Chapter 69: Chapter Sixty-nine

Bryan's POV

Kacy's already asleep when I enter the room. She looks so comfortable, like a little kitten. After everything we've gone through together, we can finally live a normal life. We’re moving away from this place and starting a new life. A peaceful one. No more gunshots.

I crawled on the bed and lay down beside her. I put my hands on the back of my head, closed my eyes, and imagined our future together. Now that we have the money, I think it’s time to get married and build a family.

I woke up at 6:30AM the following day. Kacy’s not beside me anymore, and I heard the toilet flush. I stood up, yawned, and stretched my arms and legs a little bit. I remembered having a system with rewarded tasks in it, such as pushing up a hundred times a day. That thing really helped me become fit, but now it's gone. Well, I don't really need it anymore. I was just doing those things for money, especially when I was broke.

The bathroom’s door suddenly opened, and Kacy stepped out, with nothing but a white towel wrapped around her breasts down. I badly want to take that off and see her naked.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

I blushed and stuttered, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"Shower is free. Why won't you take a bath, and then we'll have breakfast and coffee?" she suggested.

"I will. Thanks." I stepped into the bathroom. Damn. I still feel like a virgin high school boy having his first crush every time I talk to Kacy.

This heart of mine is beating so fast. Calm down, Bryan. Calm down. I reminded myself. I'm a gangster's leader. I should at least have the courage to make a move, or we’ll get stuck in this stage forever. I turned the shower on and bathed myself. After showering, I changed clothes, and then we went to the restaurant nearby the cafe.

We ordered beefsteak and omelette for breakfast. I couldn't take my eyes off Kacy. She’s just so beautiful. I’ve been feeling this way since the first time we had eye contact. I wonder if she still hates me for killing her parents. I know she didn't want to remember those events, or she’d be sad; that’s why we’ve been avoiding talking about it.

"What's wrong, Bryan?" Kacy asked. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"I have something to ask you, Kacy," I said.

"Why so serious? What is it?"

"You know, we can’t keep running away. We should get married and settle somewhere. So, I'm asking whether there's a place you want to be."

If Kacy was blushing, then she’s good at hiding it. "I can be wherever you want to be, Bryan. It’s alright as long as I'm with you. I realized all this time that home isn't a place but a feeling. You make me feel at home, safe, and comfortable despite everything."

I couldn't help but smile when hearing her. I thought she wasn't safe around me because we always get ourselves in trouble, but I was wrong.

"What is it? Why are you smiling?" she asked.

"That’s not quite what I expected to hear," I said.

"What were you expecting?"

"Are you sure there isn't a specific place you want to live? We can move to another country if you want."

"You're right. Moving away from this place and starting a new life is a good idea. We can finally leave everything in the past. I wonder what my parents would say if they knew that I ran away with the man who…"

"It's okay. You can say it."

"Damn. I can't believe this happened. For all the people on earth, I fell in love with the man who murdered my parents," she said.

"I know a sorry can’t mend all the wounds and troubles I've caused you, Kacy, so please, give me a chance. Let me prove to you that I've changed."

"You don't have to ask that, Bryan. If I didn't want to give you a chance, I would have already parted ways with you. But I'm still here. We're still together."

"Is that a yes?"

"A thousand yes."

"Thanks."

"Let's just finish our food and go—" She paused as I touched her chin, wiping the bits of food from her face. She looked into my eyes, and for a moment, time between us seemed to slow down.

I took my hand back and ate my food. After breakfast, we went back to the car and drove to the next town. Time moves so fast whenever I'm with Kacy. Everything just seems to dissipate in the background like nothing else matters. We were like having a road trip to the life that's been waiting for us.

We stopped at the desert hot spring. It’s such a wonderful place with only a few people. It’d make a great tourist spot. The water was clear despite being located in the desert. I couldn't resist the urge to take my clothes off and take a dip.

"Come on, baby." I held Kacy’s hand, and we sat down on the flat, hard rock where water flows. I wiped the hair out of her face and kissed her.

We played in the water like little kids, throwing handfuls at each other, laughing and hugging. But the fun ended when someone started shooting at us. Fortunately, I've brought Kacy down and avoided the bullets. But more men came with their guns. We had no choice but to run away.

I thought we could finally live a normal, peaceful life, and this happened. "We have to get away from here, Kacy."

"How about the money?" she asked.

I almost forgot about the money. All I could think about was our safety, Kacy’s safety. "Can we just leave it behind?"

"It’s our only chance to start a new life, Bryan," she said.

"But it's too risky. Those men are chasing after us. What's more important for me is our lives and safety; we can't start all over again if we're dead."

"But we need that money—"

"Just forget about it." I held her tightly and continued running. "Money can be earned, but once a life is gone, it can't be regained."