He opened his eyes. It was the middle of the night and he had just woken up from a restless sleep he barely allowed himself. Short breath, dry mouth, cold sweat moistening his temple, it was the same story all over again.

It has been four months since he escaped the mine on fire and the FBI, but his memory was as clear as if it just happened.

-

Dark thick smoke was engulfing him in the narrow tunnel. He tried to walk, holding the walls not to fall on the uneven floor. But it was pointless, soon his knees gave up on him and all he could feel was the excruciating pain on his chin, and the disgusting taste of iron invading his mouth. His lungs were burning and he placed his last strength seeking for oxygen. He was about to give up when he heard them. Voices. He knew there were voices of his enemy but he also knew that those voices could lead him to his freedom: the exit of the mine.

A shot of adrenaline ran through his veins, and without noticing it he was back on his feet. Weakly, he approached the voices. Carefully, he hid behind a rock. He glanced at the dark tunnel in front of him when he saw two men walking down the path. He truly thought it was the end for him, that the two only options he had was dying in that mine or getting arrested by the FBI agents. Regrets crossed his mind when he thought about the promise he did to the woman he loved. Would he ever have the chance to meet her? She gave him hope, and he didn't want to waste it.

So, to fulfill his oath, he gathered his strength and as soon the two men turned their back to him to check the tunnel before them, he ran. He ran as fast as he could ignoring the voices shouting at him to stop, to surrender.

Fresh air hit his face giving him the release he longed for. But his peace was short. Before he could even enjoy this seeming freedom, gunshots rose in the air and he could feel the wind created by the bullets fly past his head.

He ran even faster towards the huge shadows of the trees, hiding in their comforting darkness. He didn't stop though. No, he kept on running as far away as he could from the mine and the police forces. He was out of breath but he didn't give up. This unexpected freedom meant hope, hope to meet her. The stranger who saved Hannah from her fate, who saved him from his lonely life. He ran until his muscles were sore. Then, his body bruised, his knees hit the earth of the forest and his vision turned blur just before his head touched the ground.

Birds were singing an enchanting melody. The thin rays of sun were piercing through the thick layer of leaves, softly stroking his face. But something was odd. As he slowly started to come to his senses, he felt the hard shape of a rock under his head, the moisture of the earth under his body.

He begrudgingly opened his eyes. He was in the middle of the forest. The sun was already high in the sky and he thought he was lucky no one had found him yet.

He stood up carefully, fighting against the dizziness that rose in him. Once on his feet, he had to wait for his sight to settle down before he started to walk again.

His whole body was sore, but it didn't prevent him from taking his chance to run away. He walked for hours before arriving at his motel. Then, he packed his belongings, which remained in his laptop and a backpack full of dark clothes, and left to find a new shelter.

He had to change hideout every two days at the most to be sure his pursuers would lose his track. After a while he was finally able to settle down in a small motel in an anonymous city. This is when he started to implement his plan.

If he hadn't met her he would have never dared taking this risk. He would have spent his whole life lurking in the shadow, hiding instead of living. But he didn't want this anymore. He wanted his freedom back, and above it all he wanted a chance to live a life with her.

-

So here he was, four months after the arson in the IronSplitter mine, sitting on this empty bed, far too big for him alone. His eyes were unwillingly drawn by the only source of light in the room: his laptop screen. It spreaded a dim blue light against the wall, his only companion in the middle of the night as a witness of his loneliness.

But he knew it wouldn't last. From where he was he could see the download bar flickering on his screen. It was almost done. In a few minutes he would be able to send evidence of his innocence to the most influential journalists of the country, and his safety would no longer be a fantasy.

Of course, this whole plan could blow in his face, but it was worth the risk. Just a few hours to wait then he would know if his plan worked.

He stood up and walked to the window beside his bed. He opened the curtain just enough to rest his head on the cold glass. Everything was dark outside, even the street lamps weren't yet lit. Mist formed on the glass with each of his breathing blurring his view over the city.

He looked up to stare at the stars. He looked up far above the buildings toward the east, where the sun would soon rise, in the direction where she lived.

He couldn't help thinking about her. His whole being lightened as he dreamed about being with her. He knew he could count on her. He felt it in his guts. She was different from everyone he knew. His whole relatives turned their back on him when they learned about what he did. Even his own mother reported him to the police. But she wouldn't. She was there and she never deceived nor forsaken him.

A loud beep shook him from his thoughts, making him start. His laptop screen indicated the files were ready to be sent. With one last glance at the sleeping city, he approached the computer on the desk and quickly tapped on the keyboard. His movements were fast and calculated. He didn't even need to think about what he was doing, his muscle memory guided him.

Green letters appeared on the screen to warn him that the journalist had received the files. Now, it was time to wait.

Fear rose into his body, tightening his chest. Did he make the right choice? It was too late to step back and only time would answer this question.

He needed to clear his thoughts or he would turn mad because of the waiting. He went to the bathroom undressed and stepped under the water without waiting for it to warm.

The cold droplets had the expected effect to freeze his brain and for a moment he was distracted from his stress. But this was only a decoy. When the water started to warm he had to force himself focusing on his breath to prevent his mind from going back to his reckless plan.

Once he finished showering he stood a second in front of the dirty mirror that hung above the sink. He couldn't get used to it. His new scar on his chin. When he escaped from the mine he didn't have time to heal it properly, and now it crossed the bottom of his face as an evidence of the terrible event he went through. He couldn't help but worry about her reaction. Would she mind? Would she be disgusted? He shook his head to make this silly thought disappear. Of course she wouldn't. She wasn't a shallow person. With a deep breath to try to regain his confidence, he got dressed quickly.

When he walked out of the bathroom his gaze was drawn to his laptop screen, his moment of peace was over. He checked every notification but there was nothing yet. It was too early, the sun just started to rise coloring the sky with its shimmering light.

It was time, if he wanted to reach her location before the end of the day, he had to go now. He gathered his belongings and left the room without looking back to his last shelter.

He walked in the corridor like a shadow, making no sound, leaving no trace. No one was at the reception when he arrived. It was his luck, no one would ever know he stayed here. He put the key on the counter and crossed the glass door that led on the street.

The cold hit his face as he stepped outside. He smiled, it was about to be a beautiful day. The sky was blue, the sun shone reflecting his brightness in the windows of the buildings. He loved autumn, it was his favorite season. The trees had already started to change color, painting the street with their yellow and orange leaves, contrasting with the gray of the pavement. People didn't seem to notice it though. As he was mesmerized by this myriad of colors, people walked their heads down, their eyes glued to their phone screen, blind to the beauty of Mother Nature.

He sighed, a content sigh. He would soon leave this town and its grim inhabitants. He couldn't wait to take the bus and drive far away from here in the countryside where she lived.

The bus station was quite close to his location. When he arrived the place was already crowded. He growled with annoyance at the thought of spending hours with so many strangers, but it was the best way to travel unnoticed.

Once he got in the bus he rushed to the bottom of the vehicle seeking for a little space away from the other passengers. He sat next to the window, readjusted his hood over his head and rested his forehead against the glass.

The bus started to be full and when he felt the engine roar under his feet he sighed with relief, no one chose to sit next to him.

But it didn't last. When he thought he would be alone during the whole journey, he heard someone clear their throat next to him. He looked up and saw a middle aged woman with pinched lips, staring at the seat next to him: it was the only place left in the bus.

Reluctantly, he picked up his backpack that he had put next to him, to let room for the woman. He focused on the outside, on the landscape that scrolled before his eyes while fidgeting his knee under the dark gaze of his neighbor.

Hours passed slowly until they arrived at the first bus stop, and even there only a few passengers left the vehicle. To his annoyance, the 40 years old woman was still sitting next to him.

It was only after noon when the sun was already at his zenith that his phone buzzed for the first time of the day. He stared at the screen with bewilderment: the first newspaper talked about it. The evidence that would lead him to his freedom. His heart raced in his chest and he couldn't prevent a smile from crossing his face.

It was only the beginning, during the whole afternoon he received tones of notification, it was everywhere now. Each time his phone made its shrilling sound, the woman clicked her tongue, her eyes still fixed on her book. He knew she hated this noisy man next to her, who dared bothered her reading.

But he couldn't care less. No, his smile transformed into a huge grin, his chest was rising fast because his heart was full with joy, his eyes were wide in awe before the text that laid on his screen. Was this you on the news? I'm sure it was! I'm so happy! Please, stay safe. I love you.

She wrote him this message, the first since a long time. She told him she loved him. It was the second time. He was delighted, happy. A feeling he hasn't felt for too long. So, it wasn't the haughty woman next to him that would spoil his happiness.

When the bus finally reached its destination, the sun started to set. Every passenger went out of the vehicle and he could notice the woman seemed relieved. With an amused smile, he waved goodbye at her and she hurried in her car with a scandalous look which made him chuckle.

He walked in the streets, at this time of the day people started to get back home after work. He smiled, this small town reminded him of his childhood. The houses were colorful, the grass was still green and the leaves had a deep red color, not brown yet. Even the sky had a sweet yellow color. He inhaled the scent of autumn, a mix of cold air and chimney smoke. It was perfect.

He soon arrived in her street and stared at number 23. There wasn't any light behind the window yet. She was probably on her way back from work. Across the street, he noticed a bench, half hidden behind trees. He decided to wait for her here.

He sat and scanned his environment. It was a friendly neighborhood. Families, young and retired couples were mingling and made this street feel like a safe place. Children were playing in gardens, their laughter echoed against the pavement. Dogs were barking to happily greet their family and people were chatting in front of their door, a kind smile on their face.

Then he spotted her. She was gorgeous. She made his heart beat faster, making him feel alive. The sunlight of this evening made her curly brown hair shine with a golden color. From where he was he could see her dark eyes, almost black, deepening her soft gaze. She was mesmerizing, he couldn't look away and all he wanted was to be drowned by these enchanted pupils. He had to fight the urge to run to her, lift her up and make her twirl around. If he'd do this, he would probably scare her. He stood outside from this peaceful neighborhood and he didn't want to embarrass her. So, he stayed still, waiting for the inhabitants to be at home before going to her.

When it was finally calm, the sun was hidden by the roofs and the light started to turn black. He stepped toward her door but stopped in the middle of the street. He couldn't! He suddenly felt so stupid. He couldn't meet her like this without any warning, without anything to thank her. It was rude. He took his phone and once he found what he was looking for he started running. He had to hurry or it would be too late.

He pushed the door open and the small bell above his head rang to signal the owner a new client had arrived in the flower shop. He looked around him, lost. He didn't know what to do. There were too many flowers, all magnificent. But what should he buy? White flower to show his gratitude? Pink for love? Red for passion? Or was it too much? Maybe he should only buy yellow for friendship? No, not yellow! If he remembered well, it also meant betrayal or jealousy. He, who was a math genius, was now defeated by a simple problem of flower color. Why was it so complicated? Numbers were simple, facts. But flowers? Flowers were about feelings and he was so bad at it!

He paced the room nervously grabbing a bouquet and putting it back on the shelf. The shop was about to close, he had to find something!

From the corner of his eyes, he saw an old woman coming toward him. She had a petty smile on her face and a mischievous look.

"Let me guess, this is the first time you buy flowers for someone," the woman stated and giggled when her client slowly nodded, "Well follow me, I have something for you."

Hesitantly, he followed the woman in the back store. There, she handed him a colorful bouquet of flowers "Dahlia, Aster and Begonia," she said while pointing at the flowers, "they still blossom until autumn and with these, you can't be wrong."

The young man thanked his unexpected savior, and left the shop. When he came back in front of her house, it was already dark. People were no longer in the street and he could see a shadow moving behind the curtains of her house.

Slowly he approached the door. His breath was short and his hands were sweating but he felt at ease. He raised his left hand and closed it in a fist. He shut his eyes and inhaled the sweet perfume of the flowers to give him confidence. Jake was about to meet MC. He knew it would change his life forever. He knew his life could only get better from now. He had hope, the first hope in years. With a bright smile, he opened his eyes and knocked on her door.

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