Chapter 5

Rain.

The rain lashed at the windows of Una's room and she was simply basking in it. Blankets engulfed her and her tea was warming her hands whilst she watched movies in the darkness of her room, and she was trying to keep the volume low just so she was able to hear the battering of the droplets on the roof and the windows.

She had intended to go out today, go and see Gus at the tea shop and on occasion she sometimes helped clean up just so that she could make their day easier, she was there for hours upon hours anyway - she may as well help out. Of course, Cassia had tried and failed to get her to stop, saying she was a customer and she shouldn't think she needed to but with a laugh, Una picked up a tray of empty mugs and took them to the counter whilst Gus hollered at her for being a natural.

Of course, that was until she got - a little - distracted by no one in particular, of course, and almost dropped the empty mugs everywhere. From then on if she wished to help it was sweeping the floor and rearranging the boxes of tea that she had once pushed over.

"Agnes!" she frowned at the interruption of her mother, the woman's tone very annoyed and very bored too and Una wondered what she could possibly want, and as much as she was curious, she debated whether to ignore her or not and grumbled as the guilt set in and she pushed herself up from her very warm and very comfortable bed.

"What?!" her voice boomed down the stairs and when her mum didn't answer she stomped down them rather huffily, not exactly wanting an interruption from her favourite movie - especially when that interruption was her mother and she was very clearly not in the best of moods.

"You have a visitor." Her eyes narrowed as if the very thought of someone wishing to see Una was foreign, and Una couldn't deny that it was. Her siblings had their friends over all of the time, but anyone wishing to see Una was unknown to anyone in their family.

"Where are they?" asked Una, having a feeling she already knew who it was seeing as the only person who would possibly visit her was her new friend.

"Outside. I wasn't letting a stranger into this house!" her mother shrieked as though the very thought was outrageous and rage bubbled in Una's stomach.

"It's pouring outside!" Una shouted, rushing to the door and throwing it open to see a very drenched Gus on the other side. He was shaking his head from the rain pouring down, shivering as he done so and even went so far as to jump when the front door swung open to reveal Una in her comfiest clothes, "you just left him outside?! Oh my - bloody hell, get in!"

"Thanks," Gus chattered quietly, trying his best not to get Una wet whilst the girl threw her mother a glare and rushed to the closet to fetch a towel and a blanket, "I thought you would come to the shop today."

"I was going to," she nodded, seeing the clouds darkening outside and the rain slamming off the ground harsher, she wondered why he even waited and didn't just leave instead of waiting for her, and seeing him so cold made her even more guilty for hesitating before, "but I figured only an idiot would walk about in that sort of weather."

"Please leave your judgment until I'm warm," he grumbled, glaring down at her as she wrapped the towel around him. He realised what Una meant when she said her mother wasn't the best of people, and even as he stood shivering with the towel around him and his hair dripping onto the floor, it was very clear that the woman didn't like him in the slightest.

"Who are you?" it took everything in Gus not to frown, to glare at the woman and answer sarcastically much like Una would probably do, but he wished to make a nice impression regardless of if she was nice to him.

"Angus, Mrs Reynolds. It's nice to meet you," he smiled, sticking out his hand but her nose upturned and she stayed put, allowing his hand to float in the air until he slowly pulled away.

"Reynolds is not my name," she shook her head, gesturing to the water on the floor she simply said, "clean that up," and walked away.

"She is just lovely," Gus grumbled quietly whilst Una snorted, reaching for his hand and pulling him with her up the stairs of her home, "so she doesn't have your dads name?"

"She goes by her maiden name. She doesn't even go by Mrs anymore. She says it's to do with her business - to keep herself professional but it's not and I know it and my siblings do too, she's just a pest," Una grumbled, "you're going to catch a cold if you stay in those clothes, I'll see if Beck has anything that can fit you."

"You don't need to, I just wanted to ask you something. I'll leave soon."

"I could use the company," she turned to smile at him, gesturing to her room for him to enter whilst she moved to go to Beck's room, "and I'm sure you here will piss off my mother even more and that is one of my favourite hobbies."

He let out a laugh, using the towel she gave him to dry his hair and soon entered her room whilst she left. It was so Una that if he had to pick a room that would be hers out of multiple other rooms then this would be the one he went for, books were everywhere, over her desk, on the floor, near her bed and piling up in front of a bookshelf much too small to fit everything she had. Near her bed was a wall stacked with shelves one on top of the other with accessories ranging from plants to more books to cd's she listened to when she preferred her radio to her phone, and on the shelf closest to her bed was a yellow mug filled with tea.

He didn't want to sit anywhere, or sit and soak up her room and opted for standing in the middle of it, and when she returned with clothes she thought would fit him, he was just more than thankful to get out of the clothes clinging to him tightly.

"So, what made you trek up here in the pouring rain?" she asked, eyebrow raised, "you probably have a cold. Come here."

He obeyed silently and she pulled him down beside her in order to wrap the blanket folded beside her around him. His hair was still dripping slightly and she reached up to move it out of his face whilst he mumbled about wanting to see her.

"Mum closed the shop early because everyone else had the same idea to stay away and I wanted to see you," he shrugged whilst she sighed, "is that such a bad thing?"

"No, of course not, but it's freezing!" she exclaimed, leaning her arm on his shoulder and her chin on her arm, "what was it you wanted to ask me?"

"Hmm?"

"You said coming up stairs that you had something to ask me," she mumbled, eying him as he suddenly remembered what she was talking about.

"How do you feel about a road trip?" he asked, a smirk on his lips whilst her eyebrows furrowed.

"A road trip?" she repeated, thinking of the multiple possibilities of what he could possibly mean and soon did he nod, "care to...elaborate?"

"I was thinking, and this is the happiest I have been since I came here and it's because of you because I have someone to talk to and actually be happy for once. I can actually be me for a change and not have to pretend to be angry, I don't have to get into fights just to push people away and you have never judged me even when you didn't know me!

I know I kind of pushed our friendship onto you but I like you, you're probably the only tolerable person in this town who is as much like me as I am, and I want you to meet my friends in my old city. It'll take maybe two days to get there and we could stay for a while. They know I want to visit and bring you and they want to meet you, so please, we could stay for a month-"

"A month!" she cut him off, wide eyes and lips parted, "Gus...that's - a month is a long time."

"I know but have you ever left here before?!" he asked, "it's a trip, an adventure, something we can both enjoy! I don't want to stay here all summer, I want to go somewhere else for a change and not be suffocated and you need to breathe. You need to realise that the tea shop isn't the only thing in this world and what other way to experience something different than my old city?

I could be your personal tour guide and my friends would love you so much, more than anything. Elysia Ari is so excited to meet you already, and Delilah is counting down the days if you say yes - and not to mention the boys too, they're ecstatic!

I'd never want to do something you didn't want to but I don't want to leave on my own with you here on your own, I don't want to leave you behind when I want you to come and they want to meet you."

He was rambling, his mouth going a mile a minute and whilst Una was listening she was shocked, simply shocked that any words or sentences that she had formed in her head had broken away. She was sitting up instead of leaning on him and the butterflies in her stomach of something she didn't know swarmed harshly, the thought of leaving her home, leaving the village for a month, a month! It just seemed like all too much.

But what he said, he didn't want to leave her behind...which meant that if she was going or not, then he was still going, he was still leaving and the butterflies stopped - the fear stopped and she was sad, unhappy at the thought of not seeing him for a month, it was such a long time, and he was her friend, she had no one else.

"What if something happens?" she asked, her eyebrows knitted together at the countless thoughts of something going wrong, of something bad happening, of losing him or getting lost, "what if I get hurt - what if you get hurt?! If I told my mum I was leaving for a month...well she wouldn't care but Beck will and Kasey will and they'll probably try and kill you!"

"Then tell them after we leave...leave a letter. Una have you ever did anything spur of the moment in your life?" he asked, and for a moment she had to stop because no, she hadn't. She was sheltered in her town and it took him to say that for her to realise.

She hadn't ever left except that one day to change her name, and even then, her day was so hectic she hardly enjoyed herself or the adventure of it all. Every day was the same, or similar and nothing was an adventure for her to go on unless that adventure was the short walk to the tea shop.

"What have you got to lose?" he asked, a smile on his lips, though small she knew he truly wanted her to go with him.

"Why?" she asked, shifting in her seat and straightening her shoulders, "why do you want me to go with you?"

"I told you. I want you to meet my friends, see something other than the town, other than this place, to have fun." He shook his head, and she moved as the small droplets of rain flicked in her direction.

"Yes. But why?" she bit down on her tongue for just a moment to process if she should say anything, but she had to know, "why do you care if I'm here and you're not? Why do you care about me enough to want me to go? To endure me for a month? There are plenty of opportunities to meet your friends, why do you want me to go now?"

"Because I don't want to leave you here alone," he was speaking truthfully, and he attempted to take her hand and she slowly took his, "I know you don't care, I know you don't mind but I don't want to go and leave you here and for those boys to hurt you. I don't want you to be alone and back to how it used to be, and I like your company. I wouldn't be enduring anything, I would be having fun with my friend and that's all I want.

I want you...to come with me. I want to show you how I used to live and show you my city and everything I love and hope you love it too. I want you to have fun with something other than tea and a book.

I want you to have an adventure like the characters you read about have."

Her lips parted as she stared at him, eyes blinking away the shock. The butterflies had returned to her stomach but this time it wasn't fear, but something else, something she didn't think she'd ever feel, and yet here she was staring at him in silence as thought after thought of how amazing he was running through her head filled her mind.

Her heart was pounding, and swelling too and she was sure her cheeks must have been red, there was no doubt about it, and she knew the consequences as she processed his words. A month, a full month away from the village - but she would be with Gus, she would be with him, and any fear that had returned as she thought about the duration seemed to vanish as she realised that very thought, she would be with him.

She knew how angry her siblings would be. she knew she would be hurt that her mother wouldn't care even if she thought that she would maybe just react, but she knew deep down that the woman wouldn't care. She knew she would miss the tea shop, the scenery, her bed, her books, but every moment spent looking at Gus seemed to vanish everything she would miss and remind her that there was more that she could gain.

So, with a shaky breath and the words almost getting caught in the back of her throat, she whispered, "alright. When do we leave?"

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"Got everything?" asked Gus as Una threw her suitcase into the back of his car. She hated that she was leaving without telling her siblings but it was spontaneous, or that was what she was telling herself every time the doubt kicked in.

Two days was all she had to pack and take care of anything she possibly had to, and by taking care it meant talking to Cassia and Raymond about their old city and them reassuring her that she would love it, and Gus' friends.

Their trip to the tea shop before she packed wasn't all reassuring if she was being completely honest. Raymond kept her company whilst Cassia's strong gaze on her son pulled him into the back room leaving her alone with his step dad whilst he made her a cup of tea and she tried not to make it obvious that she was trying to hear what they were talking about.

All she could hear, though, was a lot of muffling that sounded rather angry - very angry actually, and it was clear that it was coming from Cassia whilst Gus attempted to calm his mother down, and when they both emerged with blank faces showing nothing but - forced - small smiles, Una had a very worrisome feeling bubbling in her stomach to the point that when they left, she couldn't hold in her thoughts.

"What was that about?" she had asked as they walked up the hill, and she would be lying if she said the arm he slipped around her waist at the sight of her old bullies didn't warm her heart.

"Nothing important. Mum was just making sure I knew fully that I had to protect you," he waved her off, sending her a small smile but she was entirely unconvinced.

"Well if anyone needs protecting it'd be you," she teased him, but her mind still couldn't help but wander.

"I think that's me," Una nodded, turning to look at her home. Her mother was inside on the phone and didn't even think twice when Una pulled the very large suitcase down the stairs that contained enough for her to get by for the month she would be gone.

She had enough money, saved up from pocket money and an account that her mother had set up as if it helped her be a better mother. It didn't. So, if she really needed anything else, she was set, but she figured what she had was enough.

"You don't seem that excited?" Gus frowned, opening the passenger door for her to slide into and when she did, she protested.

"No, I am!" she made sure to reassure because she was excited, very excited and she did want to meet his friends and she knew that what better time to do something crazy than now, but she did have her fears and they may be irrational in some parts but she couldn't help but think of the many possibilities.

"I just wish I could've told Kasey and Beck. They'll be so worried, I wouldn't be surprised if they came after me," she shook her head, nudging to her house, "my mother - of course, doesn't care in the slightest."

"Cause she's an arse." Gus shrugged, rounding the car and sliding into the driver's seat, "you have your phone. If Beck or Kasey want to talk to you they can always phone you, see if you're safe. You left a letter to say why, and you're not a child, Una.

"I know," she shook her head, running a hand through her hair, "I deserve to do something crazy!"

"Yeah, you do!" Gus smirked, nudging her ever so slightly and watching as the smile formed on her lips.

As they left the town behind, Una could feel herself relaxing more and more. Gus had brought along many CD's for them to listen to, soundtracks from movies and bands and the lot that he loved and who she loved too and as the two of them sang their heart out, she was having fun, a lot of fun, and she was enjoying it.

The scenery of the drive was mostly consisting of rolling fields and forests and the blue sky that looked as though it had never seen rain before. There were no clouds and with the warmth of the air resulted in Una's legs dangling out of the passenger window and her skirt floating softly in the air.

She was content, happy, and the small breeze that floated through the window relaxed her whilst she listened to Gus sing along to the song playing quietly through the radio.

"I'm sure we have passed here," she commented after what seemed like forever of the same drive. They had to stop to fill up the car with petrol but Una was almost positive that she had seen the sign they had just drove past...and those houses...and that café.

"No...no way, I know where I'm going," Gus was adamant that he was on the right road, the specific turn-offs and long winding roads were bound to look the same but with every town they passed, even he had to admit that this one was a lot more familiar than the rest.

"Gus, seriously, we have been here!" she exclaimed, turning her head to stare at his furrowed brows and the frown on his lips, "please don't tell me that we're lost."

"No...we can't be," he huffed. He wasn't annoyed with Una, of course not, but with himself that he got the road wrong, and it was clear that the panic shone in Una's eyes as she pulled herself fully into the car and turned to him with hurried eyes, "Una calm down, it's alright."

"It's not alright, Gus!" she squeaked, turning her head suddenly, "do you know where we are going?! What if we can't get back to our town!"

She was rambling after that, doubting every decision she had made until Gus finally pulled over onto the side of the road near a few shops lined up one after the other, and before she could process what he was doing, he had gotten out and rounded the car to her side.

"Come on," he spoke, watching her as she slowly took off her seatbelt and he reached for her hand, "you need to calm down, Una. If we are lost - we will sort it, but panicking isn't going to make it any better."

"But," she cut herself off, frowning but taking a deep gulp of the fresh air as she leaned against the car and Gus stood - very closely - in front of her, "what if we keep getting lost?!"

"We won't, I must have gotten distracted and missed a cutoff," he put his hands on her shoulders so that she would stare at him, her eyes wide as they stared into his, "please calm down."

"How did you get distracted?!"

He snorted as though the answer was obvious, and stepped closer to her whilst she made the smallest note of the close proximity between them, "well considering I had you with me, I'd say that was a pretty big distraction."

"Don't flirt with me when I'm freaking out," she grumbled, her head falling onto his chest whilst he let out a laugh, "I need tea, I really need tea."

"Come on," he pulled on her hand, quickly locking the car behind him and making sure there weren't any cars driving past as he pulled her along the road, "there's a café, I just saw it."

"Good," she mumbled, keeping her head down whilst Gus greeted the towns strangers who seemed more than friendly and smiled as the two passed. She had calmed down when they reached the café, and Gus ordered for both of them even though she tried to pay, he did before she could protest, and when the tea hit her lips, she was happy again, relaxed.

She decided then and there that their adventure was just that, an adventure, something they were in together and would deal with everything that came their way, no matter if it scared her, or scared him, they weren't alone. She was surprised that he ordered coffee instead of tea, seeing as he liked to drink the tea at the tea shop whenever he had a break and sat with her, but he said he liked to keep himself awake with the caffeine, he might need it for their drive tonight.

"If you don't want to drive during the night," she spoke, sitting down the warm mug on the table and picking at the chocolate muffin they bought to share, "we could always stop in at a little inn, a bed and breakfast, maybe?"

"Is that just your excuse to get me into bed?" Gus teased, seeing her eyes narrow but the blush spread over her cheeks nonetheless. It was very frustrating to her that whilst she seemed not to react to his annoyance remarks, her body reacted otherwise and the blush spread over her cheeks every time.

"Piss off," she grumbled, glaring at him whilst he barked with laughter, attracting attention from the couples and few townspeople scattered around the small café, and at the amusement on his face, Una couldn't help but smile.

"Maybe we should stop," Gus smirked, sending her a wink whilst she rolled her eyes, "I wouldn't mind sharing a room with you, Una."

"Oh no." she shook her head, "I know you would just love to get into my bed, Gus, but separate rooms, we don't want you getting any wrong ideas, do we?"

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"I bet you're just so glad you suggested this," Gus smirked, sitting down his suitcase on the one bed in the middle of the small room of the inn. Una thought it was a great idea, two separate rooms for the night until an early rise in the morning would set them on their path, but of course, not everything seemed to go to plan.

And after driving for another long few hours, she watched Gus' eyes droop more than usual and made him stop at the next place they could see. She asked for two rooms, figuring paying it with her card would be fine, and it was, the only problem was the fact that there weren't two rooms available.

She wasn't sure if that was unfortunate or not.

It seemed as though many people had the same idea to travel during summer, and having continuous road trips meant staying at inns and seeking comfort for the night before heading on their drive in the morning much like what Una was planning. The receptionist said to book two rooms they really had to phone ahead of arrival, and without knowledge of the place, until they saw it, that would have been simply impossible.

The room was nice, Una couldn't help but admit, it was small and cosy and there was a small window seat looking out onto the sea across from the room. The room was a lot more expensive than she thought, and she now realised it was sure to be the view it had that upped the price of it.

"I can sleep there," she pointed to the window seat, it was small but she would be able to fit. Of course, maybe not comfily but Gus needed a better sleep than she did seeing as he would be the one driving all day and she could sleep in the car if she so pleased to.

"Una, I promise to keep my hands to myself," Gus snorted, watching her turn to him with a glare.

"You need a better sleep than I do, you're the one driving so bloody much!" she exclaimed, pulling her suitcase over to the window seat and flipping it open in order to receive something much more comfortable to wear to sleep in.

Regardless of the season, the night was chillier and she was getting colder and colder so she had no shame in pulling out the thickest leggings she had in her suitcase that she specifically wore to bed and a long t-shirt she was sure belonged to beck.

"What's the point of you having a bad sleep when the bed is big enough for the both of us?" asked Gus, failing to see Una's flushed cheeks at the thought and he would be lying if he said his cheeks hadn't painted red too.

"I know you would very much love me in bed with you, Gus-"

"Trust me, Una, not here. Too many people are able to hear you scream my name." She stopped to stare at the smirk on his face, and on her way to the bathroom, she made a point to flip him off.

"You're an arse!" she shouted out to him, and his loud laughter just made her more irritated.

"Look," Gus said as Una exited the bathroom and saw that he had changed too. Her eyes trailed to the bed that he had fixed so that a wall of pillows was down the middle, giving both of them their own room, "if you don't want to, I'd never force you but I don't want you being sore tomorrow just because you don't want to share with me."

"You know you're not allowed to not be an arse when I've declared that you are," she tutted, pushing herself towards the other side of the room to pack away the things she didn't need and get an outfit ready for the next day so that it would be much easier to up and leave.

"Are you having fun?" she almost didn't hear his voice had it not been for the silence around them, the only sound they could both hear was the faint distant sound of the waves crashing against the shore.

"I'm having a lot of fun and we just left today," she smiled softly, turning to face him and seeing him stare at her from the bed. She moved over to sit down beside him, moving one of the pillows to get comfortable, "I've never done anything like this before. I went into the city to change my name but that's it, I've never had an adventure - never up and left as though it was no big deal but I realised something."

"What?" he asked.

"Well," she took a deep breath, "my dad's arrest was so sudden, it was in the middle of the night and he was taken as though it was nothing, no one got a say and he was sentenced just two weeks later. Just like that. He's locked up now, and the thing is, if he knew I was doing this he would laugh, he'd smile and he'd pat my shoulder and tell me that I'm living my life and I shouldn't feel guilty about it.

I think he would like you if I'm being honest, I think he'd like that you befriended me, that you stuck up for me, that you pushed me to do this. No one else would, no one else cared that I kept to the village but if he was here he would've taken me places, he would've pushed me to the see the world like you're doing.

So, I'm not going to be scared anymore, I'm going to enjoy myself, and not just for myself but for him too. If he can't have the freedom he deserves, I think he would be happy that I am free, and I'm living."

"I think he would be happy too." he reached over and took her hand, squeezing it once before letting it drop, and watching the yawn escape her lips. He laughed softly at her scrunched-up nose, and the hair that fell over her face, and with a spur of the moment decision, he kissed her forehead, "I think we both need some sleep, Una."

She bit back her smile, nodding her head in agreement. She lay down on her side of the bed, reaching over to stop his arm, "can you keep one of the lights on?"

"Are you afraid?"

She frowned, "I just...don't like the dark."

"I'm here, Una, I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

And the room was dark, and the two-slept side by side on either side of the pillow wall.