Relief.

Soon enough, the dirt burying me was slowly dissolving, the fractures of air trickled through into my lungs. The oxygen transported to my head, finally allowing concrete thoughts to come through instead of fear taking over. My mouth struggled to come up with coherent sentences, so I stayed quiet, following behind Davina.

She stormed out of the room like she was on a mission and no one could stop her from completing it. Before I knew it, we were speeding down the road, with the building miles behind us. Every mile made it easier to breathe; knowing my father couldn't lay a hand on me was a sense of clarity.

I hadn't realized how deeply rooted the fear has gotten. The day I left good for home was one of the hardest things I had to do. I tried giving them a chance to get better and live as a normal family, but they resisted. Instead of saying peaceful goodbyes, my father marked me with a black eye and a bruised rib.

"Milo understood. He's going to get us out of the shooting. Probably some bullshit lies about us being sick or something," Davina stated, pushing the switch down to turn left.

"Thank you." was all I could muster.

Davina removed one of her hands from the steering wheel and wrapped it around mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It's the least I can do."

Silence enveloped in the air. The classical music on stereo grew louder as our voices stayed muted. My eyes wandered over to Davina. Her forehead had two crease lines from how concentrated she was on getting to a location. All I was happy about was being away from that bastard who thought he could come to fix things.

Star filled the sky like pale corn into freshly turned ground. It was a promise of life in the darkness, a sense of warmth springing from the cold. The black heavens hugged each star as a sweet and loving mother. With my attention fully on the sky, I failed to hear the engine shutting off and Davina exiting the car.

When I noticed she wasn't near me anymore, I heard the back door open, and she said, "It's your lucky day. I just so happen to have camping supplies for our little getaway."

I leaped down from the car and went to go help her. "Who would have these supplies on hand?"

"You aren't the only person who likes running away from things." Her tone was serious, yet she playfully shuffled her feet in the sand.

I juggled two hammock lounger chairs, an eight-person camping tent with a screen, and three luxury collection mattresses in my hands. "I don't like running away. It's just I."

She placed her finger over my mouth. The odor of flowery essence wafted from it. "I'm joking. I understand the feeling of being tongue-tied in front of people. It creeps on you when you least expected and feels like nothing can help unless you get away."

Oddly for being a girl who hated any kind of relationship, she seemed to know a lot about them. Our relationship wasn't always fifty/fifty since I wasn't afraid to tell her everything while she kept herself at hand's length. Yet she would drop subtle hints like this as if she wanted me to pry in and find out more.

But I didn't want to push her.

All I knew there were two sides to Davina, and I wanted to get to the bottom of her kindhearted one.

I laughed uneasily as I dumped everything on the sand. "Yeah... I don't know how to explain it. I haven't seen him in five years. I think everything just came rushing. I didn't think I was that scared of him."

Her blue-hazel eyes flickered with concern as she gripped my trembling hand. "I get it, bean sprout, I really do. I'm just the kind of girl to distract you from everything."

I shoved my hair back and off my forehead. "D, how do you get it? Why do you refrain from sharing?"

Davina swung around, her arms rising over her head and stretching. She leaned down in the bag, pulled out frisbees, and turned around with a childlike grin on her face. "What's all this moping! Let's do something fun instead!"

With no warning, she threw the frisbees at full speed and I managed to reach up and catch it. "Alright, D. I got to listen to your rules since you're my savior."

My arm craned back and sent the frisbee flying towards her. A chuckle slipped past my lips when Davina failed to catch and tripped over her two left feet. This girl knew how to do dance, karate, boxing yet somehow sucked at playing frisbee. 

"That was totally the sand's fault!" she giggled, her smile imitating the stars in the sky.

"Yeah, yeah. Hit me with your best shot." I winked.

She shook her head before sending the frisbee in my direction. Only the wind must've interfered because it landed on the floor halfway. At least that was the excuse I wagered a thousand dollars she would use. 

Davina stuck her pointer finger in her adorable mouth and placed it in the air. "That wasn't fair! The wind suddenly picked up and now returned to normal."

I shook my head with amusement written on my face. "Sure, Jan. Just hand over the frisbee."

After receiving it from her, I launched my arm back, aiming it precisely before sending it soaring like those paper airplanes I used to throw around in class. Everything was fine and dandy until the frisbee struck Davina in the nose, causing her to misstep and fall to the sand.

"Shit! Maybe playing frisbee wasn't the brightest idea," Davina groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

But no matter the pressure she applied, the blood had still gushed between her fingers and oozed under her hand. Her blood had poured as easily as water from a garden hose in a steady but dying rhythm.

Worry shot through me like an electric shock. At lightning speed, I was beside her fragile frame and helped lift herself. It's these moments I regretted focusing on Lana's beauty instead of listening to her tips on how to control the blood oozing from a nose. I should've taken the lessons from Declan, but he had such a punchable face; I couldn't bear hours with that guy.

Alarm raised in me. "D, are you okay?"

"I just got fucking butchered by a frisbee! What kind of question is that?" she whined, the blood dripping down her hands.

"Hey, don't air the anger out on me. It's the frisbee's fault. All I'm trying to do is help out," I countered defensively.

She nodded, which caused her to wince. "Yeah, I know. It just fucking hurts so much."

I was amazed at how much blood could gush from a nose. She could fill two cups with the amounts of liquid dripping to the ground. Since we didn't have any towels, I did the only other thing I could think-- I offered my shirt as tribute.

With shaky hands, I folded the shirt into a ball, and carefully placed pressure on her cuts with pursed lips and drawn brows. Tears shined her eyes, but she held them back, trying to be strong even though I knew this hurt like a bitch. She continued to fucking amaze me.

"I'm sorry for throwing it so hard. If I knew you had such a sensitive nose I would've been more careful," I playfully teased to take her attention away from her throbbing nose.

Somehow, she found the strength to gently slap my back. "Fuck off! You could've damaged my beautiful nose. You know people think I had plastic surgery. That's how amazing it is."

I sighed. "I'm sure it would look just as amazing."

Davina slowly pushed my hands away, and revealed her throbbing, beetroot nose to me. Instead of her usual petite nose, it grew twenty sizes larger, mimicking Shrek's nose. I stifled a snort by pretending to cough my lungs out so she wouldn't catch the drift. The blood had to be coming from her nostrils and the gigantic slash on the bridge of her nose.

Though even with her Shrek nose, she still happened to be the definition of beauty. My heart leaped into somersaults as gazed into my eyes with her alluring blue-hazel ones. Her eyes traveled down my body, only now noticing that I'm only in my jeans. She bit her lips, and it took everything I have not to smash our lips together.

I was definitely losing my sanity.

"Since when did you become Jacob from Twilight?" Davina laughed, her fingers arousing goosebumps on my toned belly.

My eyebrows bunched together. "What are you going on about? If anything, I'm team, Edward."

Her eyes lit up. "Ahh, so you have watched the iconic movies that made our society a better place. But you literally acted like Jacob, by taking off your shirt and using the excuse to clean my blood for it."

I tilted my head, delight shooting through me. "Hey, I can't help if my abs make me irresistible." I cringed internally.

She wrinkled her Shrek nose in disgust. "That was the cringest thing I ever heard in my life!"

"I know. I instantly regretted it the moment it left my lips," I responded, blood rushing to my cheeks.

"I have an emergency kit in the car," she declared, darting her eyes towards the vehicle.

I scoffed. "Anything else, Princess? Should I bring a pillow for you to lie on?"

Davina raised her middle fingers with a smug expression. "Yes, actually I would love that darling, but your lap is still my favorite place."

I let out a quiet chuckle. "Seeing you on your knees is my favorite view."

Contentment gnawed at my stomach when I noticed how much my reply affected her. Davina's lips were slightly parted, her cheeks resembled the color of tomatoes, and nothing exited from her mouth. Halting Davina was a difficult task, but somehow I managed to do it. 

Leaving my fake girlfriend alone with her roaming thoughts, I walked towards the car and searched high and low for her emergency kit. My hands dug through the bottom of the driver's seat, feeling nothing big enough to be a kit. However, I felt paper-type fabric rub against my fingers and pulled it out.

It was a picture of Davina and a guy I've never seen. He looked too perfect, like a Ken doll. He wore beige khakis, a polo shirt, and enough hair gel to grease a car. Davina's smile reached her eyes, which is so rarely did nowadays. My heart clenched in envy, but I wasn't a hundred percent sure why.

Maybe this was the past she was running away from...

Finally, underneath the passenger seat hid the kit, which consisted of rubbing alcohol, clothes, and bandages. With a slam of the car door, I walked over to see Davina inspecting her nose on her cell phone.

She clicked her tongue against her teeth. "You're a filthy liar! My nose looks as big as those trolls from Frozen. How am I supposed to do my photoshoot looking like this Thursday?"

"I wasn't lying. You aren't any less pretty than you were when we arrived here," I replied, soaking the shirt with rubbing alcohol.

Without warning, I dabbed the shirt on her cut, and she slightly winced.

"Sorry." I cringed. "Should've warned you."

A pensive look washed over her stunning face. "You are doing better than I thought you would. Is it because Lana taught you?"

My gut twisted with jitters. "Nah, she tried teaching me before but it's hard to focus when she's so goddamn cute." my lips curled up into a smile. "All my skills are strictly from watching romantic movies."

She raised a cocky brow. "Are you saying what we're doing right now is romantic?"

I laughed at how badly she hid her disgust. "Technically, it should be, but I can't take you seriously with a nose taking up your whole face."

Davina playfully shoved my shoulder. "See, I knew you were a rotten sicken liar!"

As we continued snickering, I couldn't help my thoughts wander back to the picture of the random dude in her car. Was it an invasion of privacy to ask her about it? Was it so bad that I wanted to learn more about her? Something in my gut simmered whenever I thought about a guy making her the happiest girl in the world.

Why couldn't I have that?

"D... this might be awkward to ask..." I cleared my throat before blowing on her nose. "But I found a photo of you with this guy under your seat. I wanted to know who he is..."

Davina chewed on the inside of her cheek but didn't say anything. Her attention was elsewhere, lost deep in thought.

Worried she might be withdrawing from me, I quickly retracted. "Nevermind. Sorry, I fucked up."

"That guy." Davina took a deep breath. "He's my ex-boyfriend. Umm, we dated for five years. It was before I got my big break on BallyHigh. Things didn't really end well between us, so it's not easy to talk about."

Then it hit when I google stalked Davina all those weeks ago. Her relationship with Colton Meyer blasted on every media site. According to the public, their break-up was mutual, and they both cared deeply for one another. But the sorrowful look in her eyes said the complete opposite.

"Colton Underwood?" I asked, watching her entire body go stiff at the mention of his name.

She slowly nodded. "Yeah...him. We actually met on the Kids' Baking Championship. We spend all hours of the day with each other. On our twelfth birthday, he asked me to be his girlfriend, and obviously," she sighed. "I said yes. It didn't get serious until we became teenagers and, you know, hormones entered the picture. Basically, all I'm trying to say... I thought he was the one but to him, I was just a naive girl obsessed with him."

My eyebrows furrowed. "Why does the media still portray you guys as best friends?"

Davina picked at her nails as if it was the most interesting thing she's seen all day. "He doesn't want to tarnish his perfect image by the public finding out he cheated on me. It's so annoying to read about everyone praising him while everyone turned their backs on me because I was lost. I don't blame them, though sometimes I wanted to turn away and go into the shadows."

Anger stirred within my gut as the thoughts of this senseless Ken doll cheating on an amazing girl like Davina. She wasn't always perfect, none of us were perfect, but she had a fascinating charm around her. I never understood how people betray someone else's trust like that.

"He's an asshole." My comment caused a snort to escape her pink lips. "He didn't notice the great girl he was leaving behind. I'm glad."

Her eyebrows raised. "Glad about what?"

"That you didn't turn to the shadows. I don't know the full story but I do know the feeling of heartbreak and how easy it is to lose yourself to it." I reached out to touch her trembling hands. "Believe it or not, I'm glad I've meant you."

Pink blossom graced her cheeks as she quickly glanced away. "Ditto. Now can you put the bandage on my nose!"

I rolled my eyes. "Anything for you, honey."

Her eyes stared in the opposite direction as I placed the bandage on her nose. The mystery of why her cheeks were rosy pink gnawed at my mind, but my heart fluttered at her adorable state. The hello kitty bandage somehow elevated how cute she was in the white light illumined from the moon.

"What? Aren't you going to kiss it better?" she asked, her face imitating a beetroot.

My breath caught.

Was she being serious? She wanted me to kiss her nose? Wasn't that passing other boundaries when we agreed to never do things like again? Why was I suddenly getting so self-conscious around her? This wasn't good. I already had an incredible girl in my heart.

My heart shuddered. "Y-you really want me too?"

She playfully punched from my shoulder, causing a groan to depart. "I'm kidding! You should've seen how red your cheeks are!"

Embarrassment flooded me. "You really had me shitty bricks for a second."

The sun bloomed on the horizon, golden petals stretching ever outwards into the rich blue. It was the brilliant flower of the sky that warmed our days. It was an invitation to a new day, that sunrise so ordinary extraordinary.

After roasting marshmallows for dinner together, we fell asleep in her inflatable mattress under the stars. Luckily, we didn't have to share a bed, since Davina kept moving around like she had ants in her pants. Through her sleeping face; those long lashes hiding her beautiful eyes, her lips parted her dark thick eyebrows.

My alarm rang at six in the morning, but I was the only one awakened. Davina groaned, shifting herself in the bed to cover the sun. I packed everything back into the car, and I didn't have the heart to wake her up.

She looked so exhausted the past days, her make-up intensified whenever she tried hiding it.

Carefully, I carried her bridal style, feeling her hot breath on my neck as she snuggled closer. My heart galloped in my chest. I couldn't take how attractive she looked. For a second, I thought about showering her with kisses, but I kept composure.

I mumbled a prayer as I laid her on the passenger's seat, hoping it wouldn't wake her up. Her head rolled around the headrest before finding a comfy position and staying asleep. The drive was peaceful as the music quietly lingered in the background. The GPS was a wonder to our generation because I wouldn't know how to get home without it.

Thirty minutes passed, and we were parked outside the hotel. I debated over waking her up since she would probably want to return to her hotel room.

"Davina," I whispered, gently caressing her cheek.

She moaned, moving her head to face the window.

Keeping my touch as light as a feather, I turned her head facing my direction, watching her eyebrows frown. I wondered if she was dreaming in that little cute head of hers. The sudden impulse to peck her nose consumed my mind. Maybe it was the lack of sleep or how adorable the bandage was on her nose, but I had to do it.

I wanted to do it.

I reached over to her side of the car, brought my face near hers, and brushed the gentlest of kisses on her nose.

I wanted to die from embarrassment the moment Davina's eyes fluttered open. Her eyebrows bunched together as she rubbed her nose with a confused look on her face.

"Did you?" she mumbled. "Kiss my nose?"

I rubbed the nape of my neck. "Yeah, let's not talk about it..."

She shrugged. "Okay... but can you carry me up to my room? I don't feel like using my limbs yet."

A sigh of relief escaped my lips when I saw her change topics. "Sure."

Her arms wrapped around my neck while my hands were placed underneath her legs. For being a tall girl, she hadn't weighed much or maybe the strength training lessons helped my muscles. Though it was slightly annoying how she kicked her legs back and forth, hitting my fucking ribs each time.

The smirk on her face proved she was doing it on purpose. 

However, my limbs went rigid the moment I saw those two people sitting in the hotel lobby.

"Oh, Ambrose!" my mother cried out.

Davina hopped onto her two legs, catching the drift that I lost all the power in my bones. Her hand interlocked with mine, sending a squeeze of reassurance. It gave a splurge of strength shot through my veins.

Also, my father being asleep on the chair helped.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice wavering.

"They said you would be excited to see us again." Her crow's feet emerged with her forced smile.

"Why, after everything we've been through, would I be excited to see you?"

She brushed her hair behind her ears. "I thought since we're in recovery that you wanted to reconnect with us. Dad and I are doing better. I haven't touched the alcohol since our encounter. Your father has been sober for six months now."

I gritted my teeth. "He's not my father."

Mom gasped. "How could you say that? He cared for you, he fed you, he paid for your education!"

My breathing picked up a notch as her outburst was causing my father to move around in his seat. "He lost the right to by my father the moment he put me into the hospital."

Mother clicked her tongue, her hollow cheeks redder than Mars. "Stop spreading things when people are around, especially in front of your girlfriend. Mind my manners, Hello Dear, I'm Ambrose's mother Bianca." she held her hand out for Davina to shake.

Davina glanced at me with confusion lingering in her eyes.

Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I spew things I would feel guilty about saying later, "All I'm saying is the truth. You're just embarrassed because you don't want people to know the monster you're married to! Now, Davina and I have better things to do than stand around here and listen to your lies."

Her eyes widened as they quickly filled with tears. "Amby, honey, please give us another chance..."

I pulled Davina away, feeling like the entire world was crashing on my shoulders.

"Woah, that was awesome bean sprout!" Davina cheered.

I clutched my stomach. "I'm going to be sick."

Ahhh I really loved this chapter too!! Davina and Ambrose being cute with each other really warms my heart! Who do you think will notice their feelings first?

Love you guys and can't wait to read your comments!!