Page 3 of Embrace Me Forever

My eyes close for a moment as my hands instinctively find his. “Sebastian, we can leave together and still keep it under wraps.”

“We’ll go our separate ways for now. I need to come up with a good reason to resign without arousing suspicion. Then I’ll come for you.”

I frown, shaking my head. “But?—”

“Everything will be fine. Soon, we’ll put Bertram far behind us.” The clarity in his eyes unnerves me more than his words.

My gut churns. He’s definitely holding something back. “Sebastian?”

Suddenly, a rustling from outside suspends our conversation. It’s too deliberate and forceful to be just the wind. No one knows about this place. Whoever has found us, they’re not here to be friendly.

“They’re coming for you!” Sebastian hisses, shoving me toward the bedroom. “Pack now. Have you got your passport?”

“Sebastian, what aren’t you telling me?”

“Have you got your passport?” The insistence in his voice nearly makes me stumble.

“No,” I stammer. “It’s at my apartment.”

“Georgia-May…” He calls my chosen name with a familiarity that feels as if he’s known me by it forever. He then thrusts his phone into my hand. “The passcode is the same as my Xbox code, followed by 16 at the end. Call Cristo.”

“Cristo?” My voice trembles. “You mean?—”

“Yes. Him.”

The Cristo who often annihilated us inStarCraft II?

Sebastian’s explanation comes in a hurried whisper. “He’s more than a gamer. I trust him. He’ll get you a new identity, whatever you need.”

The weight of his words sinks in, and my pulse quickens as the footsteps draw nearer.

“Sebastian, you’ve got to come with me!” I plead, my heart breaking at the thought of leaving him behind.

“Go, now!” Sebastian instructs as he flings aside a rug, revealing a trapdoor. “I love you, Georgia-May.” His lips meet mine in a desperate kiss before he guides me into the hidden escape.

We call the cottage our sanctuary for a reason. It’s secluded, and behind us is a large park, the perfect cover for an escape. But this secret door was unknown to me until now.

Men’s voices carry through the cottage just as Sebastian seals the trapdoor above, leaving me in shadowed silence. I scuttle along the earthen tunnel. Above, the muffled stomps and voices of the searching men grow louder. Sebastian is out there, somewhere, sacrificing precious moments for me. But I know, with a sinking feeling, that time is running out.

The tunnel is a mere few yards, but when I emerge from the dirt-caked exit beneath another trapdoor, I find myself at the park’s center. The shadows of the trees shroud me, their darkness both comforting and foreboding. I force myself to stay calm and think clearly, occasionally glancing back, hoping for a glimpse of Sebastian.

Just as I push further into the underbrush, the crack of a gunshot pierces the silence. I halt, breath snagged in fear. Another shot follows. Panic claws at my senses, and I dart behind the nearest tree, melding with the dark. From my scant cover, I risk a cautious glance and spot two figures hauling a body toward the cottage’s rear.

Sebastian…

Tears sting my eyes, and the overwhelming desire to see him one last time roots me to the spot. Did I even say ‘I love you’ before we parted? He was my first everything, the only person who truly understood me.

Suddenly, three other men burst from the cottage, their steps aiming toward me. Five of them, for me?

“Search the area! If she’s around, she won’t be far,” barks one, his torchlight carving through the darkness.

Their attention shifts toward the outbuilding behind the cottage. There’s no time for hesitation. I spin on my heel and bolt, my legs fueled by sheer desperation. I can’t look back—not for anything. For him, and for the precious life growing inside me, I have to keep moving.

I sprint through the park, the trees blurring into a dark mass around me. My lungs burn, but stopping isn’t an option. An open road gives me a brief chance to gain speed, but I slip back into the cover of the trees at the slightest hint of headlights.

Exhausted, I finally emerge at the edge of town just as a bus rolls to a stop. I board, breathless and shaking.

The bus takes me to the city, where I finally feel a moment of relative safety. Finding a quiet corner, I pull out Sebastian’s phone, my hands shaking as I dial Cristo’s number.

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