Page 50 of Convergence

“Is Ev at the phone?” Nate asked, trying to look around without being visible.

I shook my head. I looked into the store through the glass windows and didn’t see his head over the top of the shelves, and he wasn’t at the counter.

“Fuck,” Nate said. “We wait another minute while the pump finishes and then you drive us out of here.”

“I can’t drive, remember? And I’m not leaving him,” I said, my voice shaking.

“If he saw the cop, he’s probably hiding in the bathroom or down an aisle. We will have to get out of here, Eva. I can’t let you get arrested,” Nate said and sat up, getting out of the car.

He got into the driver’s seat, looking around as discreetly as he could. Nobody was paying us any attention, and the cop was still sitting in his car. The pump clicked off, and Nate mumbled, “Get in the passenger seat. Quick, but don’t run.”

I followed his direction on shaky knees, sinking into the beige material. “We can’t,” I said to Nate desperately.

Nate swallowed and started the engine, both of us looking at the gas station to hopefully ‌find Everett. The cop got out of his car and looked around, his eyes settling on us for a second before moving on. I hoped my fear wasn’t showing in my eyes, but it seemed he didn’t notice as he went into the station. Where Everett was.

“Fucking fuck. Fucking hell. God damn it,” Nate swore incoherently as he slowly maneuvered us away from the gas pump and out of the gas station. Tears streamed down my face as I looked back at the gas station and still didn’t see Ev.

Nate drove us down the street to a busy Starbucks parking lot and we waited ten silent, tense minutes before heading back to the gas station. I felt sick to my stomach with nerves. Tears welled in my eyes as Nate drove us back down the street. I had heard no sirens or seen any more police come through, so I hoped that was a good sign. We neared the gas station, and it looked like the cop was gone. I didn’t see Everett outside the gas station as I sat up straight in the car and peered out the windows.

“There he is!” Nate shouted so suddenly it made me jump. Nate pulled into the grocery store parking lot next to the gas station and whipped around to where there was a covered bus stop. Everett was standing against the bus stop pavilion, a plastic bag at his feet, and smoking a cigarette. He was alone at the bus stop and his shoulders relaxed as we stopped outside the bus stop. He threw the cigarette and got into the back seat. I spun around in my seat and leaned over the center console to reach Everett in the backseat. He reached for me, and we held each other while Nate drove away from the busy roads and stores.

18

Iheld Everett tightly and cried into his neck while he stroked my hair and kissed the side of my face over and over. The car stopped suddenly and Nate got out of the car. I looked up to see that we were in a park we passed when we drove into town. Nate had pulled us over into the grass near where the bike path had started. Nobody was around. It was still a cold December weekday. Everett and I pulled away from each other when Nate got out of the car and we watched him come around to the passenger side. Everett got out of the car, and the serious expressions on both of their faces made me think they were about to fight.

My heart was in my throat as I watched them approach each other, stormy expressions in both of their eyes. I got out of the car quickly, thinking I was going to have to break up a fight. But instead of fighting, Nate launched towards Everett and hugged him tightly around his shoulders. Everett wrapped his arms around Nate’s torso, and they turned their noses towards each other’s neck. Nate mumbled in Everett’s neck. Everett said something back and clutched Nate tightly. This wasn’t a back thumping, turn your pelvis to the side, bro hug. This was an embrace.

Nate pulled back, his hands still on Ev’s shoulders. “I’m so sorry for leaving you. You have no idea, man. I had to get Eva out of there, though. Fuck, that was the hardest decision I’ve ever made,” Nate said with a sniff.

“I’m not mad at you,” Ev insisted. “I’m proud of you for getting her out of there. Nate, I’m not mad at you.”

Nate shook his head and sniffed again. He let out a loud exhale and hugged Everett again, then gestured for me to join them. We stood there clutching each other tightly as we caught our breaths and relaxed our anxiety. They were both at least a foot taller than me, so I had to reach up to tell them to bend down to kiss me. They both kissed me gently before I caught them both sharing a long look. I thought maybe they were about to kiss for a moment before they pulled away and we walked back to the car.

Everett got into the driver’s seat since it was his turn to drive, and he knew the next set of directions. “Easton has us meeting him in a parking lot of a grocery store in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee,” Everett said as he adjusted the mirror and drove us out of the park.

“Finally,” I said with a relieved sigh.

“Almost there, baby girl,” he said, and patted my thigh in the passenger seat. He glanced at Nate in the rearview mirror, but I didn’t turn around to see Nate’s expression, allowing them to have that moment to themselves. I wondered if they were growing to have feelings for each other. The idea of them together made me clench my thighs together in my seat, but their relationship wasn’t about me. Running from the law seemed to have a bonding effect on us, and I wouldn’t put it past my guys to have expanded their feelings for each other. I, for one, was having to take a moment to evaluate the way I was feeling about these men.

“Easton is meeting us at 6:30, so we’ll need to be careful. He wants us to get off every few exits to lose our lane neighbors and to look like normal traffic,” Everett explained in his calm voice. “We’re going to make it; we have to be watchful and move with caution like we did earlier. We’re not being seen together and we’re paying in cash everywhere. Though, I am running low. I don’t have enough for gasanddinner.”

“I’m not hungry, anyway. I only want to sleep somewhere safe,” I said.

“Me neither,” Nate agreed from the back. Everett raised an eyebrow in the mirror and Natetskedback at him.

The radio was playing quietly as we drove for the next few hours, Nate and I occasionally dozing in our seats, and Everett occasionally humming to the music. It was nearing five and traffic was becoming more congested, so Nate laid down across the back seat. I reclined in the passenger seat and sunk down, and Everett put on a pair of reflective sunglasses he picked up at a gas station. Everett’s hand shot out and turned up the volume on a news report. My stomach dropped hearing the familiar cadence of a news reporter’s voice.

“Breaking news update: Cleveland Police have encouraged a ‘nationwide manhunt’ for three suspected terrorists on the run from Truman College. Evangeline Reid, Everett Monroe, and Nathaniel Gibson are suspected of creating a bioweapon in their school lab before setting it ablaze. Another student has come forth and shed some light on their potential motives,” the report switched to an audio clip of a young man speaking. “Yeah, I was in their group in class, and they werealwaystalking about how they hated this country and wanted to wipe everyone out. Like Evangeline was one time talking about how she wanted to kill every other woman in the country, so she would be the only one left and all men would love her. It was weird because she never talks.” The news report switched back to the news anchor. “Sources have revealed Evangeline was present when her mother died as a young teen. Sources have also said Everett Monroe has a brother who was dishonorably discharged from the army some years ago. Could a disdain for our country be the motive for their attacks? To prepare, all national monuments have closed early for the weekend and any potential attacks. Follow our Twitter account for live updates at-”

“’A disdain for our country?!’ Most of my family has served our country in the armed forces!” Everett shouted. I shushed him and placed a hand on his leg to ‌calm him. “Where are they even getting these students to give statements? I never once interacted with any students outside of you two.”

“Neither did we, Ev. Anyone who knows you, knows about your family’s service and your plans to make America’s food safer,” Nate soothed him.

“Are they trying to say that I killed my mom and hate all women?” My lip trembled, but I bit it to hold myself together. A sob escaped before I could swallow it down.

“I think it’s a way for whoever is after us to tell us ‌they know we’re both sleeping with you, Eva,” Nate suggested, squeezing my shoulder. “It’s their way of saying they saw us at the lab when you and I were in the locker room and when you and Ev kissed out front.”

“How was that only yesterday?” I sighed, realizing he was right. Whoever had planted that camera in our house, of course, must have had them throughout the lab. It only made sense to have them in both places.

---