I slip out from under Chance's arm and move to the bathroom to get dressed. When I get out Chance is pulling a shirt over his head. I feel myself blush as I see his muscles ripple. Chance cleared his throat and I turn my face away.
"So you haven't changed.!"
"I did! I changed out of my pajamas!"
Chance puts his hands on my waist and spins me around.
"That's not what I meant." He said
"Then what did you mean?!"
"I mean your prudeness."
I smack him, somewhat lightly.
"I am not a prude!"
"Hm. Then why did you blush when you saw me shirtless?"
"I...I….I...I don't know!" I stutter
I place my beet red face into my hands. Chance rubs my back as he waits for me to calm down. When my breath evens out, Chance pries my hands away from my face. He leans down and pecks my lips. Before he can pull away I wrap my arms around his neck and tug him back. He stiffens, a little surprised at first, but he kisses me back anyways. His arms wrap around my waist as he lifts me up to him. Just then, the door opens.
Chance sets me down and looks to find Eclipse leaning in the doorway with a smug look on his face.
"Get packed up, we need to go."
With that he closes the door and I'm left to think about whatever the heck just happened. I don't realize Chance is talking to me until he shakes me a little bit.
"We should probably get packed up."
"Why?"
"Because Eclipse never tells people what to do."
"True, but can't we wait five more minutes?"
I inch my hands back up around his neck and pull him close. He presses his lips to mine as he unwinds my hands from his neck. He slips his hands through mine before pulling back. I open my eyes and smile at him, and then I notice the ring.
"Chance?!"
"What?"
"This ring is beautiful!"
Chance smirked as he wraps his arms around my waist.
"It was my mother's." he stated simply.
"Chance?!"
"What?"
"I shouldn't be wearing it!"
"Why?"
"It's your mother's! What if I lose it?!"
"You won't."
"How?!"
"It's enchanted. Even if you wanted to, you wouldn't be able to lose this ring. I was extra careful just in case."
"What if I ruin it?"
"You won't."
"How?!"
"Melyssia, you are the most important person in the world to me. I love you so much. If you are worried about ruining the ring, then I can enchant it. So, any more questions?"
I shook my head from side to side.
"Okay. Good. Now let's get packing before Melody comes and breaks down the door."
I laugh and turn to pack when Chance pulls my arm and spins me around. He pulls me up against him and plants his lips on mine. He holds me tight before prying me off him. He smiles at me and whispers the three words I will never get tired of hearing
"I love you Melyssia, now through forever."
He shoves me toward my bag and he moves towards his. He shoves stuff in his and paces as I slowly pack mine. I finally shoulder my bag as he paces across the room for the 64th time. He turns around and sees that I'm ready. He holds out his hand as he reaches for the door with the other. Our lives may be hell down the road, but right now in this moment, I've never been closer to heaven.
⬖⬘⬗
A half hour later we are all piled in the car after getting some more snacks and filing the tank up with gas on the car. We zip down the road as Chance drives for the first half of the day. Instead of cutting through Iowa, Chance takes a detour through Missouri. We drive on the Northern side, in between Iowa and Missouri. I look out the window as he drives and then I see it. I see the place where Chance rescued me.
Of course the land has healed from that day, but I never have. All I remember is the car getting hit on one side, then floating as the car rolled, until we came to a stop a half mile from the road. Chance happened to be driving by when I was walking away from the car. The bodies of my parents laying in the front seat, while I walked away. Chance took me back to my house, because I gave him directions, and packed up my stuff to go live with him.
Fingers tapping my shoulder broke my daze. I turned around and saw Chance looking at me and the road. He mouthed,
"Are you okay?"
I nodded and he grabbed my hand to interlace our fingers. I looked around the car to see that Adeline had crawled into the back with the other kids and they were all asleep. Even Eclipse, although he hardly ever sleeps. His rescue was one of the hardest, Melody was passed out when the accident happened, but Eclipse was awake for it all. Even when his mom's skull shattered apart.
Eclipse is very quiet and mostly keeps to himself. Melody is his twin sister and they do everything together. Maverick's family were hiking when his parents fell off the cliff. Adeline was the easiest to get used to us. She was three years old when we rescued her. We were driving back to the house after getting groceries during the summer when the car in front of us swerved off the road and straight into a tree. Chance pulled over and pulled Adeline from the car. I named her since she was too young to remember anything.
Chance and I sat in silence for a while. Soon he pulled over and it was my turn to drive. We got more drinks for the long haul ahead, we would be out of Missouri soon and would be crossing over into Illinois in about an hour.
When we were getting back to the car from inside the gas station when Chance pulled me aside.
"What?" I asked, touching his arm lightly.
"Those guys over at pump 9, you see them?"
I nodded.
"They've followed us since we left the motel."
"Okay, so what do we do?"
"You're going to take the keys and go over to that car which is the exact same as yours while I'm going to sneak over and get our bags."
"What if you get caught?!"
Chance pecked my lips and said
"Then I won't get caught!"
Chance jogged over to the car, the air warping around him. The kids and I got in the new car when Chance popped up into the passenger seat. I jumped, but slammed on the throttle once we reached the freeway.
Once we were miles from there, Chance finally spoke up.
"Change of plans, we will not be stopping to sleep tonight and stops at the gas station will be minimal."
The kids all nodded. I grumbled about having to sleep in the car while we went to Maine. Sleeping in the car made my neck hurt. I felt something brush my hair and all of a sudden I was a lot more comfortable. Maybe getting there wouldn't be that hard. It turns out I was wrong.