“WARNER!” The sound of his dad's voice booms through the walls and fear snakes its way up my back. He sounds like a prick.

“Go out the window, go!” Warner steps over to his window and raises it. Climbing off the bed, I close the space between us.

“No, I can’t leave you. He sounds really mad!” I whisper. Scared for what Warner’s dad might do to him when I’m not here.

Warner holds both of my wrists.

“Go, because if he touches you, I’ll kill him. Go!”

“Get your fucking ass in here, boy!” his dad demands. I can tell Warner is in for it, probably for missing school.

Throwing a leg out the window, I slowly slide my other leg out, my hands on the lip of the window. I can’t touch the ground, and I can’t really see over my shoulder to see how far down it is.

A loud bang comes from inside Warner’s room, grunts and groans. Something slams up against the wall and my fingers slip and I fall to the ground.

My body hits the ground hard. Gasping for air, I crawl to my feet, nothing is broke, but my ankle hurts. Tears filling my eyes hearing Warner and his dad go at it brutally, I don’t want to leave, but I don’t want to make it worse for Warner either. So I take off for my house. My chest constricting in the most painful way because I know Warner is getting hurt and there’s nothing I can do about it.

Reaching my front door, I open it slowly with tears streaming down my face.

As soon as I close it, I hear the click of my mother’s heels behind me on the marbled floor.

“Where were you?” she snaps.

I turn, finding her staring at me with pointed eyes. She’s wearing a pencil black dress, and her hair pulled back tightly. Bright red lipstick on. She’s pissed.

“I was at school,” I lie.

“Funny, your school called this morning and said you left with Warner Nine.”

My face falls. Shit!

“I had a bad day, and he just took me—”

“I don’t want you to finish that sentence. I told you I didn’t want you around that boy!” Dad interjects, stepping into the room wearing his suit.

“Yeah but I was—”

“You are out of that school, and going to boarding school.” Mother points at me, and my jaw drops. “I warned you. You are not going to ruin your life over some boy.”

“Seems to be all you think about anymore,” Dad sneers, and I can’t help but think he’s referring to Brick. They’re blaming me for almost being raped.

“Are you serious? I never thought about any guy up until Warner!”

My dad pinches the bridge of his nose, and my mother looks up to the ceiling.

“I might love him,” I confess.

“You’re way too young to know what love is,” my mother snarls, rolling her eyes. Tears stream down my face, and I feel like I’m being crushed. I don’t know if I love Warner, but whatever this feeling is… it’s greater than anything I’ve ever felt for anyone.

“That’s why boarding school is the best place for you. Get your head back into the books.” Dad straightens his tie, his tone crisp as if he’s talking to a client rather than his daughter.

I remember when my parents suggested boarding school when I told them about Brick. They tried to make it sound like a great place, and safe for girls like me. It was to make themselves feel better, looking at me like a burden to their own conscience. This is what this is all about, isn’t it?

“Are you sending me to boarding school because of Warner, or because you can’t stand to look at yourself knowing you almost let your daughter get raped?” My voice echoes through the house.

My parents give each other a look, their faces turning white.

“That’s enough. You leave in two days. I suggest you get packing.” My mother straightens her back, lifting her chin.

I scoff, shoving past her. My heart breaks in a million pieces scared I’ll never see warner again. The only person I’ve ever opened up to, the only person I care about.

“You’ll thank us one day!” Day hollers after me. I raise my hand and flip them both off before slamming my bedroom door behind me.

I’m not packing shit, because I’m not going.

The window creaks in my room and little goosebumps rise along my arms. Tugging the blankets up to my chin, I try and remember if I locked my window the night I crawled up to the roof.

The curtains move, and I suck in a breath, my eyes widening when a shadow presents itself in my room. Just as I’m about to scream, I recognize the silhouette.

“Warner,” I whisper with relief, kicking the blankets off me. He rushes to me, the spicy smell of him surrounding me as his arms lock around me in a tight grip.

He winces, and I pull back to give him a look over.

“What happened, are you okay?” I ask. The moonlight casts a little light across his face and I notice his split lip.

“I’m leaving,” he murmurs. “I’m done here.” His face drawn, and jaw clenched, I can tell something bad happened tonight. Something really bad.

I furrow my brows, taking a step back. My chest burns knowing he’s wanting to leave, that I may never see him again. What could have happened that has him wanting to run so fast?

“What do you mean? Where are you going?”

He shrugs, holding his right forearm like it’s bothering him.

“Anywhere but here. I can’t deal with my dad’s shit anymore.”

Taking his fingers with my hand, I peel them away from his forearm and notice a shirt wrapped around his arm, soaked with blood.

Gasping, I cover my mouth at the looks of it.

“What happened?”

“My dad got me with a beer bottle,” he explains. “I probably need stitches, but I wanted to come say bye first.”

“Bye? You’re not leaving me. I’m coming with,” I huff. Turning, I fumble through my closet, pulling a green dress on.

“What? You can’t come, your parents will freak the fuck out. I’ll stay close, I’ll write everyday—”

“My parents are sending me away, Warner. If I don’t come with you now… I’ll never see you again.”

“Sending you away where?” He holds his hands out.

I stand with an empty duffel bag, staring at him with tear filled eyes.

“Some boarding school, or prep school. I don’t know where it is, but I’ll be living there for a while.” Fumbling with the strap of the bag I try and rein in my emotions. My parents wanting to get rid of me, Warner hurt and wanting to leave. It’s like everything is closing in and I can’t breathe. Closing the space between us, he takes my hand. With his hand in mine, I finally exhale the breath I was holding.

“Fuck, River.” Separation hangs in his tone. His forehead rests against mine and the simple contact spreads fire through my limbs. God, I missed him. How can someone miss someone so much in such a short amount of time?

“You’re my best friend, I have to come. You need me out there.”

Lifting his chin, he gives me a smoldering sexy look. “Best friend huh?”

I shrug. I feel like I can be myself around him and he doesn’t judge me, if anything he loves it.

“I’d say friends with benefits, babe.” He laughs, gripping my dress, he jerks me close kissing me like he’s been wanting to do that since he crawled through my window. His tongue tasting mine, I can feel his pain, and breath his agony. We both need to get away. “Or did I not fuck that pussy hard enough today,” he whispers in my ear, and little hairs on my neck rise, as if my body responds to the sound of his voice without my consent.

I pull away from him, needing the space or we will be on my bed in seconds, and begin to pack. Tossing clothes, shoes, my iPod, and whatever else I can find into the bag.

He chuckles. “You’re really doing this? You’re walking away from all this to slum it with me on the road?”

Tossing my bag over my shoulder, I slip on a pair of flip-flops.

“The road, gas station food, music, and you… sound like my kinda fun,” I wink. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to just pack up and leave. I guess I’m finding out now. There’s nothing here for me anymore.

Rubbing his chin, he shakes his head.

“You’re wild, River.”

Throwing my leg out the window, I look at how Warner climbed up, the lattice board.

“So they say,” I mutter under my breath. God I hope I don’t fall again.

Sticking my foot in one hole, a little whine catches my attention. My dog Huey.

My heart sinks, he’s the only thing I care about in this house. I can’t leave him behind.

Warner bends down to pick him up. “I owe you, don’t I, buddy?” He rubs Huey’s head. Warner looks at me, his eyes falling to my duffel bag. “Open your bag.”

“You think we should take him with us?” I whisper loudly.

Warner holds him up. “If you want him, we should take him. You should have anything you want.” I swear this guy knows exactly what to say. Biting my bottom lip, I unzip my bag and take Huey from Warner. I stuff him in my bag and zip it up so he doesn’t fall out while I climb down.

“Wait, let me go first,” Warner insists, climbing out the window. He winces when his arm hangs on the lip of the window and it takes everything I have not to reach out for him.

“Are you okay?” I ask in a hushed voice.

“Fine,” he grunts, positioning his foot just right in the lattice.

I slide over, letting him climb down before continuing my escape, and slowly descend downwards. Warner stands at the bottom with his arms bowed out like he’s going to catch me if I fall, and if I wasn’t scared out of my mind, I’d find it cute.

My heart is beating fast, my palms sweaty as the thought of getting caught swings in my gut like a wild vine. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I sprint toward Warner’s truck parked in the street. His hard footsteps right behind me. I can’t help but giggle.

We’re doing this, we’re running away together.

Reaching the truck, I open the passenger side door, unzipping my bag, Huey pops his head out and barks in his cute little way. I climb into the truck and take Huey out to sit him on the seat next to me.

Warner situates himself behind the wheel and starts his truck. Turning it around in the street, he turns the headlights on and we fly out of the area.

Grabbing my thigh, he tugs me next to him, and I snuggle closer. My body is shaking, my heart pounding.

“I’m burning up.” I pull at my top, rolling my shoulders.

“It’s the adrenaline rush,” Warner chuckles. I’ve never felt anything like this before, not to this extent. It’s as if my body is throwing red flags warning me of my stupidity of running away.

“I’ve done coke and never felt like this,” I shake my head.

Warner’s head snaps to mine, his eyes wide. “You’ve done coke?”

I scratch my head, feeling on the spot suddenly. “I mean, I’ve been to some preppy schools ya know. You gotta go along to get along.” I shrug.

Warner shakes his head. “Here I thought doing weed was a bad choice.”

Laughing into the night, I grab his hand, his laugh mixing with mine. If only he knew I was his new bad drug.

Wild nights and rowdy love, nothing can tame us for we live on being free and mad.

Only the road can take care of us now. Living from sunset to sunrise, it's just us.

We have to trust one another now, or we’ll never make it... to wherever we’re going.