Help Me Close My Eyes

28 ~ strangers.

"You say my name
Like it's been on your lips,
Familiar in ways I can't explain.
It's like it's driving me closer to you.
Every step back pulls me right back to you.

Time stood still, and it's only us.
What we feel started
Way before we ever touched.

Must be from a different life.
Been here before, and it just feels right.
No, this ain't the first time for you and I,
We ain't strangers."
- Jonas Brothers

***
Ira's POV

I struggle to suck in breath, but my lungs feel like they're on fire.

"We have to keep moving!" Liam turns and shouts, his hand gripping mine, pulling me after him as we run.

I push myself even harder to keep pace with him, the muscles in my legs protesting with every step. I look to the left and right, searching for some place to hide, some place to get away from all this, but there's nowhere to go. It's like the walls are closing in on us, and I'm not sure how much longer we can keep going.

Every time I blink, I expect to wake up, to go back to my regular boring life, where things makes sense and I'm safe.

But no matter how many times I try, no matter how many times I open my eyes, my lungs are still burning, Liam's still gripping my hand, and I'm still running.

This is real.

***

Twenty Minutes Earlier

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I glance up at Liam, who walks beside me. I can't help but notice the concern in his eyes, and an emotion I can't identify washes over me, so intense I have to look away.

It's only been about fifteen minutes since we left my apartment. I finished packing, and Leah and I said our goodbyes. Well, I said goodbye. She said see you later.

It wasn't easy to listen to her talk about all the things we'll do once I get back, to hear her make plans for a life I'm not sure I'll ever get the chance to step back into, but I suppose there was a kind of comfort in it. Hearing someone talk about the future like I'm actually going to have one was nice, whether or not it's true.

I haven't really said a word since we left. Not when Liam and I walked back down the road to the car. Not when I hauled my duffle bag into the trunk. Not even when I noticed that despite my entire life being packed in there, it was still so light.

I think a part of me is afraid that if I speak, if I acknowledge that the moment has passed, it'll really be gone.

So I stay silent.

We've only been driving for a couple of minutes when Liam suggested we grab something to eat before heading back to the house. I simply nodded in response, still feeling numb.

We parked the car, and now we're slowly making our way through the bustling streets to a calmer area. The little cafe on the corner looks quieter than normal, but one look at the dreary sky tells me that the promise of imminent rain must've driven most people inside.

Letting out a sigh, I turn back to Liam. "Not really," I answer.

He runs a hand over his hair in that way he does when I've irritated him. "Jesus, Adira, are you going to stay mad at me forever?"

"With any luck."

He stops walking suddenly and takes hold of my arm, pulling me off the main road until we're standing in an alleyway. The second we're out of sight, I wrench my arm out of his grip and glare at him.