Chapter Twenty One

                                    

                                          
I shake my head. I must be hearing things... he would never leave me here... Would he? It's just my mind saying this. I'm making it all up. It's the smoke that's getting to me. I shake my head, gripping tightly onto the rail to keep myself steady, "What are you talking about?" 
                          
"I can't carry you like this.." He begins, "So we have to find another way." 
                          
"Like what?" I ask.
                          
He runs his hands over his face then looks at me with a look of enlightenment, "On my back." He says. 
                          
Ian waves me to him, "On my back now. The fire's only getting worse." 
                          
I push myself off the railing with the strength I have left. "I don't know if I'll be able to hold on the whole way." I mumble.
                          
"Try your best.. Hey-" Ian ducks his head in order to look me in the eyes, "Stay awake, okay? We're getting out of this." 
                          
I nod tiredly to him, getting on his back as instructed. He begins to go up the steps, quicker than before. We make it to the top and he puts me down. My legs disagree with this, sending me to the ground. Ian grabs for me, keeping me semi-upright. He pulls me back to my feet. "Come on, Vee. Stay with me." 
                          
I let out a small breath, "I'm trying... My legs won't listen to my brain." 
                          
He chuckles, "At least you're talking. What do you want to do after this?"
                          
"Sleep." I respond.
                          
"You should stay awake for a while, just to make sure you don't go into any kind of shock or something... What else would you want to do?" He keeps pushing the conversation to keep me focused as we move to his bike. 
                          
"Um... Relax.... I want coffee." I mumble. 
                          
He hands me a helmet, which I struggle to push on my head. We get on the bike and he quickly pulls out. Ian drives into the street and I glance back at the factory. Smoke is now pouring out of the bottom windows, while the inside is brightly illuminated by the flames.
                          
I drop all my weight on Ian, too exhausted to care, and eventually I find myself drifting off... on the back of a motorcycle.. With a practically a stranger. I'm an idiot.
                          
I wake up to a gentle shaking. I lift my eyes heavily to see Ian shaking my leg- still sitting on the bike. I'm assuming that's to keep me from falling forwards. I lean back on the seat and look around. We're parked in front of a cafe. 
                          
"How long of a drive was it?" I ask with a yawn.
                          
"Four hours." He responds simply.
                          
I raise my eyebrows, "There were no cafes closer than that?" 
                          
Ian nods, "Yeah, although this one was only twenty minutes away from the factory."
                          
"Then why did it take two hours?" 
                          
"You fell asleep, and I figured.. You needed rest so I just did laps around the city until I figured you had a long enough nap you would feel better." He explained to me.
                          
"You didn't have to do that." I tell him.
                          
Ian rolled his eyes as he stands from the bike, "You couldn't even make it up the stairs, Vee. I thought about bringing you to the hospital, but that wouldn't end well with Nerve. This way you got rest, and we could still lay low... Your body needed it." 
                          
I just nod as I get off the bike. My legs feel like jello when they hit the ground. I sway slightly, from the corner of my eye I see Ian watching me nervously. I try to stand straight and look at him with a reassuring smile. He gives me a small, unbelieving smile in return. We walk slowly into the cafe, and once we arrive inside... all heads turn. Multiple pairs of eyes stare at us, as if we don't notice.