Sorry for the long wait between updates! I had pneumonia last week and have just now felt up to writing again. Thanks for continuing to read!
Chapter Ten
Sawyer held Kate. Her sobs had stopped long ago but the two still stood in each other's embrace. The light from the window illuminated the pair, spotlighting the importance of the moment. Something had happened when Sawyer pulled Kate close and there wasn't any way to change it. For the first time, they had let the other know they cared.
In time, Kate pulled back from Sawyer but didn't leave his hold. She raised her eyes to meet his. The tear stains on her cheeks were the only evidence left of her sudden vulnerability. Now she was standing in front of Sawyer with quiet solemn.
"You're right. We would be safer if we stay here for a few days," Kate admitted, barely above a whisper. "I'll be okay."
"You're sure? Because we can find somewhere else to stay. All you have to do is say the word. We can leave—"
"I'll be okay," Kate repeated in the same soft voice.
Sawyer studied her intently, making sure that she spoke the truth. Then he nodded and pulled her close again before letting go completely.
Kate hadn't wanted him to leave but her momentary vulnerability made her unwilling to show emotions any further. So she told him she needed to be alone even though her heart still wanted to be in his embrace. Now she sat in silence with nothing but her frantic worries to keep her company.
It scared Kate that Sawyer was so concerned about her comfort that he was willing to risk being caught. Somewhere inside herself, she had always known that he cared deeply about her. But before she had always been able to deny it, pretending to blame her intuitions. Now there wasn't anyway to avoid it.
Kate was terrified because she felt the same way towards Sawyer. And those feelings were more dangerous than anything that had happened up to this point. They would grow until they blinded her sense of judgement. Care for Sawyer would add an abstract element to her logical and practical world. They might even lead either of them to desperate actions if they were caught. Although Kate's mind told her to push him away, her heart was screaming opposite. And for once in her life Kate was more prone to listen to her heart.
But Kate worried about allowing Sawyer too close to her. She never let anyone in the walls she had built around herself, afraid that they would be appalled by what they learned. She feared who she truly was and what she had done would disgust Sawyer if she let him in.
The fear was only momentary. He would understand. They both had dark pasts and probably futures. He knew where she was coming from when other people were unable to comprehend. And knowing that, Kate decided that she wouldn't push Sawyer away or keep her feelings completely hidden anymore.
Sawyer sat alone at the kitchen table eating a sandwich from the gas station. He figured that Kate needed her space for a little bit. She was no longer in complete control. Not because Sawyer had taken it, but the memories the house brought and the emotion they shared earlier distracted her focus. Hell, he was distracted too.
He didn't know what possessed him to reach out for her, to take her in his arms. Well, he did know but he wasn't willing to admit it. He knew he had feelings for Kate. That wasn't the part that he wasn't able to acknowledge. Before now, Sawyer had always acted indifferent to people's problems. He rarely showed compassion even if he felt it. But Kate wasn't just any person. Something about her got to him, made him unable to control his actions. He didn't know what to do.
Absentmindedly, Sawyer tore off little bits of meat from his sandwich and fed them to the cat who graciously inhaled them. The damn won't stop following me around he thought.
Sawyer had finished the sandwich with the help of the tabby and sat in solitude thinking. After many minutes, he stood up from the table and walked toward the living room intending to find Kate. She said she needed time alone but Sawyer knew that wasn't always the best thing.
When Sawyer entered the hallway from the kitchen he expected to be able see Kate still sitting where he had left her. But he didn't. He moved forward, turning the corner, to see the chair she had been in moved under the attic entrance. Of course she would have to explore the house further! he thought exasperatedly to himself.
"Freckles!" Sawyer called out, seeking a response to check that his assumption was right.
He waited but nothing except silence echoed from the attic. Sawyer covered the rest of the distance between he and the chair with slight annoyance in his step. Kate had to be up there. Where else would she be? He peered through the opened entrance searching for movement but he only saw stillness.
Sighing deeply, Sawyer began to climb on the chair. As he looked down toward the floor to find his footing, a large soft-sided luggage bag came hurtling toward him. The tote struck his head sending Sawyer crashing backwards to the floor.
"Damn, woman! Are you tryin' to murder me!"
"Sorry," Kate said as Sawyer looked up to see her face peek over the edge of the hole. Kate was attempting to suppress a smile unsuccessfully. She sure didn't look sorry he thought. Slowly, Sawyer sat up rubbing the back of his head. Who knew something so soft could hurt so much.
"Whoever lived here before must have been in a rush when they left. There is a ton of stuff up here. Everything from bags of clothes to spare car parts," Kate informed Sawyer as she threw down two more bags of clothes. One came dangerously close to hitting Sawyer again.
"Hey, watch it! I think one bag beatin' is enough for today."
Kate swung gracefully down from the attic landing lightly on her feet.
"What, are the bags to tough for you to handle? And I thought you were making a big deal out of the boar harassing you on the island. Who knew the real danger was lurking in all that luggage."
Kate was apparently enjoying this quite thoroughly. So much that it made Sawyer think she might have dropped the bag on his head on purpose. He sure wouldn't put it past her.
"Yeah, well, the boar didn't fly through the air and drop on my head when I wasn't lookin' either," Sawyer said with his usual scowl that was common when Kate teased him.
Smiling back, Kate began to rifle through the bags that were filled with clothes. They weren't that bad. They were actually better than Kate had hoped to find. The clothes were maybe only seven or eight years old and most of the garments were basic pieces that wouldn't seem too out-of-date. Incredibly, the sizes were almost perfect for Kate too.
"Whatcha doing sweetheart?" came Sawyer's voice.
"What does it look like I'm doing? I thought it might be nice to have more than a prison jumpsuit and court clothes to travel in. That bag over there looks like it might have some stuff that would fit you," Kate finished indicating the same suitcase that had hit Sawyer moments ago.
Sawyer reached for the bag, still sitting in the place he had fallen. Undoing the zipper, an awful smell wafted toward him.
"Jeez! These things smell to high heaven. How do you expect us to wear them?"
"I guess we'll have to take a trip to the laundry mat. Although we should wait a few days, until the search around here quiets down," Kate admitted.
She hadn't noticed it before. The clothes did have an odd musty smell to them. But it wasn't nearly as bad as Sawyer made it out to be.
"But we do need to buy more food before then. I think we can chance a short trip to the store tonight. Hopefully no one will recognize us."
Sawyer nodded in agreement and the two of them continued to sort through the clothes. Every once in a while, one would hold up a piece to show the other, commenting on its gaudiness or the outrageous print while the other laughed. If anyone had chanced upon Kate and Sawyer at that moment, they would have never guessed that they were two hardened criminals on the run. It would have appeared that the happiness of the couple indicated a blooming relationship. And maybe Kate and Sawyer were what they seemed to be.
"Paper or plastic?" the cashier asked in a habitual tone. She was a young girl in her late teens and her name was Jessica if her tag was to be believed. Even though it was near midnight, she seemed to be full of energy.
"Either will be fine," Kate said. Anything would do, so long as they left here soon.
They had left the house at ten o'clock. It took them a full forty-five minutes to find the store they were now at. The place wasn't very big and was likely owned by a local. There wasn't much variety but it had to do. And it was probably safer here than to walk into a chain grocery store plastered with security cameras.
"So, what're y'all doin' out here in the middle of nowhere? It's not everyday we get folks like you around," the cashier said in a perfect country girl accent, noting their professional attire. Both of them were unable to wear the clothes from the attic for very long before the smell got to them.
"We're just passin' through," Sawyer said flatly.
Feeling that Sawyer's vagueness would be suspicious, Kate added, "We're headed back to Chicago. We had a business trip in Denver."
"Well you guys sure know how to use the back roads. I can't believe you wouldn't just take the highway or fly," the girl said as she started to bag the groceries.
"It's refreshing to get away from traffic. We have to deal with it enough in back home," Kate continued, thanking Sawyer silently for not chiming in.
"Can't say that's a problem I've ever had."
"Be thankful," Sawyer said.
Jessica finished bagging the last of the items and turned to the register to ring up their total.
"It'll be twenty-three dollars and forty-two cents."
Sawyer pulled out the money as Kate started to gather the bags. As he fumbled with the money, the cashier continued her small talk.
"You know, you guys look familiar."
The words caused both to immediately stop what they were doing as they watched the girl, hoping she wouldn't remember.
After a few seconds passed that felt like a millennium she said, "Oh I remember now! You two look like a couple of actors in the Great Gatsby play a saw awhile back. But that obviously wasn't you."
Kate and Sawyer let out a synchronized sigh. That was too close for comfort. Jessica's statement had frightened both of them greatly.
"Do you think we're alright?" Kate asked once they were finally back on the road.
"Yeah I think we're okay. The girl didn't seemed alarmed and she would have been if she truly recognized us."
"But what if she sees that we've escaped on the news and then conveniently remembers us?" Kate said, her worry ringing in her voice.
"I don't think that's a problem," Sawyer said assuredly.
"Why not?" Kate had no idea how he was so confident.
"Since when do teenagers watch the news?"
Kate let out a small chuckle. Maybe it was a good thing that Sawyer was here. Her logic would have never led to that reassurance.
"You've got a point there," she said as they continued on their return trip through the dark, cloudy night.