Free Runaway by Stephanie Weiford

flush, I was sitting in his home, and he was offering me food and a movie in the middle of the night…
    “What do you think this is? A date?” I said sarcastically, but he only laughed.
    “I don’t think almost getting killed and left over pizza make for a very good date. When I do take you out, I promise to make it a much more enjoyable experience.”
    “Oh, so you think I’m going to let you take me out on a date?” I sounded playful, I already knew I would let him without thinking about it, but it still made me question my sanity.
    “I do hope so,” he said and waved me over to the table. He handed me a paper plate and I tore into a slice. It was melted cheese heaven and I devoured it and half of another before I stopped to breathe again.
    “This is amazing, where did you order it?” I asked.
    “I’m not sure where it came from, my brother ordered it. He probably couldn’t tell you were it came from either,” he laughed. That’s right, I had forgotten all about Luke’s brother, who was also Carolyn’s weekend fling. I sat my latest slice down. My train of thought had turned back to that evening in the woods.
    “I never asked, how is Priscilla?” I didn’t really want to bring her up, but now that I had remembered it seemed somehow rude not to ask.
    “She’s fine. She won’t be able to perform for a while, which has her all kinds of pissed off, but that’s not a new emotion for her, so yeah, she’s fine.” He had stopped eating as well. I realized other than telling me they weren’t an item; he hadn’t brought her up either. Maybe it was stupid, but I felt myself smiling.
    “Hey, if you’re done can I show you something?” he asked, perked back up. I stuffed the last of the cheesy mess into my mouth and nodded.

Chapter Ten
    I followed him across the circus’s encampment. No one seemed to be out, or I should note no one seemed to be awake . There was a died down bon fire that had several indistinguishable bodies slumbering beside it that we passed. Luke wasn’t much more than that as I crept close behind. He was just a silhouette in front of me. He was tall, dark, and mysterious in the moon light. I wanted to reach out and touch him, forget myself for a while in the shadows he offered. Instead I was trying to not trip over my own feet and avoid the sticky landmines of soda and cotton candy left behind on the ground.
    “In here,” he whispered and ducked inside a tent. I pulled back the flap and followed him.
    It was the darkest place I had ever been. The moonlight wasn’t enough to penetrate the heavy canvas of the tent. I held my hand out in front of my face but couldn’t even make out the lines of my fingers. The air was crispy and chilly, and I filled my lungs to bursting with it. I don’t know why the switch was flipped, but it had. Maybe I’m going insane and this was my first descent into madness.
    At that thought I actually burst out laughing. It sounded like crackling static and I loved the way it filled the space around me. Riding the wave of the sudden good feelings I threw my head back and spun slowly, laughing in the dark. A spot light flared to life and trapped me inside. I stopped my crazed spin and blinked into the blinding light beam. I glanced down to clear the spots in my eyes and realized where Luke had taken me.
    I was standing center stage in the same spot light he had used the night we met. I felt movement above my head and jumped to the side. Luke had silently lowered himself in the large metal hoop used during the finale. His legs were folded over the top so that he hung upside down. His shirt was falling forward, reminding me just how powerful and hard his body was. I didn’t feel like laughing manically anymore. 
    “Show off,” I teased lightly. He grinned and let go of his hold on the hoop and dropped straight down. It wasn’t a long drop; he landed on both of his outstretched arms and then walked over to me on his hands. His grin was infectious, even