Runners

2. Seconds

LUCA POV:

Shes starving. This is the first thought I have when I watch her sleeping next to me on the thin mattress. She's starving and she's tired. So, so tired. If I had just checked the perimeter better we wouldn't have been in this mess.

If I'd done that, I would be able to do my job and protect my little sister better. It's my fault. I tighten my arms around her stomach and pull her closer, needing the contact to know that she's still here. She's still with me. She's still breathing.

I place a light kiss to the top of her head and carefully unwrap my arms from her. The shift of the mattress causes her to stir and I freeze for a moment, but luckily she remains asleep. Even as the faint click of the motel door echoes through the room as I make my way down to the front desk.

A young boy, only a few years older than me, sits tapping his phone screen as he obnoxiously slaps the chewing gum in his mouth. I clear my throat in hopes of getting his attention, but all it does is causing the chewing to become louder and I grind my teeth together to keep my anger at bay.

"Excuse me." His head snaps up towards me, his face the painting of boredom and annoyance. "Yeah, what?" He rudely acknowledges. Deep breaths.

"I was wondering if you knew where the closest mall was. My sister needs some new clothes." He looks me up and down with distaste. I'm three seconds away from hitting the fucker. I know he sees the three small holes at the bottom of my faded navy shirt, and the mud and scuff marks on my boots, but it's much better than his fucking green feathered shit that makes him look like a damn parrot. I don't even know what the hell it is.

"Yeah." He bluntly replies, turning his focus back onto his phone. I take a deep inhale through my nose as I clench my fists. Two seconds. I can't risk getting sent to the police station because it will show up on their radar and he will come straight for Lily.

"So..." I pause waiting for him to continue. "Twenty minute walk south from here, since I'm assuming someone like you doesn't have a car. That it?" One fucking second. And just to test my patience further today he says, "follow the signs. You can't miss it. You can read right?"

Think of Lily. Don't pound his face in. You have to protect Lily.

"Thanks," I spit and make my way back along the narrow corridor towards our room. The walls were once white but are now tinted a dirty yellow from cigarette smoke over the years. A dead plant sites in the right corner at the end below a boarded up window, it's leaves a grey brown and soil stark dry.

Opening the door I stop dead in my tracks. The bed is empty, the covers thrown haphazardly off the side, and Lily is nowhere in sight. "Lily?" I call out. Silence.

"Liliana!" I shout, rushing about checking she's not hidden at the sides of the bed. I hear a faint sniffle and whip my head around to the source of the noise. I slam open the bathroom door and relax, but only slightly.

There she is, sat clutching her legs in the grime covered bathtub. She's rocking herself forwards and backwards with her eyes tightly sealed shut, mumbling incoherent words to herself as her breathing comes in short inhales. "Lily," I say gently. She hasn't had one this bad in a while.

I bend down to her level, allowing me to slide one arm beneath her legs and one around her back as I lift her up and hold her tightly to my chest. She instantly places a hand above my heart and attempts to follow each beat with a breath. This is something we have done for her attacks for years, and it always seems to work.

"Lily, princess, it's okay. I'm here. I'm right here. Look," I coo wrapping my pinky around hers. Once her breathing has begun to return to normal she places her head against my chest, making her ear rest above my heart now.

"You we're gone," she whispers and her voice cracks at the last word. "I thought he got you, or that you left me." She croaks.

"You can't get rid of me that easy. I'm your brother Lily, and I will never leave you alone again." I squeeze her once reassuringly, "never."

****
"Do I have to Lu?" She groans, taking the basket from my hands as I hold it up in-front of her face. We are currently in the mall, it's only small with a few clothing shops and only two places to eat, but it's all we need.

"Yes, Liliana. Now find some clothes because we can't go into a new state dressed like hobos." She looks down at her outfit, then back at me with a raised brow.

"Are you saying I look like a hobo, dear brother." She places a hand on her hip and slightly narrows her eyes.

I gulp, immediately regretting my choice of words. "No, no. I'm just saying that it might be nice. You know, new start so new clothes." I respond quickly, knowing how crazy she can be at the flip of a switch. Despite her quiet appearance towards others, once you know her you know that this girl is batshit nuts.

I won't back down from a fight, and I'll be the first to throw a punch; nobody scares me. Except my baby sister.

She hums, spinning on her heel and making her way towards the tops. I follow closely behind, scanning the area just like I know she is.

Picking up a thin black cami top, holding it against herself before checking the size, she throws it into the basket. She does this two more times, always checking the price before lifting it from the shelf. "Don't worry about costs. Get what you want and I'll figure it out."

Her response? Rolling her eyes at me. "Lu, you need clothes too. Now shoo, go find your own shit." She waves her hand in a shooing motion. Now it's my turn to raise an eyebrow, "you're okay with being left alone in a shop, in public? Okay." I begin walking away, knowing exactly what's going to happen in three.

Two.

One...

"Wait," her hushed voice says from behind me and I smile in victory. I grab her hand and match towards the leggings and jeans.

We spend another thirty minutes going through the shops. In total Lily got three cami tops, four graphic tees from the thrift store, two jeans and a pair of leggings. She was hesitant at first, but after reassuring her for the umpteenth time, she finally caved and got them.

As for myself, I got two T-shirt's, a pair of jeans and some all black sneakers that happened to be in my size from the same thrift store. We shove the clothes into the two backpacks we always wear, which hold absolutely all of our things, and made our way to the food court.

After I watched Lily to make sure she ate enough of her chicken salad, I practically inhaled my chicken sandwich, and we began our long treck across to the state of Florida.

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Words:1251

A/N : what do you think of the paragraph lengths? Are they too short, too long or just fine?

How are you enjoying it so far? :)