Page 47 of In a Perfect World

About a couple of hours into our trip, Kairo asked, “How are you holding up?You good?”

I looked over at him, then did my best to give him a convincing smile.While I wasn’t freaking out, I wasn’t sure if I was good.“I’m fine,” I semi-lied.

“When we make camp, I’ll circle back to get us some real food,” he offered.“I’m all for snacks, but they don’t exactly fill a man up.”

“Yeah, okay,” I muttered, a part of me wondering whether he was going to come back, though I knew that thought was ridiculous.Every second that Kairo was in my company, he risked getting arrested, so it was ridiculous to think that he’d desert me.

I knew this.

Another hour later, Kairo finally pulled off the main road and onto a dirt road that led to some camping grounds, and the plan was for me to lay down in the back of the car until he found a secluded enough place for us to lay down for the night.He was also going to set everything up alone, then smuggle me into the tent, leaving it to look as if he was camping alone.

Luckily, if anyone did come along, who would question Kairo Booker’s word?His father had such a stellar reputation that I couldn’t see anyone questioning him further.Yeah, they might wonder what he was doing so far from home, but that could easily be explained away with some fodder about sightseeing or just restless feet.

Another hour later, I was safely tucked away in the tent while Kairo was off getting us some food, and the quietness made it so that I couldn’t escape my thoughts.It was the unknown that was making me feel both excited and scared.Once we got into Mexico, it’d be anyone’s guess, and it was hard not to feel anxious about that, despite how determined I was to make a new life.

It was also hard not to think of Tomasco.He was going to be so hurt and worried, and that was quietly tearing me apart.He’d always been a good brother, and I knew that he was going to blame our parents for this, and I could see him cutting them off, the one thing that I hadn’t wanted for him.

There’s nothing stopping you from turning back.

While that was true, if I turned back now, it’d be to telling Kairo goodbye, and I wasn’t sure if I could do that.There was no future for us in the RNA, and I could only imagine what would happen if I accidentally got pregnant, abstinence being the only true form of birth control.We’d both end up in prison for daring to love each other, and our mixed child would be displaced, not belonging in Rancher Hills nor Sterling Acres.

Not belonging anywhere while his or her parents rotted in prison.

Chapter 24

Kairo~

It was Sunday evening, and the sun was beginning to set, and even though I was having mixed emotions about everything, I still knew that we couldn’t go any further.Despite having spent the past two nights worshipping every inch of Triana’s body like I’d always wanted to, we were officially closing in on dangerous territory, and so I needed to finally put a stop to this.

“Baby, we need to talk,” I said as I sat across from her.

About two hours ago, we’d found a secluded area close to the Pitamah Creek, and Triana had taken a bath in the creek while I had set up camp, and she was sitting across the camping lantern, brushing her hair, looking too beautiful to be real.The woman was absolutely breathtaking, and I had no idea how I was going to be able to keep my hands off her once we got back home.

“What’s wrong?”she asked as she placed her brush down in front of her.

“Triana, we’re an hour away from the border,” I pointed out.“It’s getting real.”