I was shoved awake in the morning far earlier then I had wanted to be. My eyes flung open to see a vision of Nathen frantically trying to awaken me.

"What's wrong," I hissed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, Nathen had already gathered everything, as I sat there, wishing my muscles were not so stiff.

I glanced around, my jaw falling open as someone stood in the distance, staring directly at us. Nathen must have already noticed, as he Motion for me to get the heck up, "we gotta go," he asserted, climbing on the bike. "Get on behind  me," he ordered, and I obeyed, not wanting another scandal to my name.

I tried to not focus on how my skin heated up at the feeling of my arms wrapped around him, or how warm he was. I closed my eyes, as we sped off, swerving around a corner. I knew we were going to die.

Nathen didn't seam to care as he yelped for joy at the feeling of the wheels scraping against the pavement. I however gritted my teeth together to not let out a cry for help. We bounced down a hill, Nathen not showing any sign of slowing down. I held onto him for dear life, burying my head against his back, waiting for this fear filled ride to stop.

"Where are we going," I questioned, feeling my grip on Nathen tighten as we barely missed a bush. It was freezing, and I would love to be in my own bed right about now. "You really are not good at driving this thing," I stated, laughing at my mockery.

Nathen let out a whole hearted laugh, not turning to me, as we suddenly came to a stop, he junped off the bike, helping me off, my skin on fire at the feeling of his hand against mine. "For starters, we didn't die, and I am plenty good at riding a bike."

I rolled my eyes, parking myself down in the sand my eyes on him as he plopped down next to me. Sun had just begun to peek from behind the mountains, thick clouds still hung in the sky. I glanced at Nathen to find him already looking at me. "I guess you have a point," I mumbled, heaving a breath my parents must be worried sick.

"I have something for you," Nathen broke the silence, pulling out a thin book from his bag. I retrieved it from him, turning the book around and around in my hands. It was leather bound, however something about it was off, there was no title.

"There is no title," I turned to look at him, my eyes roving over his face. His hair was messy, dark circles clouding his eyes. He must have not gotten much sleep. Nathen leaned against a tree, throwing a hand through his hair to tame it down a bit. He always managed to look perfect, even in the morning.

"It is because you are supposed to put your own study in it, your thoughts, I think your brain might burst, it is a secret book you can carry around with you." I had never thought of such a thing as creating a book just for myself, but it seamed magical now, I flipped to the first page, taking in the fact that it was empty. My fingers ran down the soft paper, thoughts bursting into my brain.

"Thank you, does your father approve of you spending time with me?" I don't  know what possessed me to ask, but the words bolted out of my mouth before I could stop them. Nathen said nothing for a long while, instead he just examined my expression, so much hidden in his deep gray eyes, curtained by long lashes. I couldn't pull my eyes away from him, why had he chosen to spend this day with me, what was I to him?

"My father has never approved of anything I do," his voice cut through the air and I was jerked out of my deprecating thoughts. I guess we were the same in that way, he and I, my father wanted to disown me, he didn't see value in me.

"My father regrets having me," I could feel the tension in the air as I spoke these words, the wind brushing against the pair of us. Nathen suddenly seazrd the book from me, flipping to the first page and grasping a pencil from his bag.

I watched with eager eyes as he etched the words finding  paradise at the top. His penmanship was outstanding, each letter aligned with the next.

Those words sat at the top of the page, holding no meaning, until someone gave them a purpose, I suppose it is like a person, they may feel that they are meaningless until they find value inside themselves.

"What is this supposed to mean," I leaned over the book, realizing our close proximity, Nathens face was inches away from mine, his eyes molding into my own.

"I believe there is a place better then this one, and  I am going to find it." I broke the stare, glancing down at the book that lay on the floor.

Finding paradise

"There they are, I knew they had snuck off," Nathen and I both swung our heads around in unison, my jaw hung open as I ran my eyes over the three people who stood, Conrad, my father, and the president himself.

✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎

Ahhhhhh I loved this chapter.

Sorry it took so long to update