32 I don’t want history to repeat itself

[Refer to the previous chapter to pick up where you left :D]

"Scien-", Riley's words got stuck in his throat as a hand covered his mouth, making him stunned.

"Shh", Sara hissed and looked around, "Can't you be saner?"

Sara removed her hand away from his mouth, but he grabbed it and secured it tighter. This time, she did not pull away. Her initially cold hand felt secured in his warm one.

"Your parents? How are they?"

Sara turned her face away and looked at the stars above their heads, "Gone."

This made Riley even more stunned, "I am sorry. How did it… happen?"

"It's fine", Sara shrugged, "They were killed in a tragic accident seven years back."

Sara suddenly felt electrocuted. Riley had hugged her out of nowhere. A gush of warmth rushed to her heart. She felt warm and protected in his embrace. When she was about to hug him back, she froze. She began to struggle furiously in his embrace. With each struggle, she felt his embrace tighten around her.

"Riley!" She yelled, "What are you doing? Let go of me! We cannot be together. You will be an easy target. A scapegoat. You will be under threat all the time. Do you understand?"

"No, I don't!" Riley yelled back, "I don't want to understand. I don't want history to repeat itself. I love you and cannot lose you again!"

Sara froze upon his sudden confession. He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look straight into his eyes, "I don't care, Sara. I just don't want to lose you again. Please be with me. Stay by my side, okay?"

Saying so, he pressed his lips on hers.

Sara shuddered involuntarily upon the sudden intrusion on her lips. Riley had cupped her cheeks. Sara gulped as she was unable to close her eyes. The impeccable expression on his face was hard to miss. It seemed like he was desperately hanging onto his last string of life. Her eyes were turning misty and she found it hard to push him away. Her lashes flapped like the wings of a butterfly before she closed them shut. In the process, she gripped his left arm by her right one.

Riley shifted his posture and grabbed her waist by his right arm, closing the distance between them. His left arm slipped down to the nape of her neck. Sara placed her left hand on his shoulder as she finally found herself reciprocating his kiss. It was their first kiss, after all.

Riley brazenly sucked at her lips, nibbling them and teasing them gently, under the watchful night sky. Sara parted her lips a bit, gasping for some air. Riley took the chance to deepen their kiss and slipped his tongue inside her mouth. Sara moaned in surprise when their tongues intertwined. She felt her soul being sucked away due to Riley's constant teasing. She felt like the clouds floating in the air.

At last, their lips parted when they both were completely out of breath. Sara opened her eyes slightly but refused to look at him. With their foreheads leaned against each other, Riley studied her blushed and shy expression while soothing her swollen lips with his left thumb. No words were exchanged between them as their breaths continued mixing. Looking at the shy side of her personality, Riley felt an urge to kiss her again. As he tilted his head and was about a breath away from kissing her, she roughly shoved him out of her way. Before his mind could register the sudden aggressive behavior of Sara, he heard two gunshots being fired, out of nowhere.

The next thing he knew was that they were on the ground, rolling. It was followed by the loud noise of another gunshot. He could not see anything due to the large clouds of dust around them. The only thing that assured him was his right hand that was intertwined with Sara's left one. He was lying on his back, panting heavily, unsure of if he should move.

"Sara?" he called out softly, helplessness and panic evident in his voice.

"I am here", Sara squeezed his hand, assuring him, "Calm down, okay?"

Riley heaved a sigh and squeezed her hand back. He got really scared. He thought that he had lost Sara when he had promised himself not too long ago that he would never let go of her. When the dust around them cleared, he turned to look at Sara, who was panting heavily by his side. The Guatemala bushes veiled the moonlight and made it too dark to be able to see clearly. He rolled to his side, propping himself up on his elbow and Sara's eyes flew open. When their eyes met, it felt like an entire era had passed.

"Are you hurt?" they blurted out at the same time.

Riley immediately pulled Sara up for a hug. Sara wrapped her hands around his neck while Riley tightly hugged her waist. He buried his face on the nape of her neck while she propped up her chin on his shoulder.

Suddenly, Riley felt something cold pressing against his shoulder. He pulled Sara's right arm to take a quick look. What he saw, stunned him.

"A gun?" he shot a questioning gaze at Sara.

"Mm-hum", Sara nodded and looked at him, "For safety measures. Where do you think the gunshots came from?"

"You?" he was about to turn his head to take a look when Sara suddenly grabbed his cheek and pressed her lips on his. Riley's eyes widened with shock. But, before he could react at all, Sara pulled away, "You don't have to see those things. Let's get you home, okay? It's not safe out here."

"Mm", he nodded in response as his eyes followed her every move.

They got up and walked out of the bushes together hand in hand after Sara made sure there was no potential danger around.

"How did you come here? Did you drive yourself?" Sara asked as she glanced around. It was already quite dark out there.

"The chauffeur drove me here", he answered in a nonchalant way.

"Where is he? I don't see anyone here."

"I sent him back. So that I could spend some time with nature in solitude", he carried on in his nonchalant way.

"You are hopeless", Sara shook her head disbelievingly as she dragged his along with her, "Let's go. It's not safe here. And I don't think you should be returning home tonight. I am not sure how much or what they saw?"

"What?" Riley quirked a brow at her words.

Sara kept quiet and dragged him towards her bike while she rolled her eyes haughtily.

"Whoa!" Riley gasped in surprise, "You rode that here? All alone?"

"Nah! With a ghost!", Sara rolled her eyes.

"That's cool" he smirked and nodded slightly.