New World

Elena stood in her usual spot behind the pub, waiting for the soldiers to switch shifts. She knew she’d made a deal with Liam that he could come along and protect her, but if she was able to sneak out without him, she was going to. The forest was always better alone, anyway.

“Looks like I’m right on time.”

Elena whipped her head around to find Liam walking slowly towards her, his large gun slung over his shoulder. He had no reason to duck for cover the way she did, because if another soldier saw him walking around, they’d think nothing of it.

Letting out a sigh, Elena nodded her head. She missed her chance to head off without him, but she’d be damned if she was going to let him ruin her night.

“Looks like.”

He chuckled, waving his hand forward. “Well, let’s go then.”

“Don’t you know anything?” she said, as she rolled her eyes. “We have to wait for the shift change.”

Elena looked over, and as if on cue, the two soldiers met up, shook hands, and did their little bit of chatting before they would part ways. Just as she had a thousand times before, Elena darted straight for the hole, with Liam easily following behind her. He’d spent countless hours training on obstacle courses, so Elena’s elegant path was nothing for him.

After a few moments of walking through the forest, when they were carefully hidden under the cover of the trees, Liam spoke up. “What is it that usually do when you’re out here?”

Elena turned around quickly, her eyes in a soft glare. “You said you’d stay back.”

Liam took a deep breath, as he bit his lip. Of course, he didn’t want to stay back. He didn’t want to mosey through the woods, following her around like some kind of creep, but he didn’t have much choice. He had promised that he would stay back.

Elena tapped her foot, as she waited for a response. He simply stared at her, and there was something about his soft brown eyes that was just so unnerving to her. She almost felt bad for stringing him along like she was. He was only trying to his job.

“I just think, I guess,” she said, her voice less harsh than it had been before.

A small, reassuring smile fell to Liam’s lips and he nodded. “That makes sense.”

She nodded back, before continuing walking forward. Liam waited a few moments before walking, so he could give her the space he had promised. Ready to fire his gun at any minute, Liam kept his eyes on Elena, who was still close enough for him to defend.

With Liam quite a few feet back, Elena let the dewy smell of the forest fill her sense. It had always been so relaxing to her, and it was part of the reason she loved heading out there. Her ears opened up to the sound of the forest, and they were just far enough away from Atello that she could no longer hear the sound of the electric fence.

All she could hear was nature, and Liam’s feet.

She turned her head around, watching him as he stepped over a fallen log. Everything he did seemed so easy, and she wondered if it was because he was so athletic or because he spent so much time in the forest himself. There was just something so familiar about him.

“You can come closer if you’d like,” she called, almost regretting the words when she said them. She didn’t know what she was thinking. She wanted to keep Liam back so she could be alone, but at the same time, she wanted to learn more about him.

He nodded and jogged easily over to her, not winding a bit. He was directly behind her now, even though she hadn’t met for him to come that much closer. She had only meant a few feet.

“It’s nice out here, isn’t it?” he said, as he looked up towards the tops of the trees.

She wanted to let out a deep sigh, but she kept it in. Her night alone with Liam watching her had quickly turned into a night of awkward small talk and forced conversations. It was the exact opposite of what she had planned, and she would have rather they kept their talking to a minimum.

As if he sensed Elena’s tension, Liam reached out and wrapped his hand around her tiny wrist. She quickly looked up at him, her big eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

“Elena, I know you’re not overly fond of me being here, but I’m glad I am,” he said, his voice soft and smooth. “I just want to make sure you’re safe.”

Her teeth nibbling at her bottom lip, Elena kept her gaze on Liam, who looked so unlike the hard, rough soldier she had always known him as. He seemed like an entirely different person, and a part of her was dying to know what this other person was like.

“I know,” she whispered, giving him a soft nod of her head. He returned it with a smile, while dropping her hand, and she took that as her cue to keep walking. They only had a few more hours before they had to head back, or they’d both be deprived of sleep the next day, and Elena wanted to make the most of it.