I pace the ground. The rapidly vanishing sunlight makes my stomach nervous. Where is she? Kaly said she would have her out here in half an hour. Now it's double that and no sign of Lyric.

My hand runs through my hair, agitation eating the inside of my gut. Come on, Lyric. I pace up and down a worn path between two bushes, ignoring the branches scratching my arms.

How in the heck did I let everything in my life get this messed up? I'm a murderer and a fugitive, I'll never be able to go back home, and my family probably hates me as much as I hate myself.

The time with Kaly was amazing, but it reminded me sharply of everything I lost. Everything I threw away. I shake my head to knock away the useless thoughts. Leaves crackle underneath my footsteps, the scent of pinewood stabbing the air. I run my hand through my hair again.

Where is she? Was she caught? Maybe Kaly wasn't able to get her out in time or someone saw her and realized she wasn't one of the house slaves. If she's in jail, it's my fault. She trusted me. Trusting is something I'm pretty sure she doesn't do.

The thought of Lyric trusting me gives me another good jolt of pain. When did it get so important for me to please her? Like with my father. I wince at comparing Lyric to him of all people. Neither of them are satisfied with who I am. Feels like something I be angry about. But at the same time, it's not like I'm all that happy with myself.

From the moment I met her she never saw me as better than her like she supposed to, like I expected her to, because that wasn't her. The way she is, it's strange and amazing and it's pretty useless to pretend that she doesn't... do something to me.

I lean against the bark of a tree, roughly blowing out air through my nose. Now isn't the best time to be thinking about my mess of fledgling feelings for Lyric. If only I can find a way to keep her off my mind, it be easier to think.

Leaves crackle underneath footsteps. I push away from the tree, eagerly moving toward the noise. But something stops me. The boot steps are too heavy. Not Lyric's light movements.

The steps quicken in my direction and that's when I realize there's more than one set. I duck behind a thick trunk, pressing my back to the bark and looking over my shoulder to watch who passes.

Three men in torn clothes run past, tearing through the underbrush. They look dirty and unshaven, wild like they've been in the woods even longer than I have.

The only reason anyone would be running around out here is same as mine. The men disappear and I step out from behind the tree.

"I thought you left me."

Tension jumps up my spine, almost sending me sprawling onto the forest floor. Lyric watches me with her intense gaze and I have to stop myself from pulling her into me. I try to explain away the relief I feel. Of course I'm mostly just relived we can get going. That's all. "I wouldn't leave you."

She nods, looking almost uncomfortable, but a little grateful. Her hand brushes against her chest as her gaze drifts to the dirt.

"Let's get going." I move in a direction, but stop when she doesn't budge. "Lyric, come on, we gotta move."

A deep sigh rushes through her parted lips. She looks off to the left, maybe glaring at some distant tree. "Listen... we're far enough away from Kansas now to not to be as recognized. We don't really need to keep travelling together. It might be better if we go our separate ways now."

My eyebrows rise. "What? Why? We still have a long way to go to get to Canada."

She shifts on the back of her heels, finally letting her hand fall back to her side. "I just think that we're going to split up soon, might as well do it now. Besides one's better than two when you're trying to disappear."

"Not when they're only looking for one of you," I point out.

"Yeah, maybe, but it's not like we've been exactly invisible. Let's be honest, I'm the most noticeable. You'd probably be better off if we separate."

"I really think we should stay together a little longer." Will she hear the desperation in my voice? How badly I don't want her to leave?

Lyric sighs, rubbing her hand across her forehead. "Trust me, you'll be better off if we—" She stops talking, her mouth snapping shut. She raises her hand to silence me from asking what's wrong. I copy her stance and go as still as I can, straining my ears, but I hear nothing other than the sounds of birds chirping.

"I don't hear anything," I whisper through my teeth. "You?"

A scowl crawls across her face and she shrugs slim shoulders. "I thought—"

My view of her is knocked sideways as my body hits the ground. A man with long, greasy hair leans over me, a knife clutched in his hand. "Give me the bag, boy."

"Zeke!" Lyric moves toward me, before another body slams into her grabbing her around her waist. She thrashes, trying to push herself off the man, but he's double her size and easily pins her flailing arms behind her back.

"She got anything on her?" A third man wearing a thick straw hat over dirty, black hair emerges into view. His voice holds a thick Southern accent, and he stands with his legs spread apart in an authoritative air.

"What would a coon have of any worth?" asks the man holding Lyric.

"Let go of her," the words croak out of my lungs because the man is pressing down on my chest with one knee.

"What about him?" Straw hat man jerks his head down at me.

"He's got a bag full of something, but he won't give it." The man's foul breath fills my nostrils, making my stomach roll.

"You're on top of me, idiot, I can't give you anything."

His fingers ball into a tight fist before he pulls back and punches me in the face. I feel the bones in my nose crunch and warm blood gushes freely from the inside. A cry of pain rises up from my gut, forcing me to bite down on my bottom lip to keep it in.

"I suggest you watch your mouth, boy."

Straw Hat scratches his nose, then jerks his hand at the bag strap around my shoulders. "Take it off him and let's go."

The man grabs my shoulders, lifting me up from the ground. He rips the bag over my head, dropping me back onto the hard dirt with a thud that makes my teeth rattle.

He steps over me, walking toward his boss. "Abel," the straw hat man orders. "Let the crow girl go. I said we're leaving."

Lyric's eyes are dark with defiance, but I see a glint of pain in them too. The bastard is holding her arms back too tight. With his free hand, he raises his finger and drags it across her jawline. "Y'know maybe it's been a long time since I seen a woman, but this crow girl doesn't look so bad."

The second man snorts a laugh, but the man in the hat scowls. "We don't have time for you to get some pleasure."

"You sure?" Abel traces his finger to Lyric's cheek, hovering at the edge of her lips. "It wouldn't take long, not long at all. Heck, I might even share with—" Lyric turns her head and clamps her teeth down on his fingertip. A high pitched squeal, similar to that of a pig's fills the forest air. He shoves her face first into the ground, but she manages to catch herself on her elbows.

"Lyric!" I roll over, jumping to my feet, scrambling to get to her. The man who held me down before barrels into me, knocking my back into a tree. My shoulder blades tingle with pain, but I'm distracted from it by watching Lyric.

Straw hat man lets out a low whistle, watching Lyric with interest. "Fiery little thing, ain't she?"

Abel nurses his finger and glowers at her. "I'm gonna break her neck," he growls.

"Don't touch her." The last word barely make it out of my mouth before the man's fist slams into my stomach. I groan, my knees going weak.

When I look back up the man in the hat is squatting over Lyric. He reaches over and grabs a fistful of her hair, yanking her head up. A grimace washes over her face, but she doesn't make a sound.

"I like my slaves with a little fire," he mumbles, staring hard into her eyes. "You should be honored. But I don't have the time." He drops her hair, letting her head fall back suddenly to her chest. He nods to his followers. "Let's go, boys. Daylight's burning." He points at Abel, who's still got his finger smashed to his chest. "I might want someone take a look at that." Abel scowls. He stalks up to Lyric's crumpled form and kicks her in the stomach, the toe of his boot digging into her middle.

She lets out a mix between a whimper and a gasp. The way that sound rips at my heart surprises me.

The man holding me to the tree let's go. He watches me with dog like a challenge, daring me to try to take him as he adjusts my bag over his shoulder. He follows the other man into the bushes, the crunching leaves and heavy brush breaking echoing in my ears.

Lyric sits on the ground, her back to me, posture rigid. I make my way over to her, my steps slow as my ribs jar in time with my breath. "Lyric, are you alright? Did he hurt you?" It's a stupid question, of course he hurt her. I saw it, but I want to hear her speak. She hadn't said a word through the whole thing. It felt like an eternity since I heard her voice. I need her to tell me she's okay.

She doesn't answer or turn toward me. "Lyric." I force myself down onto the ground behind her. The movement almost makes me gasp. I don't think he hit me hard enough to break a rib, but it's probably bruised. "Lyric," I say her name again, hoping to get her to turn around. "Where are you hurt?"

She sniffs. That takes me so much by shock, that I don't say anything for a minute. Maybe it was just a noise made by a nearby animal because I don't hear her do it again. But she does mumble something. I lean forward, close enough that I smell the forest on her skin and hair. "What?"

"I called you an idiot. You were the one hurt, why are you asking about me? Why are you always asking about me?"

She doesn't mean for the question to have an answer, I know she doesn't, but it makes my mind jump and chest squeeze. Why? The answer is obvious. And terrible.

I stare at the back of her neck, watching the way her hair grazes over the base. Don't say it. Do not say it.

Don't make things worse. For once just keep your mouth shut. She shifts a little and my nose grazes against a strand of her hair.

"...I guess because I'm falling in love with you."

I said it. 

~

A/N: First off let me apologize for this grossly unedited chapter, but hey I posted... right? And sorry for the long absence, but between the stress of my new job and school life is hectic and I'm a horrible procrastinator. Can't say it won't happen again, but what motivates me to keep going is your comments, votes, and shares. Seriously thank you to those who have voted, added to reading lists, encouraged, and stuck around for this long. You're the absolute best!