*Ashton's POV*

"I don't know which is weirder," Michael said as he walked into the living room and handed me a set of his clothes. "You needing to crash at my place when you have your own apartment or you showing up at my door in nothing but your boxers."

What happened not too long ago was, I ran away from the scene after placing all of Luke's cash into the mailbox, but I was panicking so much I left my backpack behind. When I turned around to get it Luke, his girlfriend, and some other guy were still outside. Then the entire front yard started to be filled with FBI agents and policemen and I was still hiding away in the shadows, watching the whole thing.

I saw Luke along with his girlfriend talking to that one chief from the FBI and one of the agents called out to the man and told them that they had found something, and that something was my backpack.

I had no choice but to leave the area without being noticed by a soul.

I can't believe I let my guard down so much. It's like ever since I got myself at least acquainted with Luke, I've lost all of my innate knowledge of leaving nothing behind. I've been careless way too much and it all happened after crossing paths with Luke, the guy I like who works at 7-Eleven.

Another thing that stinks about not having my backpack is that now I've no way of getting any money to pay for my rent tomorrow. There's no chance that Leonard is going to extend the deadline for me. He hates me. He's made that pretty clear for the past two years.

Since I didn't have my backpack and I couldn't just waltz into the apartment building in my night suit asking for keys to my apartment without being questioned, I had to run to Michael's place without being seen by anyone. I stripped out of my black outfit in front of his house, tossing it along with my mask and gloves so it was hidden in a bush, and then I went up to his door nearly naked.

However, I didn't expect his mom to half-greet me before passing out.

"I-I misplaced my backpack," I said as I pulled on the pair of jeans first. "It has all of my stuff and I can't get in my apartment without my keys."

"It doesn't explain why you came here the way you did," he pointed out.

"Long story. I don't think you have time to hear it."

He thought for a moment before sighing. "You're right. I need to sleep. Couldn't you have just asked your landowner for a spare key?" He raised his eyebrow at me. "I'm sure he has one."

"Well, yeah, but last time I walked into the building without my clothes he threatened to throw my stuff out."

"You're clothed now."

"Almost." I slipped my arms into the shirt and finished pulling that on before I readjusted it a little. "Okay, I am now."

"Great. Now go home." Michael started as he pushed me towards the front door.

"W-Wait!"

Michael crossed his arms, sighing. "What?"

"I-I can't go home yet, Mikey. Don't make me go yet."

"Ashton, I need to sleep. I've got work early in the morning and I have to drive. Plus, my mom wouldn't be very happy when she wakes up and sees that you're still here."

I pouted, hoping that Michael would give in, but he just gave me a pointed look. I sighed, nodding my head.

"I'd give you a ride home, but like I said, I need sleep," Michael said. "Just be careful, okay? Don't get jumped by anyone."

"I'm pretty sure I won't." I laughed as I waved goodbye to my friend and walked out the door. Once he shut the door, I went over to the bush where my black outfit, mask, and gloves were. I used the outfit as some sort of bag to hold the mask and gloves. I held my stuff in my arms and started my journey back home.

I made sure to keep my guard up just in case anything out of the ordinary were to happen. Every time I neared someone, I would keep as far away from them as possible. When I heard a siren go off, I jumped and whipped my head around just to see an ambulance driving by.

I saw a police car across the street from me and I had to act natural. I casually walked by them, not giving them a single glance, because I feared they would somehow figure out I was hiding something.

Once I was past the car, I huffed out a sigh before I continued my way back home.

Michael's house isn't too far away from where I live. It's about a twenty minute walk, and that's how long it took for me to get back to the apartment complex.

Before I could open the door, I just remembered that I had no money whatsoever to pay for the rent tomorrow. I sighed. I'm going to get kicked out for sure and then I'll have to find some other place to live. There's nowhere else that has a rent as low as the place I'm living in, but there's no way I can get the cash now before the sun rises in a few hours.

I entered the building and walked over to the front desk, seeing that Leonard was there and already starting to fall asleep. I don't understand why this guy doesn't just hire someone to work the night shift. This entire place only has two workers: Leonard and Cynthia. Cynthia's been cooped up in here and her dad's practically living his life as an apartment manager.

I poked at Leonard's arm, causing the older man to shift a bit where he was and lift his head.

"You all right, Fitzy?" I asked.

Instead of answering me, Leonard searched around for a clock.

"Four in the morning," he said. "I thought you'd stay out all night."

"Yeah, well I didn't. Anyway, I lost the key to my apartment and I need you to open it for me."

"But I've no one to watch over the front desk."

"Then just give the key to me. You can have Cee pick it up later, right?" I noticed that he was eyeing me suspiciously, but I waved my hands in front of my face. "I won't do anything. I swear. I just want to go sleep now."

Leonard sighed, going near the back and looking through some sort of drawer. He pulled out one single key and and plopped it in front of me.

"Just this once," he said. "Don't break my trust, Irvin."

I nodded, thanking him and scurrying up the stairs. Once I reached the third floor, I prepared myself to unlock the door. However, when I twisted the key, the thing wouldn't turn. It was like it was stuck in place.

I pulled the key out and jiggled the knob, only to discover that it was unlocked.

Did I forget to lock it? I could've sworn I locked it earlier.

Unless someone else was waiting in my apartment. It could be the FBI. They have been trying to get me for two years and now that they have my backpack, of course they'd find some way to track me down using my stuff.

I hesitantly entered my apartment and looked around, seeing that it was completely vacant. The only person in this room was me.

Or so I thought before I heard the door behind me slam shut.

I turned myself around and my eyes went large when I saw who else was in the room with me.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" I asked, panicking about how Luke was glaring and approaching me. I started to back away from him.

"I'll answer that with a few questions," he said. "Why were you at my house?"

"I-"

"And why did you pull out six hundred and seventy-four dollars from my room? But most importantly..."

The back of my knees hit the couch and I ended up falling on top of it, still backing away from Luke. However, that didn't stop him as he got onto the couch as well and hovered over me. Even though I couldn't see what expression I had, I knew that I was scared of what's to come next.

"Who the hell are you really?"

My heart was beating a hundred miles per minute and I was feeling myself starting to sweat from nervousness.

"I was-" I tried to come up with some excuse, but my mind was drawing to a blank.

"You were what?" he repeated. "Don't try to lie to me. I know you're the thief."

Luke knows.

In a desperate attempt I tried to kick Luke off of me, but he tightly gripped my wrists and pulled them over my head. He pushed my legs apart so he was sitting in between them. I was pretty much trapped under him and I had no way of getting out of it.

At this point, his glare on me grew angrier than before and saying I was terrified wouldn't be saying enough.

"You got away from me once," Luke growled. "I'm not letting you escape me again."