Note: A picture above of the main character portrayed by the handsome Sebastian Stan. Meet Kyle Elliot!

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The breeze was smooth and clean while I drive through the highway. There were rows of trees lining up on each side of the road. The green vegetation cooled the bright sunny day. The only sound I heard was the engine of my slightly beat up Ford truck. It was a long drive in the I-94 W getting to my destination. I only stopped for gas, water, and bed and breakfast for a few hours of sleep. Two days had passed since I left home. Over the wintery mountain, the sun was slowly setting and brought my journey to a close. On the right side of the US-2 road was the name of the town I would be residing until things died down. Whitefish, Montana, a town with a population of around six thousand plus, it was the kind of place you vacationed or planned to raise a family. In my case, it was a great place to hide from a certain socialite group.

When I reached downtown, I got lost looking for the house where I supposedly stay. It was stupidity on my part for being confident in finding the place by memory. I didn't want to go around asking bystanders for direction. Even with how I looked, there was a one percent possibility someone could identify me, which a chance I took for moving across the country. I should be cautious with whom I associated while staying in town. One wrong move and I had to start again.

I kept on driving in circles, taking uncalculated turns to refresh my memory. From what I remembered on my secretary's detailed sketch, it was on the third block from Central Avenue – which is downtown - towards 3rd Street. About ten minutes passed and still haven't found the house; I turned back towards downtown to start again. In defeat, I parked the car at a pavement in front of a bakeshop to ask direction. Contemplating, I studied the shop with scrutinizing eyes, watching people getting in and out of the door. There was a handful inside, which wasn't good to start my appearance on a first day. With a sigh, I started the truck and pulled away.

I stopped in an intersection from the bakeshop. My eyes grew wide at the name on a street sign from my right. A smile broke in my grim expression and felt like lady luck had heard my plea. I continued driving on the street where wooden houses lined side by side. It was on the third intersection when I found a moving truck on the right side of the road. I lightly hit on the breaks. My head slowly shook in amazement. Then I ogled at the truck outside a white picket fenced house with poorly trimmed lawn. The house was simple and ordinarily familiar like most suburban houses. I noticed the neighboring structures had a similar design.

But my attention didn't linger long. From the recognizable man standing beside one of the moving employee, relief washed over me when my best friend noticed my arrival. He waved his hand in recognition. I parked the truck on the curb and jumped out to meet him.

I grinned while studying the casual look my friend, Luke Bailey, was sporting. He traded his Armani suit with a white shirt, underneath a long plaid polo, ragged denim jeans and hiking boots. His blond hair was tussled up, not bothering to comb it this morning. But who was I to judge. I took a quick shower since I left my last bed and breakfast yesterday. We were nowhere near looked like we're ready for a business meeting.

"Did you get lost?" Luke asked with an ear splitting smile, making me arched my eyebrow in question from his uplifting mood.

"Was it that obvious?" I countered smugly.

"I told you to bring the GPS with you. But no, you had to be stubborn and confident in times of need..." he mockingly stated while trying - and failing - to imitate my voice.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's not recount the past and settle on the now," I brushed off his words and close the distance between us to give him a quick one-handed hug. "I supposed you started unpacking while I'm trying not to get lost," I stated after letting go, studying the moving crew carry boxes inside the house.

"What else was I supposed to do while waiting for you?" he asked teasingly, patting my arm in a friendly gesture. "Since you are finally here, how about a tour of the place?" he asked and faced the house.

I followed his lead and studied a cottage like design of the place I would be calling home. Up close, I got to see how worn-out it looked. The dark green paint on the walls had somewhat nipped off, showing an underlying wood of its base. The wooden steps leading to the front porch squeaked whenever someone stepped on it. There were even dusts collecting on the front porch as they passed.

"How long did you say no one lived in this house?" I inquired hesitantly. The house felt like it was going to cave in any time soon. Although he informed me a week before I decided to move in that it was functional and livable – based on his last visit, which was also questionable.

"I had it since my grandmother passed away two years ago... and she didn't die in the house," Luke answered my unspoken question.

"Why didn't your family live here?"

"We lived here when I was in elementary until my parents moved to Chicago. It was then my grandmother moved in. We visit here every now and then until she gotten ill. After she passed, my mother had no interest in this place. So I took it as investment. You'll never know when you'll need a safe house," he narrated and perceptively pointed with sarcasm. "And if you are wondering, it is not haunted. It's just worn out and need a little tender, love and care," he added amusingly.

"Right, little old TLC," I snorted before heading up the creaky stairs.

Once we entered the house, I coughed twice and waved away the whirling dust in the air. But it was an exaggeration on my part. Luke rolled his eyes at my poor acting skills and guided me inside. The place wasn't small as I expected. It was as a two story house with two-bedrooms, a bathroom on each floor, a kitchen and living room. There was even a small backyard with untrimmed grass. Luke was overstressing about how little it needs to be fixed. The place needed an extensive renovation to get it running like modern houses nowadays.

Once the tour finished, we ended back on the living room. It was the only place in the house that looked livable, which means it hardly had any dust on it unless you looked under the couches and rugs.

"Are you staying here for a week with me to clear things out?" I asked, sounding a bit hopeful.

"No. I'm only here for a day. I already booked a ticket tomorrow morning, and it's a four-hour drive back to my hotel. If you aren't going to be there to run the place, who would?" he replied with a sympathetic look, which lasted a second.

"Right. Got it," I sighed in defeat and slumped down on the nearest couch, but quickly regretted it as dust showered me. I coughed and covered my nose and mouth before getting up. "Well there is the dust I was looking for," I remarked sarcastically.

"You could always stay at one of the hotels, Kyle," Luke reasoned, looking a bit worried. It wasn't the first time he talked me on the hotel or apartment idea.

"If it involved me having to pay using my credit card, I'm not going. You know I couldn't do that," I argued, pointing out facts.

"You could loan from me. You only have to ask," he offered.

"No. I'll take the house, thank you. It's the most low-key bet you'd ever suggested," I stated, patting his arm to assure him.

"It wasn't even a suggestion. You asked me to lend it to you, remember?"

"Anyways, if you staying for the day at least help me clean this room," I instructed, changing the topic. "Did they pack my couch and mattress with all of my stuff?" I asked, eying the spacious living room.

"You couldn't possibly sleep here for the duration of your stay," Luke stressed in disbelief, understanding my plan.

"Yes. That is what I'm going to do," I innocently smiled at my friend.

It didn't take an hour for the moving crew to finish putting all the boxes of my things in the living room. And to my surprise, they packed one couch and a mattress. I asked the crew to help us move the old couches out of the house, towards the back porch. I then placed my black leather couch by the window and the mattress just below it, right in the middle of the room. When they were done, I showed my gratitude by tipping them generously.

The sun was about to set when we finally finished unpacking and cleaning half part of the house. Since the living room and kitchen are directly situated across each other, I decided I would be staying on the right side of the house. There was no hope in cleaning the bedrooms. It would take months and I wasn't staying that long.

"Are you sure you don't want to sleep in one of the rooms? We could still clear it out," Luke asked as we sat down on the new couch while he eyed our work.

Mostly everything in the room had been cleared out except for the new furniture I've brought with me, plus the dining table across the room. I felt relieved the bathroom and plumbing worked.

"Yes. I think this would be fine. It's not like I'm getting visitors. I'm living in solitude, remember?" I replied and lightly joked.

He laughed but paused when we both remembered why I had to leave. "I would take care of things, Kyle. You didn't pay me as your executive secretary for nothing," he lightly amused.

"More like personal assistant," I teasingly corrected. "Please send me everything via email if there is an emergency. I brought my laptop with me. But I'll have to get Internet connection in order for that to work..." I trailed off in annoyance.

"In the future when you think this was a bad idea, remember I didn't put you up for this," he held up his hand in surrender.

"Yeah, yeah," I rolled my eyes at his indifference on my decision. Even though Luke was one of my closest friends, I was his boss. He followed my decisions even though he was against it. Though sometimes it strained our friendship, but at the end of the day, we know it was all business and never personal. If it was life and deaty, we both never hesitate to be their for each other - like family.

For dinner, Luke and I headed out towards downtown. I suggested I drive with my newly acquired beat up Ford truck. He was a little hesitant getting in the old thing, but I reminded him that I drove it across five states. He was impressed I got here alive, which he overemphasized. The truck wasn't really that old. It was my grandfather's truck. So it was about forty year's old, give or take a decade.

Once we reached the heart of the town, Luke had a sense of nostalgia. I was glad on taking the wheel since he looked preoccupied looking out the townscape. He started telling me stories on when he was young. Places he went to play, to get his favorite food, and the ice cream shop that he had his first date at the age of eight.

"Eight years old? Man you're still such a late bloomer even then," I teased, shaking my head in hilarity. "I took a girl out when I was six," I smugly stated.

"What was it? A play date?" he countered mockingly.

I rolled my eyes at his comeback. He was right on the mark. "Anyways, could you tell me where we are going to eat? I'm getting hungry after the lifting and moving around furnitures. Don't let me start about the dust..."

"Just turn right in that intersection. We are heading out to Aunt Carol's diner. You'll love it there. She makes the best pecan pie," he gushed like a teenage girl and ignored my remark. I was surprise I hadn't heard a squeal coming out of his mouth after that.

I grinned at his words and followed his instructions. It didn't take much time before we reached our destination. The diner was easily spotted since the red neon light was flashing brightly outside the window. I then parked the car on an empty slot by the door. Once I turned the ignition off, Luke got out of the car and headed inside without waiting for me. It took awhile for me to catch up with him. By the time I got inside, two-uniformed waitress had fussed around Luke. One looked right around her fifties while the other girl might be in her early twenties. Both of them wore identical mint blue button waitress uniform with white apron tied to their waist.

"My goodness, Luke, how long as it been? You're a man now. I could still remember you bouncing around here, clutching your teddy bear with your mother," the older waitress cooed lovely after giving Luke a quick embrace.

"It's been a while Ms. Carol. You look like you haven't aged a day," he flattered her with a smile.

"And he knows how to compliment a lady now," Carol announced proudly.

"I'm glad you finally gotten back, Luke," a man in white polo shirt and an apron showed up behind me.

I watched my friend's exchange like he was a prodigal son. It made me rethink again why they'd left. They all look like family having a broef reunion. When they were done getting acquainted, Luke finally remembered that I still existed.

"Oh! By the way, I would like you all to meet my... ah... cousin, Kyle. He's the one who is actually moving in the house, not me," he gestured for me to get closer, which I only respond with a single step.

"From your father's side?" Carol asked, eying me like I was some newly discovered specimen.

"Ah, yes... from my father's side," Luke smoothly agreed, looking at me wearily.

I kept a poker face as our eyes met. No one was supposed to know who I am. But I never expected for my friend to lie about it so smoothly. And based from his past attempt at lying in my presence, he wasn't good at all.

"Hi," I greeted and gave out a timid wave.

"So, do you still have the old menu, Ms. Carol? Kyle and I are hungry," he asked, quickly changing the topic before anyone could interrogate me.

The old lady snapped out of her welcoming vibe and warded everyone to get back to work before answering Luke. "Everything is the same, dear. Do you want your usual order? Chicken fritters, fries, a vanilla milkshake, and my pecan pie?" she asked, smiling at the memory.

"You have a good memory, Ms. Carol. But I would trade in the milkshake for a soda now. And make it two orders, please," he chuckled in reply.

"Right. You're all grown up now I suppose," she nodded and noted with a smile.

Luke guided me towards one of the empty booth seat. It got a view of the street outside, which hardly had any car passing by. If it weren't for the customer's in the diner, I would have thought the place was a ghost town. But then again it was almost nine in the evening.

It took twenty minutes for our meal to be served. We ate for about another twenty and then paid the bill. Luke was hesitant to leave but it was almost ten. If he didn't want to sleep in my couch for the night, he had to leave right away to get some sleep before his flight tomorrow morning. But on the way back to the house, he called out and ordered me to stop the car.

"What the heck man?" I asked in annoyance as I hit the breaks as quickly as I could. The truck halted right in front of the bakeshop where I stopped by this morning.

"I couldn't believe it. It's her," he gasped in surprise as he eyed the store.

"Who?" I asked in confusion and slowly drove the truck towards the pavement.

"It's the girl I had a crush on. The girl I took out on my first date," he replied breathlessly at the memory.

"Oh, I see. Do you want to go in and rekindle whatever you two had back then?" I sarcastically asked with a smug grin.

Luke looked at me with a grim look. "Are you insane? It was a short lived romance," he snorted in dismissal.

"What happened? She broke up with you?" I asked, poking at his discomfort.

"Hell no! I broke up with her. She wouldn't let me hold her hand," he countered in genuine disbelief. Though I knew he was kidding.

I laughed at his reply and continued driving back to the house. After I parked the car on the driveway of the house, Luke didn't take his sweet time and got in his rented car. With a quick wave, he entered the driver seat and drove away.

I stood by the truck and watched the taillight of his car disappear. After that, I studied the empty house for a second. For a moment, I finally felt I was alone. All the years being under the limelight, one of the tabloids favorite, and one of the business's world's top moneymakers based on ChicagoTime's list, there was never a moment when I walked in a street without anyone noticing me. I never expected for a place to exist until now. 

Note: Next update will finally start the ball rolling. Until SATURDAY! Happy reading. Please comment and vote if you like. I love to hear from you! :)