The soft trickling of water spraying down against the ceramic tiles of the shower told Adam that Julie hadn't tried to escape out the bathroom window yet. The thought had crossed his mind that she might try to run back to that worthless piece of trash, she claimed was her husband but instead she was here with him. There was a soft splash of water against the wall and Adam let out a sigh of relief. She might be in this with him, instead of against him. He sighed heavily, sitting down on the hard surface of the hotel bed and resting his head in his hands to think for a moment of a plan of action. She hadn't said a word about her marriage or Greg since they left her house a few hours earlier. In fact, he had been so intent on finding her and getting her safe that now that she was with him, he wasn't sure how to interact with her at all. She was so different than the Julie he remember. The Julie he fell in love with was a spontaneous, fun-loving, carefree, strong girl. The Julie that stood on the other side of the paper-thin wall was something completely different, something he would have to learn all over again. She had no light in her eyes, she had no hopes for the future, she just happened to look like Julie Gaffney. She never smiled and she cowered away when you reached for her. He laughed to himself for a moment, typical Adam Banks move, save the girl but then bore her to death with the daring escape. In truth he had no idea where to go from here. The entire car ride had been mostly silent, Julie shifting uncomfortably in her seat every so often but Adam hadn't made any stops, not even bathroom breaks, which reminded him he'd have to get in there when she was done. The running water was not helping him as he stood. By the time they did finally stop, they were at least 100 miles north of where they started, and once again Adam had picked the worse hotel within 30 miles to stop at. It was nearing 7 pm and the snow had stopped momentarily on the road, which only proved to cause Julie some alarm. They were getting pretty close to home, that being Minneapolis for him but Adam knew Julie wouldn't want to see anyone just yet. He neared the window, the clear air outside letting Adam stare out the large picture window of the low-rate motel room and unto the gloomy highway just a few feet from the door of their room. The road was completely deserted, settling the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach that had started as soon as he turned the car on. Her words were yet to leave his mind that Greg would find them. From what he could predict, they hadn't been followed, not that Greg had even figured out there was anything wrong yet but Adam couldn't afford to take chances, not when it came to Julie's life. He moved closer to the door of the bathroom and could hear the water running still but there was another sound coming from the bathroom now as well. The sound pulled at Adam's heart and made him want to break the door down and take her in his arms. She was crying against the falling water petals, he knew that sound anywhere. He hadn't heard it often but when he did it made him ready to kill someone. He let his hands fall from where they had been settled on his hips and he softly knocked on the door.
"Julie?" He asked, trying not to put any of the worry he was feeling into his voice. There was no answer and Adam suddenly worried if she had hurt herself in her depression.
"Julie, is everything okay?" He asked knocking again. Still no answer, he jiggled the door handle, it was locked from the inside. He sighed in frustration, gripping the door jamb.
"Julie, I'm coming in, if you don't answer me." He warned, backing up to throw himself into the door. He gave her another 15 seconds before he popped the door open using his shoulder to do so. The steam from the hot shower filled the room with a blanket of mist, making it hard for Adam to see until his eyes adjusted to it.
"Julie!" He asked frantic now of what she could have done to herself. He moved towards the shower and pulled the curtain open in one quick motion of his goal-shooting arm. She sat on the floor of the shower unit, knees pulled up to her chest, head resting on her knees, her eyes filled with tears. When she looked up at him, her eyes were filled with so much hurt and confusion that for the first time in seven years Adam felt his own eyes begin to mist over.
"Jules.." He questioned stepping into the shower, fully clothed, and turned off the water. He didn't care that he was now wet as he knelt to look at Julie. She let her head fall back to her knees and tried to remind herself that she didn't cry. She wasn't Julie Gaffney anymore but she had been doing a lot of crying today. Julie Gaffney cried, Julie Williams couldn't cry. The tears began again down her face and she took off her wedding ring, letting it float ever so slowly down the uncovered drain. Good-bye to Julie Williams, she thought silently, rubbing her bruised cheek on her knees.
"Jules?" Adam's voice brought her back up to the man that was standing over her naked body and she tried to cover herself as much as she could, tucking her knees to her chest. She felt exposed to his eyes as he surveyed her bruises before he quickly grabbed a towel from the hook and wrapped it around her. He picked her up bridal style from her solitude on the shower floor and carrying her out of the bathroom into the small bedroom. Her eyes started a whole new set of tears as he placed her on the bed and crawled in next to her, bring her back against his chest in a awkward spooning position.
"Shh…it's okay, everything's going to be okay.." He whispered, stroking her arm with his fingertips. He quietly brushed the hair from her forehead and placed a caste kiss there as he soothed her withering form. He noticed certain areas on her that were visible to him where she had scrubbed so hard that her skin was red and bruising. She was trying to get herself clean, trying to get the feeling of Greg off of herself. She wanted every memory of him touching her gone and every feeling of him that remained on her to go away. He continued to stroked her wet hair from her face and softly kissed each new patch of kiss,
"It's okay, I'm here. You don't have to tell me anything." He reassured her as he heard the crying slowly soften to nothing before her eyes drifted slowly shut and she fell asleep in his arms. He lay there for a few more minutes just holding her, remembering what it felt like to have her in his arms. The sun was starting to set from outside the window and he felt his eye lids get heavy before he fell into a deep and welcome sleep alongside the only woman he'd ever loved.
The morning came too fast, or so Adam thought as he opened his eyes to find himself still holding a peacefully sleeping Julie. He sighed with contentment and leaned his hand back against the pillows, letting his arm that wasn't under her to flop off the other side of the bed to rest his back against the not so soft mattress. His neck had a kink in it from not sleeping as he normally would have and his back ached but it was worth it to hold her in his arms again. His phone, which he'd set to vibrate the night before started to do it's familiar dance on the night stand next to his side of the bed and he quickly retrieved it as to not wake Julie.
"Hello?" He asked lazily, letting the words roll off his lips in a whisper.
"Adam? What happened? Are you alright?" Connie's voice filled the air as Julie moved in her sleep. Adam quickly but gently removed his arm from under Julie's head and stood to close the window shades so the sun wouldn't wake Julie too soon.
"I'm fine. Everything's fine. She's fine." He nodded to himself, looking to her sleeping form a few feet away.
"So you got her? She's with you?" She asked impatiently, he could tell she was bouncing on her feet with excitement on the other end of the line.
"Yeah, look, Connie, I'll call you when I can tell you more but right now, I need to focus on making sure Julie's okay." He reassured her before she grumbled a good-bye and hung up the phone. Adam placed his phone back on the table and stared down at his angel as she slept. She looked so peaceful in her sleep. He almost wished he never had to wake her but if he didn't they could get caught by an angry Greg. They needed to keep moving, he decided. At least that would give him time to think and come up with a plan. He slowly sat down in front of her and placed his hand on her cheek just letting his palm rest against her skin.
"Jules, wake up." He whispered just loud enough to get her attention but not scare her in the process. She stirred and moved her face more into his hand that cupped her cheek, a small smile trying to play on her lips if only she'd let it. She hadn't slept that good in years and she hated to wake up from it now. Her eyes slowly opened and shut again at the morning light that still seemed to be able to find its way in through the curtains. When she opened them again, her eyes transfixed on the man staring down at her, his blue eyes questioning how she was feeling.
"Adam?" She asked, still wondering if everything about yesterday was a dream. Apparently, it wasn't, she thought looking around the room at her surroundings. She sat up quickly, half expecting Greg to jump out of nowhere and take her home. "Where are we?" She asked, still looking for her husband. Adam shrugged,
"Somewhere close to St. Paul..." He mumbled, placing a hand on her cheek. She closed her eyes to his touch before looking down and realizing that she was still only clad in a towel. She quickly hurried to the bathroom to change into something that covered a little more of her. He stood from the bed, letting her have her space of comfort and knowing she could trust him not to invade that space.
"Adam?" Her voice lingered from a crack in the bathroom door where it opened just slightly. He turned quickly away from the thoughts that filled his mind and back at what was important at the moment, which was her. Anything she needed he was here to get it for her.
"What's wrong, Julie?" He asked, coming to stand next to the door that separated them. Her hand appeared around the opening and she motioned to the other side of the room.
"Could you hand me my bag, I forgot to get something to wear out of it and…." Her voice trailed off into nothing as he nodded in understanding. It wasn't as if he just expected everything to suddenly go back to the way things were when they were teenagers but he had hoped she'd feel at least a little comfortable with him. He knew that wasn't going to happen overnight but he hoped he'd see some traces of the old Julie come to the surface now that she was away from Greg. He just wished she could see how much he still loved her.
"Here you go, Jules. Do you need anything else? I'll walk down to the office and get us some sodas if you want.." The door was silent for a long moment before she emerged, dressed in a loose t-shirt he recognize as one of his own and a pair of old shorts that looked like they hadn't been wore in years.
"No, I'm fine. Besides…" She looked down at the floor for a moment and wondered how this was going to sound to him, "I don't want to be alone. I mean, what if Greg shows up and I'm here by myself?" She sounded like a small child but he didn't mind protecting her if that's what she wanted right now. He nodded, surveying her body with his eyes on again. There was bruises on her thighs, just above the knee and some bruising forming on her upper arms and neck. She moved towards the bed before he could ask her about the night before or anything else she really didn't want to answer at the moment but he wasn't going to ask her any of that anyways. He was more concerned with how she was right now. She sat against the pillows, bring her legs up to cross them and rest her hands on her calves. Adam looked back at her, her eyes beginning to swell from all the crying she had done the night before.
"Adam, I don't know if this is such a good idea." Her breathing was shallow but he could hear a faint whimper behind her words as she spoke. She didn't want to lose him again, even if it meant going back to Greg. She didn't think she could bear to watch him get hurt.
"Julie.." He began walking back over to the bed and cupping her face in his hands. Her eyes had begun to shed silent tears down her flushed cheeks. They were coming so fast that Adam barely had time to wipe away one set when another would start the same path.
"Jules, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Greg's going to have to go through me before he'll ever lay a hand on you again." He promised. That was just what she was afraid of. Her eyes searched his for reassurance before she let them flutter closed to try to control her falling tears. Her head moved slightly in acknowledgement of his oath and she placed her own hands over Adam's.
"Adam, just promise me you won't leave me." Her eyes opened again to reveal the soft blue orbs he'd spent so many restless nights dreaming about. His face hardened with determination.
"I swear, I'm never going to leave you again unless you ask me to." Her eyes fell shut again in resolution and she let a few tears fall unto his finger tips that were still resting on the bottom of her reddened cheeks. She sighed deeply and moved Adam's hands from her face down to her lap and laced her fingers with his.
"We should have a plan." She final breathed out, setting herself on a task to keep her mind occupied. He let a smile play on his lips, his Julie, the one he left behind was now talking again. He knew she was in there somewhere.
"Name a place." He suggested. She looked at him, a mark of confusion on her face and she tilted her head to the side to contemplate her response. "Anywhere, just name it and we'll go." He followed up, knowing she was confused.
"I don't know." Her face froze in contemplation, it was too soon for her to try to make any decisions when she'd been denied them for so long. She wasn't even sure she could make up her mind on what her favorite color was anymore.
"Come on, there has to be somewhere you want to go." He smiled again, trying to get her to at least let a grin out of the hard shell she had formed. She didn't comply instead she got up from her spot on the bed and moved towards the desk that sat on the opposite side of the room, picking up a small folded paper up off the desk.
"Here, we'll let luck decide where we go." She suggested, a hint of a smile curled on the right side her lips and Adam stood taking what was a map of the United States from her and pinning it up on the wall.
"Okay, fine, have it your way." He smiled, handing her a push pin and standing back, "Throw it." He encouraged as she looked at his smiling face. Here was to letting go and getting her freedom back. She swung her arm back and threw the pin at the map waiting to see where it landed.
The airport was packed as usual, Adam thought, pulling Julie to his side protectively against the crowd. They had decided to pose at husband and wife during their trip. She hugged her box to her chest as he carried both their bags, his over his shoulder and her bag in his opposite hand. They passed by people like they were standing still, heading for the counter to reserve tickets for the next flight to Arizona. The line wasn't long, a couple or two ahead of them and they stopped behind a young couple waiting in line to buy tickets. They looked like they were probably newlyweds, smiling and kissing as Julie turned her head away. She could remember when her and the man standing next to her acted like that. They couldn't keep their hands off each other for a brief period in Junior year. Adam's arm that had been resting protectively around her mid-section now fell as soon as they stopped and he searched his bag for his wallet. Julie searched the crowd of people with her eyes, nervously looking around for anyone that might have been watching them. She's always felt like she was being watched, no matter where she was or what she was doing. She shivered at the thought before Adam's voice broke her from her thoughts.
"So, Phoenix it is. I hope you packed something for the hot weather." Adam spoke more to himself than her. Julie's eyes returned to the couple in front of them with uncertainty.
"You packed for me." She reminded him, still searching for a face in the crowd that she dreaded to see. Adam noted her constant movement and stopped his search to place his hand on her shoulder.
"Julie, it's okay, we're fine." He reassured her. She met his eyes but her eyes were filled with fear still. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her hands which had now began to shaking but ringing them together against her chest.
"Okay, I'm okay." She promised and he turned once again, finally pulled his wallet from his bag just as they made it to the counter. The woman behind the counter smile graciously as they approached.
"Hello, we need two tickets on the earliest flight you have to Phoenix." The woman smiled graciously again and tapped away on her keyboard for a moment.
"It looks like we have a flight leaving in about 45 minutes, let me see if you can still get through security in time to make the flight." She picked up her phone to apparently dial someone in another part of the airport. Julie turned to look behind her and a flash of dark cold eyes flashed across in front of an older lady that was passing the entrance doors. Julie's heart stopped for moment before she felt it beat again with a thump. He felt her turn quickly next to him as he handed the woman enough money to cover the tickets, it was too risky to use a credit card right now, who knew who this guy had contacts with, Adam thought quickly leaving the cards in his wallet. Julie tensed next to him, quickly throwing on a pair of sunglasses she lifted from Adam's pocket.
"What's going on?" He whispered so no one would hear him but her. Pulling her against him as if he was kissing her head.
"He's here…" Was all she said, her hands beginning to shake against his arm. Adam turned around to scan the crowd himself but didn't see anyone near them. He pulled her close anyway.
"Julie, you're just imagining it. Okay, calm down." He whispered, looking back to the counter clerk with a smile.
"Sir, is everything okay?" The woman behind the counter asked, looking at Julie and seeing the freight she had. She shook with nervousness, trying to steady her hands. Adam smiled again, retrieving the tickets from her outstretched hand.
"Yes, of course. My wife, she just gets nervous to fly." He promised, tucking the tickets in his pocket. The woman seemed content with the answer. Adam picked up the bags and stepped out the line. Julie refused the turn around,
"He'll see me." Her voice was trembling with fear. Adam looked again and still saw no one that even looked like Greg mixed into the crowd.
"Okay, let's just get on the plane." He placed his hand on the small of her back to lead the way and they made it to the security check point before Adam turned again to look. This time his eyes locked with the lean face of Greg Williams. Playing the obvious tourist, Adam pretending to be admiring the architecture of the airport before turning his attention back to Julie.
"Just keep moving forward. I'm not leaving you." He whispered, Julie grabbing onto his hand with all her might knowing now her fears were real. They got to the metal detectors and Adam had to pry Julie's hand from his own to get her to go through without him. He stepped through and picked up their bags at the other side, taking the opportunity to glace back at Greg who was about 6 or 7 people behind them. He looked right at Adam and he suddenly knew that Greg knew who he was.
"Come on, we have to go." Adam's heart was beginning to speed up. This was not the time for him to show panic especially in front of Julie. She was already freaking out enough. She took his hand again and they walked briskly towards the gate. Greg had set off the metal detector behind them so the security guards had detained him to ask what he might be carrying. This gave them enough time to make it to the gate and hand their tickets to the woman standing there. She okayed them and they entered the last security check point before boarding the plane. Julie was through quickly as she didn't have the luggage but it took them a few minutes to finish checking the bags Adam was carrying. He finally stepped through the gate and they glanced back at the ticket check in just enough time to see Greg appear.
"I'm sorry, sir. You have to have a boarding pass to go beyond this point. " The woman standing near the gate informed him as he tried to argue with her that his wife was on board. Julie turned and stepped onto the plane without a second glance back at him.
The plane wasn't overly crowded but there was a fair share of people traveling that day. A lot of people still returning home from the holiday, Adam thought, not letting go of Julie's hand. Julie took the window seat as Adam sat in the aisle, they had chosen business class as to not direct attention to Adam's fame or make her sit next to someone else in coach but they're attention remained on the door until the last flight attendant boarded and the door was shut with a hiss of air. Julie finally let out the breathe she was unconsciously holding.
"Are you okay?" He asked, looking over at the beauty seated next to him.
"Yeah, I just hope he doesn't follow us." She pushed the hair that had fallen into her face back behind her ear and removed the sunglasses she had barrowed to reveal the bruise still on her cheek. He touched it with his hand and the intensity both of them felt from just being chased to the gate set in. Adam wanted to reach forward and capture her lips with his. The feeling of his touch on her cheek calmed her as he showed her he still loved her but he wasn't going to push, this was her move to make. Julie turned quickly, beginning to stare intently out the window as the fasten seat belts sign appeared and they both strapped in getting ready for take off. He had to admit he was a little disappointed but he'd wait forever for her to be alright again. He felt the bump of the plane take off, they'd be in Arizona in just under 4 hours.