Cillian followed after Arlo, keeping close to her since he didn't exactly feel too safe being out here in a shady highway motel. He didn't say anything, not yet. He wanted to make sure that they were truly alone. Arlo led him to the back of the motel where a pool shun in the dead of night. "So, you brought me out here, are we gonna talk now?" She asked, not yet turning around. She took in a deep breath that was anything but steady, then turned to him.

"Arlo, I'm good, are you feeling?"

"No Cillian. We ran away from home. You almost got shot, we were shot at! I mean this is all fucking insane!" she threw her hands up in the air. "What are we doing Cillian... we're—we're traveling through five states, in hopes that Owen is still alive." She bit her lip, worrying it as she hugged herself. He stepped forward but a hand rose to stop him. "He better be alive, because I don't want to have to see the pain in your eyes or pay a greater consequence because of it."

He opened his mouth, then swore and tried again. "Look, I still believe that he is alive, and I hate having you involved in something that might turn dangerous... I understand if you would rather go home, but I can't just sit around and not at least try to save him."

Her eyes focused on him. "He was the one person, in that godforsaken town who actually gave a damn about me. Shit, without him I wouldn't be alive right now..." Arlo's eyes widened and then she narrowed her gaze at him.

"Wait, what?" he moved back but she rushed forward and grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. "No, you don't get to run away Cillian. What the hell did you mean by that?"

He took a deep breath in, then shook his head, embarrassed to have her know about his weakest moment. "I was around like fourteen... I had been tormented by kids since I was young because of who my parents were, because of the rumors about me. I never felt like I was worth anything, and Owen was the only friend that I had." He began tapping his fingers at his thigh, his eyes filling with tears. "I was on the bridge, the same one that led us out of Bick Mills. I was ready to jump, Arlo." He shook his head as he brushed away the tears. "I couldn't take the bullying, the beatings, the name callings... Owen got to me, I don't know how, but he did. He grabbed me so fast that I almost felt like I had jumped." His lips began to quiver, but then she squeezed his arm softly letting him know that she was there for him. "He was so angry," he said taking a shaky breath, "he hit me and told me to never do that again, to never leave him—that I couldn't leave him alone. He loved me and I was his brother, the only person who he cared for, the only person who cared for me." He met her gaze, "I was happy that he had saved me, that he cared enough to come and find me."

"Cillian..."

"I have to save him. Arlo, I just have to."

"I understand, now." She nodded, her mind still unsettled. "Our parents... they'll be looking for us?" He arched his brow at her.

"Yes... your parents, my sister, they'll have our faces plastered everywhere by tomorrow, so we'll need to be extra careful crossing boarders."

"Yeah, my mother's a lawyer and your sister is a cop, and Taro's mother is a fortune teller... well, aren't we fortunate."

He chuckled. "Fortune teller?"

She breathed out a chuckle, "trust me, she's the real deal."

He didn't argue with her, just pulled her close to her, hugging her. "What's your father's profession again?"

She wrapped her arms around his waist, humming softly against the sweet smell of his cologne. "You know we'll have to hide our faces, right?" he hummed in agreement to her statement and sighed.

"Avoiding the question,"

She sighed, then bit his chest playfully, making him giggle in turn. "He's a Realtor... and he owns a catering company. He's successful enough to run it from home, so he tries to be home as often as possible since mom is mostly busy at the office. You know, to keep that stable parenting in check." He nodded, then pressed his lips to her temple. "Huh, how's that working out for him?"

She smiled, running her hands along his sides... trying to not think of how much trouble she was about to be in once this was all over. "It's working out well... but I hate feeling like he's going to be broken when he finds out that I'm gone." She closed her eyes, remembering her last words to him, the way the joy in his eyes paled and the way he felt like she had slapped his hand and when she told him not to touch her. "I love and value him... I hope he knows that."

Cillian pulled back, then touched her cheek and lifted her face until she was looking him in the eyes. "He does. He'll feel like hell when he doesn't find you in the morning, he'll feel like it was his fault... but he knows you, and knows that you love him, and that it wasn't his fault." He brushed away the tears that rolled from her eyes and then shushed her again.

Arlo tiptoed and pressed a small kiss to his lips. "I think I'm falling for you... but I have no idea how to deal with that."

He smiled, but the frown. "Arlo, I think I feel the same way too... but I definitely don't know how to deal with it. I truly don't, but hold on to that feeling for me... just in case we don't find Owen alive, and I get convicted for murder and kidnapping you and Taro."

She leaned her forehead to his shoulder and laughed. "Let's go back to the room before Taro thinks we ditched her."

He laughed, squeezing her once more before they pulled apart.

"Nah, she'd just eat all of our food." Arlo said, as he draped his arm over her shoulders.

The couple got back to the room and met a delivery person there dropping off their food orders. Taro smiled and waved at them. "Where have you two lovebirds been?"

"Just talking, let's get inside." He took the bags from Taro and walked into the room. Arlo locked back the door and made sure the curtains were properly drawn. "So, Taro..." Cillian said, calling the attention of both girls.

"Yes."

She rose her eyebrow at him then turned her puzzled gaze over to Arlo, who shrugged then went back to the clear blue eyes of Cillian. "Yes?" she repeated taking her time to sit back on her bed, "what's up?"

"Well, I'm very thankful that you broke whatever house rules that you had and ran off with me... but I don't want it to seem like I'm leading you on to chase a ghost." He took a moment, then began again. "I'm not saying that we're ghost hunting, but I am saying it is a far cry, but it comes with its reasons. I got a phone call from Owen tonight, and it... it scared me and gave me hope at the same time. I hope that that's enough for you to still accompany me."

Taro kept quiet then started to snicker, Cillian waited for her reply, waited with his breath held as she continued on. Taro wiped away the tear at his eye, then looked back up at him and sighed. "Dude, if I didn't wanna be here, then I would have never trusted Arlo when she said that Owen may still be alive. He was your best friend, and I'm not gonna lie, but Arlo and I would do the same for each other." She stood up from the bed. "I understand your reason for wanting to drive cross country, for Owen's sake, you're alone, and he's your best friend, so I get it. He's worth more to you than anything else in the world." She smiled at him and he smiled back.

Arlo covered her face. "Oh gosh, stop it, I'm gonna cry from all this gushiness." Her friends laughed at her fake groaning and whining and pulled her in her a group hug.

"So... can I hear the phone call that he made?" Taro asked.

"Yeah." He tore away from them, then went for his cellphone on the dresser where he had it charging. He went to his recordings and then sat next to the girls on their bed. "Lee! Lian! Please help me! I... I don't know where I am—oh fuck, he's coming. Phillip Riley, look up that name. I can't—." The dial tone rang after the frightening message and Taro's eyes were filled with tears as a shiver ran down her spine.

"Oh Cillian, that must have been agonizing to hear. I am so sorry." She threw her arms around his shoulders and he accepted her hug as he fought back his own tears. Taro and Cillian parted then Arlo kissed his cheek.

Taro began to speak. "I think we should decide what we should do when we get to Vegas... the men who kidnapped Owen might be dangerous... we don't know the trouble we're getting into and second of all, we need to be smart so we can rescue him... no matter what." She said with her eyes glued to his.

He sighed. "I know one way we can manage to save him... but I need to set up a meeting."

The girls looked back at him and then Taro spoke up. "You better not be talking about something criminal, are you?" She asked. He glanced between both girls and rose his shoulders. "Something like that."