My Life In Ruins

24. You're Not Very Good At Keeping Track Of Things, Are You?

I had to be dreaming still and was thinking that this was him.

“Excuse me,” he said, but in an American accent. 

I thought he was going to take me with him, but he just moved past me.  He passed Edmund, who didn’t even recognize him.  Once he did, Max looked back over his shoulder at me and smiled, winking.  I smiled slightly, knowing that Dad and Brielle had to be around here also if he was. 

“You would think that this place wouldn’t be crowded for a weekday,” Edmund said, coming up behind me. 

His Blackberry rang then and he answered.  As he listened as one of his guys spoke, his eyes narrowed dangerously as he turned toward me. 

“What do you mean, there are no coins?” he asked, glaring murderously at me. 

I started to back away from him as he started advancing.  I was moving toward the large group of people, trying to keep in the view of the public just in case he went crazy on me. 

But that’s when the fire alarm went off. 

It was blasting in everyone’s ears as their shouting started.  Everyone started rushing toward the exits, trying to get outside.  The school kids were running around while their chaperones tried to keep them all together in an attempt to get out.  The museum employees were directing everyone, helping them out of the building. 

I was caught in the center of it with Edmund nowhere in sight, being shoved left and right by people trying to get out.  But then someone caught be from behind, turning me around and shoving me the other way.  I was being pushed toward a back door.  When we got to it, whoever had me reached forward and swiped a security card that opened it. 

“What…?” I started as we rushed into the room. 

And that’s when I was surrounded by someone’s arms. 

“Thank God, we’ve got you!” Max’s voice said in my ear.  “Are you okay?”

My arms immediately went around his waist as I pressed my face into his chest. 

“Hi,” I whispered into his shirt, breathing him in.

He put his hands on my shoulders to push me back.  “Hi?  That’s all you’ve got to say?  It’s been nearly a week and we didn’t know what happened to you until last night!  Your dad said that you had a bruise on your face and a busted lip,” he said, brushing his fingers softly over my cheek.  “I swear, if he hurt you any more, I’ll ki-“

Before he could say anything else, I leaned up on my tip-toes and pressed my lips to his, effectively shutting him up.  I threaded my fingers through his slick backed hair, pulling myself closer to him, and he moaned in the back of his throat.  My whole body tingled as I tried to get as close as possible to him. 

When we pulled apart a few moments later, Max rested his forehead against mine. 

“Hi,” he said. 

I laughed.  “Now you don’t have anything to say, huh?” I said.

He smiled, straightening up.  “No, but I plan on making up for the lost time this past week kissing you later,” he said with a wink, making me blush.  “But now we’ve got to go.”

“So where to now?” I asked. 

Max let go of me, but took my hand in his.  “We’re meeting your dad and Brielle in the back employee parking lot.  They should be out there by now since the director was going to send them out then.”

“So you guys were really in contact with the director.”

He smirked.  “How do you think we got it so packed in here today?  He made sure that there were a few schools coming and put in a special offer on the price of admissions for everyone else.  And the fire alarm?  That was all them, too.”

I smiled, touching his nametag.  “And this, too, Richard?” I asked.

His smirk turned into a full grin.  “Oh, yeah.  And what did you think of my American accent, even if it was only two words?” he asked. 

“I love your British accent too much for you to ever do it again,” I said.

“Good, because it can kind of get annoying trying to do it,” he said.

I laughed as we walked back out into the museum.  It was completely empty and the fire alarm wasn’t going off anymore. 

But that was before Edmund stepped out from behind one of the cases, his gun poised in his hand. 

“Run!” Max yelled, and started pulling me with him. 

We weaved around everything as the first bullets flew toward us, hitting the glass cases as we did.  The glass, being really thick, only splintered from the bullets hitting it, but they were getting dangerously close, even with us weaving around them all. 

Another hit the case right in front of us before we turned and I screamed.  My feet couldn’t find traction on the slick tile on the floor and I started to slip as we turned left, trying to get away. 

“You can’t hide from me!” Edmund yelled.

I looked behind us as we ran just in time to see him aim at Max’s head.

He pulled the trigger. 

But it just clicked.

He was out of bullets.  

“Dammit!” Edmund yelled, throwing the gun to the ground, and started after us again.

“Faster!” Max yelled when we were almost to the doors. 

Before I knew it, I was blinded by the sun as we ran out the front of the museum.  One of Edmund’s guys was standing right there and didn’t realize it was us until Edmund came running out after us.  He reached into the guy’s jacket then and pulled his gun from his waist.  When he fired a few shots into the air, trying to scar everyone, people started screaming and dropped to the pavement. 

Max and I kept running, though.  When we almost to the street, a black car came to a sudden stop in front of us and Max opened the door. 

“Get in!” he said, and then practically shoved me in instead. 

After he did, I looked in the back window to see Edmund and a few of his guys getting tackled by the security guards.  And before the car started off again into the street, Edmund’s eyes locked right on mine and he yelled something.  I couldn’t hear it, but I could tell just what he said.

I’ll see you again.

***Well, that was short yet eventful, huh?!?  :D  Sorry these last few chapters haven't been as long as my usual ones have been!  They kind of had to be, though!  

So what did you think?!?  Callie's back with her dad, Brielle, and Max now!!!1  Yay!

22 days!  ;D

Comment, Vote, and Like!!!1***