Page 18 of Save You
“I believe you, Dad,” I reply because I do. Nanny never mentioned America to me other than to say she was originally from Texas and had a large family tree.
“Listen,” he says, suddenly sounding more serious, as though he’s getting ready to give me information instead of dwelling on the past few months we’ve spent apart, “you have to get going, keep moving until Xander gets you to your safe place. He hasn’t even told your mother, or me, where it is, so trust him, he knows what he’s doing!”
“I will, I do!” I nod as I reply, even though I’m beginning to tear up again because I know, deep down, that this is goodbye for a while. “Dad?”
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“I forgive you, for everything, and I love you, all of you!” I listen to him break over my words before he tells me he loves me too, that he’s proud of me and couldn’t wish for a better daughter. Eventually, he hangs up in such a way that suggests he could no longer bear the tension, the sadness, nor the fear over when we will ever see each other again. When the line goes dead, I clutch the phone tightly in my fist, making my knuckles blanch white from the tightening of my grip.
“Come on, baby, we’ve gotta go,” Xander whispers against my temple, delivering soothing kisses in between his words, right before I pull back and kiss him properly. I try to give him passion, love, and my desperation all in one heart-felt moment. I straddle his lap, with him accepting my kiss greedily, both of us wanting so much more than what can be done in the back of the car on a public highway, in the middle of nowhere. We both know it’s stupid to remain here for too long in the open when my name and face have been all over the news, but there is too much of a desperation to let one another know that we’re here for each other, no matter what.
Our tongues clash together messily, and my hands grip his face with so much force, it wouldn’t surprise me if I left marks.
“Don’t ever leave me!” he demands as he pulls back, looking into my eyes with so much fear it threatens to undo me again.
“Never,” I reply.
We keep driving and don’t stop until we get to where we’re heading, the whole way bracing ourselves as we ready ourselves to begin our new, hidden lives.