Chapter three

I woke up in the car, it was nighttime already. I see a car go past us in the opposite direction. I look forward and see that papa is still driving, while mama is reading. She looks back to see me awake, and smiles.

"Hey sleepyhead." she says as she tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. I rub my eyes then look at papa, he has been worried since we left and still seems worried. A chill crawls up my spine right then, someone bad was following us. Mama's smile is gone, she must see the bad person now. I'm scared. Something hit us from behind. I'm scared! A car comes up beside us, and pushes us into the cliffside. I hear the car grind against the rock and close my eyes. I'm scared, I'm scared, I'm scared! I hear tires screeching, the guard rail coming closer, mama's scream, trees getting bigger, a flash of white.

"Indigo!"

My eyes snap open and I see Victor's face hovering above mine, full of concern and worry. I quickly look around the room, and remember I'm in Afghanistan, in bed with Victor. My eyes fall back onto Victor's face, and I hold him as tightly as I can, face into his chest, while trying to catch my breath. It was just a dream. Victor gives me reassuring words while making soothing motions on my back. My breathing returns to normal, and I turn my head, so I can hear Victor's heart. I begin to relax at the sound of his heartbeat. Exhaustion slowly comes back, and I fall back to sleep.

I feel the intensity of the sun on my eyes, as I drift back to consciousness. I open my eyes to see the sun streaming through the window, and Victor gone. I quickly sit up, clutching the sheet over my chest, and scan the room for him. I feel my body relax as he walks through a doorway and hands me a pile of clothes.

" They're a little big, sorry." he says as I take them. He blushes a bit, looks away, and points to where he walked in.

"There's the bathroom if you need it."

I feel my cheeks warm as I get up and walk into the bathroom. Five minutes later, I step out of the bathroom, fully dressed, and see Victor talking on a cellphone.

"Yeah . . . Well, I was considering coming back tomorrow, hopefully tonight . . . If somebody wants her badly enough that they have to take her to another continent, then they're not going to stop coming after her . . . Look, are you going to set up a room or not . . . She can't stay with me because I live in a one bedroom apartment, and mom would kill me if we were together alone at home. Not to mention that I'd feel a lot better if there was someone with her during the day . . . Please . . . Thanks, see you later." He ended the call, put his phone in his pocket, saw me and stared. My cheeks felt like they were on fire.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked, looking away.

"No! No, there's nothing wrong it's just, well."

"Just what?" I asked. He strode over, took my face in both hands, and kissed me hard. I wrapped my arms around him to stop myself from falling, since my knees felt like they were going to give away. He slip in his tongue, while moving his left hand to the small of my back, bringing me closer. We broke apart, panting, and just held each other.

"Who was on the phone?" I asked.

"Trace, he lives the closest to me." I nodded in response. Victor felt tense after that.

"Um, Indigo . . . About last night. Do you want to talk about it?" I went stiff at his question. I should tell him about the dream, but I didn't feel ready to think about the crash again without breaking down. I gripped his shirt, and he smoothed down my hair. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I just heard that talking sometimes helps with things like that."

"Harmony's the only person I've told." I say in a quiet voice, after a moment of silence. "After about an hour on the road I fell asleep." I start apathetically. "When I woke up it was night. The car hit us from behind, then from the side into the cliffside. It pulled away in time for our car to lose control and hit the guard rail. The next thing I remember was us heading towards a tree, head on. I blacked out after we crashed, and the only thing I remember after that was waking up in a white room." After I finished, we just stood there holding each other. My eyes widen when I felt him gently kiss the top of my head. He pulled out of my arms, and I stared at him in awe.

"We should leave now" and with that he turned and walked away.

The trip was less than enjoyable since we just sat there in silence. I glance at Victor, who just stared at the road. Ever since I told him about the crash, he has become stubbornly stoic.

"Thank you, by the way." I confess.

"Your welcome." He whispers back. I smile at his response.

"So who is Harmony?"

"She's been my best friend for eighteen years. Probably the closest thing I have to a sister. She's in South Africa right now looking for someone."

"What does she do for a living?"

"She's a private investigator, specializes in corporate investigations. She's helped me over the years."

"She sounds like a good friend." Victor responds. I smile at his approval.

"Yes, she is."

We soon arrive at the airport. As I start to help, Victor hands me his phone.

"Phone her, she's probably worried." I look from him to his phone, then take it.

"Thank you" He nods and unpacks, while I walk to the side to phone Harmony. I got voicemail.

"Hey Harm, it's me. I'm just calling to say I'm sorry for not calling you sooner and that I took your advice. Call you later, bye." I hang up, and hand Victor back his phone. He took it, and we made our way to boarding. When they called for our flight, Victor looked at me.

"Ready to go?" He asks, offering his hand. I take it.

"Yes."