"Maybe that's why I wanted to get lost somewhere because I wanted to be found."

― Corey M.P.

Irene's POV.

"Wake up, it is 10 already." I wake up Reese realizing we fell asleep too late after watching three movies in a row.

The diner is open for breakfast which makes me sigh in relief so that I can stretch a little and we can have a nice breakfast before hitting the road again.

"Goodmorning sunshine," Reese flashes a smile making me smile too. He is such a sweet guy.

"Good morning Reese," I get out of the car and stretch but realize it is still drizzling. Damn the rain, it's going to take us double the time to reach LA if it keeps raining. But I guess I can't complain cause Reese is the best company I can ask for. He can be cocky sometimes but is a sweetheart the rest of the time.

~•~•~•

I wake up to my phone ringing. Realizing I fell asleep on Reese's shoulder yet again, I try reaching my phone to silence it before it wakes him up too. But well Reese seems to be waking up already.

"I'm sorry," I tell him slowly getting off his shoulder and grabbing the phone from the dashboard.

Rubbing my eyes as I silence my phone, I realize its an unknown number. Once I could see clearly, my eyes widen at the number flashing on the screen.

"Oh my god, this can't be happening," a shiver runs down my spine as I realize the number is Alex's. "What's wrong?"

My mind is blank and I can't even seem to find words to answer Reese. "Irene?" he grabs my shoulders and turns me towards him.

"It's Al...Alex. He did not know about this phone but n-now he's calling me..." the phone starts ringing again making me drop the phone out of anxiety. Reese grabs hold of it, accidentally picking it up. His eyes widen and I sob escapes my lips as he immediately closes my mouth with his palm turning the speaker on.

"Irene, you bitch! I know you're there. I'm going to find you very very soon and trust me when I say, I'm not going to let that photographer who helped you get away either! That friend of yours pulled a restraining order against me and you will pay for that too. You thought I'd never track you didn't you? I have eyes everywhere sweetheart, you can't escape me after the embarrassment you put me through by running away." He hangs up and Reese takes his hand off my face as I start having a panic attack. Tears rolled down my face as I try to breathe but I can't.

"Irene look at me! Breathe! Deep breaths," he helps me get my breathing in control and I completely break down.

"I-I shouldn't have run away... n-now he even knows that y-you're helping me...R-Reese just let me go back to A-Alex." He forces me to look at him.

"I'm not letting you go anywhere. You heard that bastard, he's going to fucking kill, you Irene. He knows I'm with you now so there's no point in you going back to him to save me." He grabs a bottle of water and asks me to drink it while he intently still watches me.

He didn't deserve to get caught up in this, "Reese, please... I can't let anything happen to you..."

"Irene nothing's going to happen to me, trust me okay? We divert from here and go somewhere else. We get back to LA after a week and by then, I'll have my friend from the police get you a restraining order against Alex. We'll fight him together okay?"

"Why are you doing this for me? You've known me for what? Ten days now? We're already close to LA. You should go home, I'll just go somewhere else from here..." I try convincing him. We've been on the road for over a week now and when we're just a few hours from reaching LA, Alex had to fucking enter.

One whole week of Reese has been a dream. Is it possible to fall for a guy in a week? Yes, cause I just did and now that one good thing I started feeling had to be crushed by Alex.

Reese continues staring at me before extending his hands to either side of my face and pulling me close. "I will not let anything happen to you or me, I promise."

A fresh set of tears roll down my face and he pulls me into a kiss. If I didn't know what I felt towards him till now, I sure did now. I kiss him back wrapping my arms around his neck.

I've never felt so loved before. Reese breaks the kiss, leaning his forehead against mine. "I love you, Irene. I can't explain how or when it happened, but it did, I fell in love with you."

"I l-love you too." I pull him into another feverish kiss, I can't believe this is happening.

We break the kiss and I hug him tight, "Alex is dangerous Reese, I never felt more loved before and I can't lose you."

"Look at me. I promise you won't lose me, no matter what."

"Okay," I reply nodding to indicate that I trust him. He kisses my forehead before grabbing my phone.

"This needs to go into trash first and I need to turn off my phone too so I'll just message Ray and let him know that plus my mom. We'll use the phone on the way at some motels," I give him a surprised look as I wipe off my face with a tissue.

"When did you think this out?!"

"Half while thinking out possibilities during this past week and the rest right now," he gives me a grin before dismantling the phone and gets out of the car to throw it in the trash. I'm broke so no new phone anytime soon but I think it is safer not to have one.

We've been on the road a few hours every day despite the heavy rain and chose to just crash in the car after the first day. I stare at Reese as he walks back to my side of the car with a serious expression. If I didn't know him any better, I'd think he's coming to hit me but he never scares me as Alex did. He sure was a jerk, in the beginning, seeming all judgemental and all but once you get to know the guy, there's a whole new side to him.

He raises his eyebrows when he catches me staring, "We've got to hit the road as soon as possible before Alex catches up with us."

He tells me handing me my toothbrush, paste, and a water bottle as he grabs things from the rear seat, "Let's just freshen up?"

He asks with a small smile as I still sit there silent looking at him before he pulls me into a comforting hug. I get off the car still holding onto him and finally hug back, "Thank you,"

"Don't thank me ever." He silences me as he gives me a quick kiss. "Okay," I say with a smile barely a whisper before walking aside to wash my face and brush.

Reese is unquestionably the best thing I ever had in life. He made me feel that one emotion I thought I'll never feel again. Love.

I guess no time is too soon to fall in love.