"Oh, Autumn shades, calm my shaking hands." -Whispering, Alex Clare 

I'M IN THE CAR IN LESS THAN five minutes. I don't even care that I might get in trouble for sneaking out again- not when some creepy ass person had snuck into my room to leave a note on my window sill. Oh, not to mention that creepy ass person may or may not be the same one who killed Ford's mother and drove Ford out of town with death threats.

The drive to the motel Ford is staying at is half an hour- just outside Barton's Forest- but it feels like hours until I reach it. By then, my palms are completely drenched with sweat, my heart is beating so quickly against my chest I'm afraid it'll burst out of my ribcage, and I'm checking for the hundredth time to see if someone's following me. When I finally do manage to find a parking spot, I'm practically flying out the car to get into the building.

There's someone on night duty, but I only give them a small wave before skipping the elevator and going straight to the stairs, climbing two at a time. When I reach Ford's door, I don't stop knocking- even when I hear Ford groan and fall off the bed- until he opens it. When he finally reveals his dishevelled, tired self, I pull him into a hug.

"Thank God," I mutter. "Thank God you're okay."

Ford pushes us into the room, though it proves to be a little hard with me clinging to him. When he manages to, he hugs me back. "Ava, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

I pull away and notice that he's blushing slightly, and maybe I would be too if I weren't aware of the situation at hand. But I am, so I skip the oh my God we just hugged and go straight to, "No, I'm not. Because I'm pretty sure whoever killed your mom knows I helped you out, and I think they might know where you are, and I thought they had already gotten to you-"

"Hey," Ford says. "Breathe, okay?"

We sit down on the floor by the bed as I explain to Ford what I found on the window sill. By the time I'm done, he looks pale. I only now notice how Ford looks just waking up; his hair is sticking up in all places, some as if gravitating to the roof. His grey eyes, that were weary and kind of blurred at first, are now sharp and swirling with emotions. His shirt is rumpled and his red sweatpants are pushed up at the bottom. This time I do blush, but I don't think Ford notices, seeing as he seems to be having a mental freak out.

"Okay," he says, "Okay, that's really bad. That's really bad. I'm so sorry, Ava, I shouldn't have gotten you into this." Ford groans, pulling his knees up to his chest and running a hand through his hair. "God. What if... do you think they know I'm back? Do you think they'll hurt my family?"

"I'll check on your dad after school," I promise him. "But, who knows? Maybe they don't know you're back!"

Ford snorts, "Oh, yeah, okay."

"I was trying to be positive," I grumble.

"What about Molly?"

I sigh, fingering with the hem of my sleep shirt. "I can call her? Ask her how she's holding up? I'll do my best to make it seem like I know nothing."

"Ava," Ford whispers. I turn to him, and noticed his grey eyes are cast down, a dark look settled upon his face. His voice is low and raspy. "You know how much this all means to me. But, your 'best' may not be good enough. I know this is adding a lot of pressure, but we need perfect. No one can have even the slightest suspicions I may be back, or else it may get to them, and they'll all die because of me..."

"Hypocrite," I shoulder-bump him. "You breathe, Ford. Quit freaking out, okay? We're going to figure this all out, I know it. I understand you're worried about your family, I totally get that; you pretty much have every right to be. But..." I take his hand, and it would have been  little weird if not for the fact that I know he really needs the comfort right now. "I'm going to get your life back, okay? You won't have to live in this fear for much longer. You'll be able to come home."

Ford chuckles, "You know what's funny? I used to always complain about how much I hate Cailbridge. I mean, I really did hate it. It's so small, and isolated and so stupid with its 'Northside' and 'Southside' stereotypes. But it only take me two days before I started to miss that small, isolated, stupid place with all my heart. Before, all I wanted to do was get out; now all I want to do is come back home."

"Cailbridge is a crappy place," I agree. "But it's home. And home does this funny thing; it worms into your heart, and once it's in there, it gets comfortable. I think no matter how hard anyone tries, no one can truly hate Cailbridge. I know I can't."

"Even if Barton's Forest is creepy as hell," Ford laughs softly. "My house is right outside of it, and my bedroom window faces it. When I was little, the shadows shining through would always make these silhouettes on the ground right outside my bed." With a faraway look in his eye, Ford smiles softly, using the hand that's not holding mine to trace shapes on the floor. "I used to always sleep with my mom because I was convinced they were monsters under my bed."

I can't help but laugh at the image of eight-year-old Ford crawling to his mother's bed in fear of monsters. It almost seems impossible now, that the smallest of imaginations can scare the same person who's taking death threats against him and his family with his head and chin up- for the most part, at least.

"And even if that crappy diner around the corner only has orange juice have the time," Ford continues wistfully, increasing his grip on my hand. "I remember Lucas and I used to always get so pissed, because their orange juice was actually really good, but the manager always forgot to order the refills. The table Lucas and I always sat in was this really crappy one in the corner by the window- though it wasn't much of a window, because it was like really stained and practically yellow- and there was like a collection of gum underneath the chair and the edge of the table had been broken off, and every time she would see us she'd just swear and tell us she forgot again."

"Ford," I interrupt his story telling. He turns to look at me, and I've never seen so many emotions in one person's eyes before. It's like they're all swirling together, fighting against each other to ultimately just create confusion. "You're going to get back, okay?"

Ford exhales deeply, and then nods.

We sit in silence a bit more before Ford speaks up again, "Do you think I'll have to leave again?"

"You're not in Cailbridge," I say firmly. "You did what they asked you to do."

Ford just nods, seeming in an internal argument with himself. I glance at the time, realizing if I don't start heading back soon, my parents are going to catch me sneaking out again, and this time I'll be in serious trouble. Ford seems to notice what I'm thinking and gives me a small smile, "You should go, Ava. Thanks for stopping by to check on me."

I give his hand one last squeeze, before standing up. "Stay safe, okay, Wilson?"

Ford chuckles, "Don't I always?"

I roll my eyes, "Yeah, work on that."

x

"Where the hell have you been?" Jas exclaims when she meets me at my locker. She pulls me into a tight embrace, squeezing the life out of me.

"Sorry, sorry," I manage to choke out, pushing away from her. "It's a long story, but I went out for a midnight drive, and got lost."

"Got lost?" James laughs with a raised eyebrow. "Sounds like you, Jackson."

I roll my eyes. "Shut up, Racer." But we still hug, anyway.

"Tell me everything," Jas rants as we walk to class. "I can't believe you got lost. Are you okay? You were gone for two days, Ava. I thought something had happened to you like Ford! I swear, I was expecting to find a lock of your bloody hair somewhere in the woods. Don't you ever do that again."

"Sorry, sorry," I laugh. The teacher greets me with the work I've missed, and I sit down in class in my usual seat behind Lucas.

As soon as I do, Lucas Charleson turns around in his seat. "Screw you. First Ford, then you? You gave us all a heart attack. I heard you got lost."

"Yeah," I laugh. I can't help but feel a little lighter today, despite all that's happened; Ford's okay, I know where he is. "You know me. I see something, I have to go there, and then I don't know my way back. It happened all the time in nature walks back in the third grade."

Lucas chuckles. "Well, you know what they say; curiosity killed the cat."

I LOVE THIS STORY OMFG isn't it crazy that updates are even quicker with exams though xD Hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did, please leave a COMMENT AND VOTE!

Also, I posted a new story! It's called 'The Sweetest Difficulties'. Pleeeease check it out and maybe leave me a comment? :)

Love you all so so much! (: xoxo