Chapter 10: Ties

We've been driving through the middle of nowhere for a few hours now. Nothing but silence. I couldn't take my mind off of how Amari reacted to that guy. Should I ask her? I don't want to pry...Amari had her arms on my sides as we rode on my bike while Marque followed along.

"So...You seem to know who that was..." I asked.

Tired and still shaken, I had my eyes on the road and waited for a response from Amari.

"You said he's your dad's henchman right..? Why do you ask me if I know him if you seem to know him too...That sounds stupid..." Amari followed with a frown.

I sighed and shrugged gently, "I only know him as that but I noticed...You look like you know more than I do..."

Silence sprung between us. Breaking the quiet space, Amari spoke.

"He's my ex...we met three years ago. We both were training in the same MMA camp so...a year passed and we hit it off but..." Amari pauses and places her forehead on my back.

Blushing madly, I kept my giddy side in and just listened, "But?"

"But he was unfaithful so I left...I moved to another city in Mexico and he moved back to Mississippi and we never talked to each other again...Our thing lasted two years..." She followed.

I didn't expect that...at all. I really didn't expect her to share with me at all...

"Listen...I know we only met for like a week or something but trust me. You sharing that information with me is okay. You can trust me. Despite our rocky start, I hope we can settle on the same ground and probably...not kill each other. You'll be safe with me."

I said softly as I looked straight at the road. I heard a slight sigh of relief come from Amari. I also didn't think I'm much for a speaker but I guess it worked...

"We've been riding for a while. It's 1 am. It's best to find a place to stay first." Marque rang in our comms.

"Motel?" Amari followed.

I shook my head, "If we're followed, we'd risk leaving tracks behind. Don't worry though, I packed some tents in my bags so we just need to find a safe spot to camp until first light then we can ride out of this road and onto the next city, exit THAT city, and onto the mainland and ride off north to Modoc forest. Gaius will meet us there." I replied.

"Wait! Mainland? Do you mean to California??? We'd need to take a boat there if you guys don't want to get in trouble at the bridge! Police surveillance there has been heavier since crime rates at the bridge raised for the past few months!" Amari shared.

I facepalmed, "You're right. Didn't think that through. Our travel time would need to be 4 days instead of 3 if we'll have me make our own boat to get to the mainland."

Suddenly, a voice butted into our comms, "I've located a safe spot for you guys to camp for the night."

"GAIUS?!" I said as I drove and got the notification on my phone for the location.

"I have global grade comms access calm your ass." Gaius said before shutting off her comms.

"Why can't she just meet us here???" Amari asked.

"If she did, Sumire's areal security can tag her ship even if it's armed with higher grade stealth tech. We would be found in minutes." I replied. After that, I relayed the location over to Marque to know where to follow me off to.

Once we got to our location, We set up camp for the night. I was tweaking some of my mini-robots to keep guard while we rest. sitting by a small campfire seems very...nice. Despite the technological advancements through the years, campfires still make me feel some type of way. A good way. Amari takes a seat next to me holding a bottle of beer.

"I heard you say Sumire instead of Erimus. Why is that hm?" She asked.

I perked up, holding my soldering tool and the bot in my other hand, "Uh. I just prefer to say Sumire instead. Erimus is kind of a dumb name. Sumire backward...Plus Sumire is a flower I quite enjoy looking at." I replied to her question.

'Is this small talk?' I asked myself in my head. I just tend to ramble off to people out loud so I learned to ramble with my inner self instead.

Our spot was luckily in a patch of tall grass that concealed us pretty well. The midnight wind blowing through the blades of green making them all whistle through the night sky. Amari shivered and sipped her beer. I guess it did seem cold tonight. I sighed and placed what I was doing down and took my jacket off.

"Uh..-" Amari battered before I cut her off.

"Shut up..." Shyly, I then placed my jacket over her shoulder.

I'm not much of a softie but it's the best I could do. Amari snuggled into the warmth my jacket provided her. I looked to the side and off to the distance wearing my under-tank top, heavy-duty pants paired with some heavy-duty boots. Even though Amari had a thick button-up fitting for a soldier, it seemed like she needed my sweater more than I did. I'm used to the cold breeze at night. Sleeping in the streets does wonders to you I guess.

"Thanks..." Amari said with her head tucked into her arms snug as she hugged her legs.

Our fire was small enough to not even provide enough warmth for the cold sky but it's enough for us. This brings me back to my younger days...

"Don't worry. I know a thing or two about being cold and basically homeless." I replied as I sat there watching the sky move and the clouds follow along with the wind.

"Your scars..." Amari points out.

"What about them?" Should I lie? I know where this is going. I don't like. Talking. About my past...Then again. She trusted me with her's so...should I trust her with mine?

My arms, neck, shoulder, and more of my body bore scars and marks. Marks I hated but couldn't bear to live without...All those people...they reminded me of each one...The past that broke me and made me grow up faster than I should remind me of all those people that passed just so my parents could...could...

"You just look like you'd be smart enough to avoid being wounded so..." She jokingly said.

I rolled my eyes as a small grin grew on my face before being followed up with a frown.

"Yeah... I guess I do...but just because I'm smart doesn't mean I didn't suffer to get here...it's cause of these scars people are after me..." I replied.

Amari nodded and scooted closer, "What you a mob boss or something?" She snickered and nudged my shoulder playfully.

"I wish." I snickered.

"But seriously though...Let's trade if it makes you feel any better...I'll tell you something from my past too if you tell me the story behind those marks." She proposed and cracked a cheeky-looking smile.

Scoffing, I pulled my head back to the smell of beer, "Deal...but don't sit too close would you? Smells like booze."

Thinking back. Telling people my past has brought nothing but bad luck to those who listen. I don't want to risk it...I trust her but I don't want to risk it...

As I was having my crisis of whether or not I should tell Amari what made me this way, Marque speaks but doesn't get up from her sleeping spot.

"She ran away. That's it." With a slight hint of annoyance and anger, her voice seemed rather serious and hardened.

Marque then sat up and faced us, "