BORROWED [Watty Awards Finalist/NEWLY EDITED!]

Chapter Fourteen

My heart continues to thud wildly. Maybe this means he understands the choice I've made, he must. Finn's hand glides over top of mine. I look at him, wondering if I've made the right decision.

"Why did you decide to get in the car with me?" He stares straight ahead. His nearly invisible brows scrunched together. His confusion and wonder matches my own. Then suddenly a feeling resonates through me. No, a thought, one that needed to be said out loud because I've never knew I would ever be able to.

"For me."

                                                                                            

A crammed car with mostly strangers on the run isn't on my bucket list. On top of that, I feel bad sitting on Finn's lap because it looks like he is going to pass out from heat exhaustion at any second. But we had to save the pride of the two other boys in the back seat from sitting on the other's lap. I roll the window down, letting turbulent wind whip through the car. Immediately, the wind dries the dampness on my skin, as I lean my head against the partially opened glass. Finn moans. Looking back at him, his face still remains worn and wet.

I press the back of my palm to his forehead. "Are you going to be okay?"

He nods and forces a slight smile. "Sooner we get there the better."

The girl up front driving says over her shoulder, "Hey, Finnian! I'm driving a 100 miles per hour for you buddy." She is stocky, with long, black hair pulled into a high pony tail.

A guy next to me taps on my arm.

"Hi, I'm Nicolas, but these jarheads call me Nico." He extends his hand, waiting for me to respond. I grab it, and immediately regret joining our sweaty palms.

"Hi," I say. "I'm Irissa...or Iris, if you prefer."

"Iris?" Nico nods his head, smiling. "That's hot!"

The girl driving looks in the rearview mirror back at me. "Ignore him, he's a pervert." She laughs, and Nico joins in with her. I can't help but smile. These people seem pretty cool and down-to-earth.

Who are they? Why are they running from the city?

There are three more people stuffed inside the car, and two of them have nodded off. Their heads bob carelessly when we hit grooves in the road. There are two girls up front, the driver and another in the passenger seat. She's been quiet the whole ride, staring out the window.

Finn wraps his arms around my waist, startling me. I jerk upward, hitting the top of my head on the ceiling. He laughs a little, which is nice to hear, but it makes me think of Bianca's laughter. She always knew when to laugh and when to cry. Thinking about the last moment I had with her causes an unsettled feeling in my stomach.

Don't worry, Bianca. I will be back for you...

"Hey, you okay?" Finn squeezes his hands gently against my sides.

I lean back on his chest, his chin settles on my right shoulder. "I'm just thinking about my friend back at PURE. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her bravery."

"We'll get her back."

"I believe you," I say.

I have to.

Finn leans me forward, shifting me on his lap, so that we're almost face to face. "I'm sorry you had to choose like that back there," he says. "But this was the right choice. I promise."

I simply smile, hoping I can refrain from speaking, because I just might say something about the irritating Borrower who plagues my mind. 

Kyler Hart.