Belief

3.4

"Runaway with me?"

The words hung in the silence of the air, dangling in front of me; waiting.

My mind rushed with all of the reasons not to go. Every thought tried to defer me from pushing myself to just go with my instinct.

A lot could go wrong, but what if the few things that go right make up for it all?

"Okay," I breathe slowly, Luke's hands squeeze mine as soon as the words left my lips.

He bends down, eyes level with mine, forehead against my own, "Are you sure?"

I begin to hesitate, my attempt at turning off the doubts in my mind is becoming increasingly harder, but the look in his eyes is so definite as if he somehow knew that this would all work out.

"I'm sure." I close the small space that had been lingering between us, my lips finding Luke's as if to second my answer. His hands unclamp from mine, his fingers brush my hair back, resting on the sides of my head. Luke pulls me closer, his lips feverish, making every doubt that I had fall away.

"Madeline, for God's sake get your tongue out of that boy's mouth and get on this plane!" My father yelled. I broke away from Luke, my eyes lingering in his stare before darting to my father. His face was red, gripping his suitcase tightly.

"I'm sorry sir, but I am going to have to ask you to board your plane now," The flight attendant sasses. He begins to protest, but my attention is cut short by a tug on my arm.

Luke is pulling at me, my suitcase already in his other hand. I open my mouth to question him, but Luke grabs my arm, yanking me forward. The boys start sprinting back down the aisles of the airport, Michael and Calum in the lead. Ashton is yelling something to Luke that I couldn't hear over my jumbled thoughts.

"Why are we running?" I yell, trying to keep up with Luke and his legs that are twice my size. Ashton flicks his head, motioning behind me.

I glance back to find my father trailing behind us, sprinting in his business suit.

"You knew he was going to chase us?" I yell to them. Ashton nods, picking up speed.

I glance back again, he was a good twenty feet behind us. I kept bumping into people, turning my attention back in front of me. Luke's grip on my hand was slowly slipping as I fought to keep up. We squeezed in between families, running through newsstands, quickly approaching the elevator. Michael got there first, repeatedly pressing the button with urgency.

Luke and I caught up to the other boys, leaning against the wall waiting for the elevator doors to open. The only sound was everyone trying to catch their breath.

"He is- catching up!" Calum's hands were on his knees, flicking his head in the direction of my father who was slowly getting nearer. Ashton banged against the elevator door in frustration. It opened, all of us spilling inside.

I stare ahead, my father was only a few feet away.

"Shut the door dammit!" Ashton pressed the button roughly, staring with anxiousness towards my nearing father. He was getting close enough where I could see the beads of sweat surrounding his frown line. Just as he got a few feet away, the doors shut.

"Oh my god," I gasp, sinking down the wall as the elevator slowly begins. I push my hair back, sweat forming upon my forehead, and cover my face in my hands.

"Come here Madds," Ashton sinks down next to me, putting his arm around my shoulder to pull me close to him.

"I can't believe I just did that." I shake my head, leaning in to Ashton for support.