one thing I was best at.

Changing the topic.

It was a very good skill I had that comes in handy in situations like these. Smoothly changing the topic, I made the vegetable soup without any interactions with Auden and at the same time made him forget about that topic. It was a pain to do it but I still had to.

Currently, we were seated at the dining table, having our delicious vegetable soup. Exchanging glances and teasing stares towards each other, we continued slurping up the soup. "It's really good." Auden broke the comfortable silence. I smiled, blushing a little at his unwavering admiration. "Where did you learn it?"

I struggled for an answer as my smile dropped instantly. I blinked at him. "I... learned it myself," I said and my obvious change did not go unnoticed by him like I thought it would. He opened his mouth, wanting to ask something before he closed them shut again. I let out a sigh, feeling a little tense. That's when my ringtone broke the tense air and I looked towards it.

The name 'Princess Banana' was blinking on my phone and I picked it up, with a smile on my face.

Did I forget something? Again?

"Hey." I chirped.

"You are everywhere," Shira said calmly, her voice is a little bit of shock.

"What?" I asked, smiling already, knowing that this was going to be another joke.

"Your face is everywhere." She said again and I blinked.

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?" I asked, waiting for the oncoming joke.

"Where are you?" Shira asked again. She sounded like she had just run a marathon, breathing heavily.

"In the Kitchen," I said, furrowing my eyebrows. I looked up to see Auden looking up at me, at my strange answer. For a moment, there was silence from the other end.

"Hello?" I called.

"Katherine," Shira said. Her tone was very calm and at the same time serious, making me gulp. "There are posters of you everywhere. Saying that you are missing. It says—"

Everything she was saying afterwards went muffled and I couldn't concentrate on anything else as I felt a stinging pain surge through my heart at the sound of this news. The phone I was holding almost slipped out of my fingers and I tightened my grip on it. By my expression, I knew that Auden's attention was now fully on me.

"Shira," I called, my voice sounding infinitely weak.

"Ya?"

"Are you playing with me? Is this a joke? You are joking right?"

"What? No. Kath, I am not. There are so many posters of you. Danny saw them and told me. I saw the poster. It had your name. Your last name is De Beaut?"

At the mention of my last name, I knew that it was happening. I never told my last name to any of them. They are here. They have found me. They know that I am in this town. How did they know? Fear gripped me alive and I looked up at Auden. It was the type of fear that eats you alive. It crawled underneath my skin, making droplets of sweat roll down my skin. My skin turned cold at the thought of losing him. At the thought of them destroying him.

I need to leave.

I have to move to another place.

Is this how my life is going to be?

Constantly on the run.

My phone was grabbed from me and I looked up to see Auden talking to Shira. I didn't know what he was saying and the only thing I could constantly hear was the sound of my rapidly beating heart. I felt like my world had been doomed. I shouldn't have stayed here. I should have left. I should have gone to my friend's place. None of this would have happened.

I have to leave.

"Shh." I heard a soothing voice call out to me and turned to see Auden stroking my cheek. It was only then I realised that I was crying. The pain I felt in my heart was unbearable and I hugged Auden for making the past few days be the best days I ever had. I hugged Auden tightly, knowing well that I am never going to see him again. I have to leave before they do something to him too. His hands stroked my hair comfortingly and I felt arms circle around the back of my knees, lifting me in the air.

Tears flowed down my cheeks and I wanted nothing else but to leave this place before they come here.

"Auden," I called.

"Yes, love."

It hurt. The way he called me— love. It hurt now that I would never be able to hear it again. He placed me down on the sofa and kneeled beside me, holding my face.

"Can you bring me to my friend's place?" I asked, looking at him. He remained calm and I was not expecting that. His thumb stroked my cheek and I looked at him, waiting for an answer.

"No." He said softly and I closed my eyes as more tears flowed down my cheeks.

"Auden..."

"Shh." He soothed me, holding either side of my face. My lips trembled as he rested his forehead against mine. "I don't just love you. You own me. I would do anything for you. I'm not going to abandon you. I'm not going to leave you. You can damn well know that I am going to fight for you." His words only made me cry harder. My chest ached. And it only made me cry harder at the fact that he was not demanding answers of my past from me. Or why there are posters of my face hanging around. He was just there, to support me. How can he be so perfect? He is everything I have ever wanted.

"Auden. You don't know them. They would hurt you. I can't let that happen. They are dangerous—" My breathing went harder. A sudden surge of overwhelming anxiety and fear went through my veins. My heart pounded against my chest and I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was going to die. An immense amount of pain shot through my chest and my vision went blurry. My fingers trembled and I felt a weird sort of numbness take over my body.

I heard a distant voice call my name. "Breathe. Kitkat, breathe. Look at me. Breathe." I felt hands holding me close and I started breathing, thinking of nothing else. I focused on nothing else as I continued taking deep breaths. My vision came back as two comfortable blue eyes looked at me with utter concern. His eyes glistened with unshed tears and pain.

"Auden," I said, my eyes wide, confused and frantic. What just happened to me?

"You just had a panic attack." He gritted his teeth and rested his forehead against mine. He seemed like he was trying to calm down, controlling himself to not kill that someone who was the cause of my panic attack. "You can try pushing me away because you think that is the best for the both of us. But, listen, I will always be here for you. I don't care if there are a million reasons to leave, you are the only reason I will ever need to stay. I am not going to let you face your problems alone. We will face it together. You hear me?"

I nodded.

It was at that moment I realised that he already has my heart even before I could even mutter a no.

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