully. He never let go of me. 

Later that night we were still hugging, my back resting against his chest. His hand was gently stroking my arm and he had buried his face on my neck. I felt peaceful. I wanted this moment to never end. "I want to stay like this my whole life," I whispered. 

"I wish it so much, MC. I love you," he answered. And with these words. I fell asleep.

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