Rose, tears in her eyes, watched as he ran off. "I love you" She muttered, watching him go out of sight. She took a shaky breath, wondering if she'd ever see him again. She walked over to the note and read it, a tear rolling down her cheek. She took the note and walked upstairs, sitting on the bed. She'd never felt so empty. Not when he'd died, not ever. She started quietly crying, curling up on the bed

Rose cried for a long while until her eyes ran dry, no tears able to fall any longer. She took a few shaky breaths and looked at her ring. He had promised, but this had changed things. She wouldn't take it off, but it would still be a reminder of him and the broken promise. There was no way they would get married, at least not in the near future, if he was running. She only hoped he'd get to safety and not get caught. He had so much more he was resposible for than just the murder of her brother

Rose eventually got up and walked downstairs to the bar. Memories of the previous couple nights flooded in and it hurt like a rusty knife cutting her from the inside out. She couldn't cry any more, so she just stared at the counter, letting her pain overcome her as the memories replayed as though they had just happened. Their first kiss, him speeding through the traffic with his hand on her thigh, his excitement after his games, his smile, his laugh, everything. Her head hurt, but she didn't resist the pain

The forest was alive with shadows and whispers as Caden sprinted through the underbrush, his breath ragged and his heart pounding in his ears. Every branch that cracked underfoot felt like a warning, the crackling of leaves an urgent reminder that the world was closing in around him. The sirens, distant but persistent, chased him through the trees, a constant reminder of the danger nipping at his heels.

He had to lose them. He couldn’t afford to get caught—not now, not after everything.

With his back pressed against the rough bark of an oak tree, Caden stilled. His chest heaved, and for a moment, his mind raced, trying to assess the situation. He had been running for miles—his body sore, his limbs aching—but the need to survive outweighed everything else. The sirens were closer now, their eerie wail rising in pitch, tearing at the fragile peace he had stolen for himself in these woods.

Move. Don’t think. Just move.

His brain screamed at him to go, to push through the exhaustion and keep running, but his body was protesting, every muscle stiff and sore from the effort. The rustling of leaves sent his senses on high alert. Something was shifting in the distance—a figure, a sound, something that might be the patrols, maybe just the wind.

Caden held his breath. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his hands gripped the bark beneath him like a lifeline, his pulse a rapid drumbeat in his throat. The woods were eerily still, like a breath held too long, and for a moment, it seemed as though the world had frozen. But no—he couldn’t afford to be still. Not anymore.

His feet itched to move, but something nagged at the back of his mind, pulling his focus. A rustle. Closer this time. Then, the unmistakable sound of a voice—harsh, urgent.

Shit. His heart lurched in his chest, and his instincts kicked in.

He couldn’t stay here any longer. Without a second thought, Caden surged forward, pushing his aching body through the underbrush, ignoring the sharp sting of branches scraping across his face and arms. He didn’t have time to slow down, to catch his breath, to think.

The ground was uneven beneath him, the trees blurring as he ran. The faint hum of a helicopter overhead made his stomach twist. It was no longer just the sirens—they had sent a chopper too.

Desperation fueled his every step. He had to vanish. Had to find cover. Had to disappear. His legs burned, his breath coming in short, ragged bursts, but he kept going, the thought of capture pushing him forward, faster than he thought possible.

He spotted a fallen log ahead, partially hidden by thick shrubs and vines. It was the perfect place to lay low—just long enough to get out of sight, to collect himself, to wait for the next chance to escape. But he had no illusions. They were closing in. And they wouldn’t stop until they found him.

His muscles screamed in protest as he dove for the log, his body crashing into the brush with a sickening thud. Pain shot through his ribs as he hit the ground, but he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to remain still. The rush of adrenaline kept his mind sharp despite the exhaustion threatening to overwhelm him.

Caden pressed his back into the cold earth, his breath shallow, trying to control the noise, to stay hidden. His fingers dug into the dirt as he listened, straining to hear any signs of pursuit. The wind picked up, rustling the branches above him, and for a moment, everything felt too still.

Then, just as his pulse began to settle, he heard it.

Voices.

Footsteps.

The patrol was coming closer. His heart skipped a beat. There were at least two of them, possibly more. Their conversation was muffled, but their words were unmistakable. They were moving through the forest, methodical, searching.

His body stiffened, every muscle on high alert. He couldn’t risk making a sound. Couldn’t risk moving, even a twitch. Every second felt like an eternity as they drew nearer, their footsteps crunching on the leaves, their voices blending into the static of his thoughts.

Please, don’t let them find me.

The thought was fleeting, like a whisper in the wind, but it gripped him with a cold urgency. If they found him now, there would be no escape. The consequences of getting caught… he couldn’t even think about it.

The voices grew louder, the steps closer. He held his breath, praying that the wind would shift, that the thick brush and shadows would conceal him. Just a little longer, he thought. Just a little longer, and then you can go.

His heartbeat drummed in his ears, drowning out everything but the sound of his own survival instinct. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself to be invisible, to just vanish into the dirt and the shadows of the forest.

The footsteps stopped. Just a few feet away. The voices, now closer, clearer, drifted into his awareness. Two men. They were talking to each other, but their words were clipped, tense. Caden strained to make them out.

"—can’t be far. We’re close."

"We have to find him. He won’t last much longer."

A shiver ran down Caden’s spine. They were talking about him. They knew he was here.

But he wasn’t ready to give up. Not yet.

Rose stayed in her place of pain and anger and memories until she couldn't take it any longer. She hoped he would somehow come back to her eventually

Caden’s heart hammered in his chest as he sprinted through the forest, his breath ragged, legs burning with the effort. The distant sirens grew louder, their wail a constant reminder that he couldn’t outrun them forever. His mind raced—what other options did he have? He couldn’t just keep running. He needed a plan, but everything was slipping out of focus. The weight of his past, the decisions he’d made, and the flash of sirens behind him had already consumed too much of his strength.

His feet crashed through the underbrush, twigs snapping underfoot. The moonlight barely filtered through the canopy, the darkness pressing in on him from all sides. He wasn’t sure if the pain in his side was from running or something else—his ribs felt bruised, his muscles tight with exhaustion.

Then—another rustle in the woods. The sound was faint, but his senses were sharp. He veered left instinctively, ducking behind a thick cluster of trees, pressing his back against the bark. He barely dared to breathe. They were close. Too close.

The flash of a flashlight cut through the trees, swinging wildly as the police officers moved closer. Caden’s pulse thudded in his ears, and his stomach twisted with a mix of adrenaline and fear. If they saw him now, he’d be done. He couldn’t afford to be caught. Not like this. Not after everything he’d just barely escaped from.

He held his breath, pushing his back harder into the tree, his fingers clutching the bark as if it might ground him, steady him. But the sirens were closing in faster, and the flashlight beams sliced through the underbrush, too many of them, too close.

The crunch of footsteps was the first thing that made him snap. He heard them moving—two officers, their steps heavy and deliberate, closing in on the spot where he’d hidden himself. Caden’s instincts flared, and his legs moved before his brain had even caught up.

Run.

He darted through the trees, limbs burning with every step. But just as he rounded the corner of a large oak, he collided with something—no, someone.

“Hey!” a voice shouted from behind him, a hand grabbing his shoulder.

Caden twisted, shoving against the officer’s grip, but it was no use. The second officer was already there, too fast, too strong. Hands grabbed his arms, pulling them behind his back. His breath hitched as they pressed him against the rough bark of the tree. His head spun, the dizziness from his exhaustion and panic overwhelming him.

“No—let me go!” Caden struggled, but his limbs were sluggish, his body too tired from the constant sprinting. The cold metal of the handcuffs clicked around his wrists, and for the first time since he’d started running, he felt the weight of his situation sink in.

The officer who’d grabbed him earlier spoke into his radio, his voice firm and urgent. “Got him. Male, early twenties, resisting. Needs immediate transport.”

Caden’s heart sank as he was roughly turned, his face pushed against the cold ground. He barely had time to react before the heel of a boot pressed against his side. His ribs screamed in protest.

“Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” one of the officers growled. “You’re going to be in a lot more trouble if you don’t cooperate.”

He closed his eyes, trying to swallow the rising panic in his throat. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He’d made it so far. He’d—

“Hey,” the voice of the officer closest to him softened slightly. “Who are you running from? What’s your story?”

Caden clenched his jaw, refusing to answer. He couldn’t. The last thing he needed was to say anything that could tie him to the mess he’d just barely escaped. His past was a minefield he couldn’t afford to step on again.

The officers continued talking over him as they hauled him to his feet and shoved him toward the patrol car. The flashlight beams flickered over his face, exposing the desperation in his eyes—but he wasn’t going to give them what they wanted.

He was too smart for that.

As they shoved him into the back of the car, the door slammed shut, and the vehicle’s engine roared to life. The sirens blared again as they drove away, cutting through the night air.

Caden slumped against the seat, his mind racing. He wasn’t just a fugitive now—he was a captive, but he wasn’t finished yet.

The wheels of fate were turning faster than he could catch up with, and he needed to think. The game was far from over.

Rose stayed where she was, thinking in pain

The sound of the police car’s engine hummed in the background, the sirens long silenced, but Caden couldn’t shake the thudding in his chest. The car came to a stop, and he was yanked out of the backseat with rough hands. His legs felt like lead as he stumbled out of the vehicle, the chill night air biting at his skin. He could barely focus—his ribs hurt, his muscles were stiff, and his mind was clouded with frustration. But more than that, he felt something else stirring inside him: a smoldering anger.

He wasn’t going down like this. Not yet.

They shoved him down a long hallway, the fluorescent lights overhead buzzing like a hive of angry bees. Every step echoed off the concrete floors, each one a reminder that he’d lost the race this time. He knew it wouldn’t be long before they had him in front of the judge, asking questions he wasn’t ready to answer. His fate, for now, seemed sealed.

But he didn’t plan on making it easy for them.

The officer guiding him toward the mugshot area muttered something, but Caden didn’t care to listen. His heart beat faster as they reached the small room, the white walls stark and sterile. A camera sat on a stand in front of a backdrop with a height chart, the whole setup sterile and routine.

“Stand there,” one of the officers ordered, pointing to the spot in front of the camera.

Caden didn’t budge at first. He stood still, staring at the officer with a look that could melt metal. He knew they expected him to cower, to fold. But instead, his lips curved upward in a slow, deliberate grin.

The officer raised an eyebrow. “What are you looking at?”

Caden didn’t answer, just took a step forward. The officer was about to bark at him again when Caden stepped into position, his hands still cuffed behind his back.

As the officer gave the signal to snap the picture, Caden flashed the brightest, most defiant grin he could muster—a full, teeth-baring smile, full of challenge and rebellion. His eyes twinkled with the fire of someone who was far from broken.

The flash of the camera lit up the room, and for a brief moment, the world seemed to slow down. It wasn’t just a mugshot. It was a statement. A declaration that no matter how hard they tried to break him, they couldn’t take away his spirit.

The officer looked taken aback, his face twisting with a mix of surprise and annoyance. “What the hell is that?” he muttered, clearly not expecting such a reaction from someone in Caden’s situation.

But Caden didn’t care. He wasn’t here to make it easy for them. He wasn’t here to play their game.

Another officer, standing off to the side, cleared his throat. “You really think you can mess with us like that?” he asked, a thin smile tugging at his lips.

Caden just shrugged, his smile still lingering, as if to say, Yeah, I can.

The first officer didn’t like it, but he said nothing more. Instead, he motioned for Caden to be taken away.

As the guards led him to the holding cells, Caden’s smile faded into a subtle smirk. He knew the game wasn’t over, not by a long shot.

They could lock him up. They could throw him in a cage. But his mind was still free.

And they hadn’t broken him yet.