SARIYAH MARTIN Atlanta, ga

Sariyah stood in the lobby of the ran down motel. Usually she wouldn't come out that motel often scared she would be found by what she was hiding from— but this night she was extremely hungry so she decided to get herself some food.

Also ever since she met Kaelix she had been craving human interaction. She was truly tired of hiding. It seemed like that was all she was good at.

It had been four days since Kaelix barged into her room, gun in hand and paranoia in his eyes.

Sariyah acted like she didn't care whether he stayed or left, but the truth was, his presence made her feel... less alone. It was nice to have someone else breathing in the same space, even if that someone was a stranger and someone who was constantly on edge.

Most of their time together was spent in silence. She'd sit at the desk, pretending to "work" on her computer, while he paced the room, peeking out the window every few minutes.

He didn't ask questions, and neither did she. It was an unspoken rule.

"You're waiting on your food right?" A younger woman came from the back of the cafe room they had in the middle of the lobby.

Sariyah nodded with a small smile. "Okay I have it coming in just second" she nodded once again as a response this time.

After a few minutes of waiting the food was ready and handed to Sariyah.

The food was still warm in Sariyah's hands when she walked into the room, but the tension inside hit her first. Kaelix was on the phone, his voice low and clipped. He glanced up the second she entered, his eyes locking on hers, and ended the call so fast it was almost suspicious.

"Nah, yeah, I'm good. I'll call you back." He hung up, tossing the phone onto the bed.

"Something wrong?" Sariyah asked, setting the food down on the desk.

Kaelix shook his head, leaning back against the wall. "Nah."

She didn't press him. They didn't have that kind of relationship— it was already bad enough she was basically living with a stranger. But at this point she didn't have much to lose.

Instead, she started unpacking the food: eggs, bacon, toast, and greasy hashbrowns. The smell filled the room, and for a second, it felt less suffocating.

"You're just gonna eat in here again?" Kaelix asked, watching her carefully. She laughed, this question was funny to her because he barely ate anything.

She paused, glancing at him over her shoulder. "What, you got plans or something?" She tilted her head before she took a bite out of her hash brown.

He shrugged, but didn't answer.

Sariyah sighed, dropping the plastic fork onto the desk. "Alright. I dont know if you're on some hunger strike, but I am tired of eating in this damn room— and this lobby food is lowkey disgusting" She admitted, not expecting it to fix anything. "Come with me. Let's go somewhere."

Kaelix raised an eyebrow. "Go where?"

"There's a Waffle House down the street," she said, her tone nonchalant. "I'm getting stir crazy, and I don't feel like eating alone."

He frowned, hesitation written all over his face. "You know we can't just be out here like that."

"We?" she echoed, confusion drained on her face. "You're the paranoid one. I just want some decent ass food and a break from this depressing-ass motel."

Kaelix rubbed the back of his neck, clearly torn. Confused on why because he barely knew her, but somehow didn't want to miss the opportunity to still be around her.

For some reason he was paranoid for her and him.

"Come on," she said, her voice softening slightly. "It's just breakfast. It's not like anyone's gonna be looking for us in a Waffle House."

That wasn't entirely true, but she didn't care. She was tired of hiding, tired of sitting in silence. And something about having Kaelix there, even if he barely spoke, made her feel a little less invisible.

He sighed heavily, grabbing his jacket off the back of the chair. "This is a bad idea."

Sariyah grinned. "Can't be to bad if you're going along with it" she smiled watching as he grabbed his gun off the dresser.

"Shut up bro" he mumbled following her out the front door.

The neon sign buzzed faintly above the entrance, its yellow glow reflecting off the cracked concrete of the empty parking lot. Inside, the lights were harsh and bright, throwing sharp shadows across the linoleum floor and faded vinyl booths.

Sariyah slid into a booth by the window, the seat squeaking faintly beneath her. Kaelix sat across from her, his hood pulled low but not to low that she couldn't see his face, his body tense as he scanned the nearly empty diner.

"Chill out" she mumbled. "It's okay"

An older waitress with tired eyes and a notepad in hand shuffled over. "What can I get y'all?"

"Water," Sariyah said, then glanced at Kaelix. "And some waffles. Extra syrup."

Kaelix shook his head. "Just lemonade."

The waitress scribbled on her pad, her eyes lingering on Sariyah for a moment before she walked away. The silence between the two of them was thick up until the waitress came back and sat down their drinks.

Sariyah leaned back in the booth, one hand loosely cradling her glass of water as she watched Kaelix.

"You ever just sit still?" she asked, breaking the silence.

Kaelix's eyes flicked up to her, his expression unreadable. "What?"

"You've been looking out that window since we got here," she said, her voice soft, almost teasing. "What, you think someone's gonna come bust in here like we in a movie or something?"

Kaelix leaned back slightly, resting one arm on the edge of the booth. "You don't know that they won't."

Sariyah raised an eyebrow. "You really think someone's chasing you down to a Waffle House?"

"You saying that like we don't live in Atlanta" he mumbled causing her to laugh as she watched his jaw tightening as his eyes drift toward the window again.

Sariyah shrugged, taking a sip of her water. "I don't know. Seems like a waste of energy."

Kaelix frowned, looking at her now. "What does?"

"All this," she said, gesturing vaguely at him. "The worrying. The pacing. Doesn't seem like you've been doing this long enough to know how it works."

Kaelix's brow furrowed, his defenses raising automatically. "And you have?"

Sariyah's lips twitched into a faint smile, but she didn't answer right away. Instead, she poured more syrup over her waffle, cutting into it slowly. "I've been doing this long enough to know being on edge doesn't help"

"Maybe you're just too comfortable," Kaelix muttered. Causing her to take a sip of her water and allow the silence between them sit for a while.

Sariyah smirked faintly. "What's your deal, anyway?"

Kaelix's eyes flicked back to her. "What's my deal?"

"Yeah," she said, leaning forward slightly. "You're here, pacing around like you've got a hitman on your tail, but you never say shit about what you're actually running from."

Kaelix shrugged, his gaze dropping to the table. "You don't ask. I don't tell."

He leaned back in the booth, seemingly letting his guard down for a moment. "It's not like I know what you're running away from and why."

"Like you said i never asked and neither did you" she shrugged. Sariyah smirked faintly, leaning her chin on her hand. "You don't strike me as the curious type, anyway."

Kaelix shook his head, a faint chuckle slipping out. "I'm not. You're just... different."

"Different how?" she asked, her nicely done brows lifting.

"You're sitting here acting like nothing phases you and that shiy irrates the hell out of me."

She laughed "why?"

"Because I know you've got shit to hide. No one stays in a place like that motel unless they tryna get away from something." He said, his voice low, steady

She tilted her head, considering him for a moment. "But it's not like I'm the only one. What's your excuse?" She said

Kaelix's expression hardened slightly. He leaned back in the booth, his arms crossed. "I don't have one."

"Everyone has an excuse," Sariyah replied, her tone quiet but pointed. "Even if it's a bad one."

Kaelix let out a sharp breath, glancing out the window again. "What's the point in talking about it?"

"Who said there had to be a point?"

He frowned, his gaze lingering on her. "You like asking questions, huh?"

"Only when the I get an interesting answers back," she said with a smirk.

Kaelix shook his head, muttering under his breath. "You're something else. But I like it"

Sariyah smiled faintly, leaning back in her seat. "I bet you do."

The conversation lulled into silence again, but this time it felt less heavy, more like a pause than an ending. Sariyah sipped her water, watching Kaelix's gaze drift back toward the window. She could tell he was thinking—his jaw tight, his fingers tapping faintly against the table.

"I've never done this before," he said suddenly, his voice low, almost like he didn't mean to say it out loud.

Sariyah blinked, caught off guard. "Done what?"

"Run," he admitted, his eyes still fixed on the window. "I mean, I've been in bad spots before, but this? Not knowing where I'm gonna end up? This shit new to me"

She knew he had nobody else to go back to and she knew that was the reason he wouldn't leave her motel room. It was clear as day that he was all alone in this city. No family, no friends, just himself.

Which reminded her of herself all to much.

"You're not gonna tell me, are you?" he asked finally.

"Tell you what?"

"Why and how you ended up here. Alone in that motel room"

"I will when you tell me why you got niggas chasing you" she mumbled with a slight mouthful of waffles. She knew what was coming out of her mouth was a lie. She hoped he did too.

He nodded. For the first time since they sat down, he seemed to relax—just slightly. His shoulders loosened, his hands stilled, and the hard line of his jaw softened.

But that didn't last long because he then looked out the window once again. His eyes were locked on the blue Charger pulling into the parking lot, its tinted windows gleaming under the harsh neon lights.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath, his voice sharp and urgent. He remembered that car from the night of the drug deal and he knew exactly who was in it.

Sariyah straightened in her seat, her heart quickening. "You know them?"

Kaelix nodded, his hand already sliding toward his waistband where his gun was tucked. "We gotta go. Now."

Sariyah didn't hesitate. She grabbed her jacket, sliding out of the booth as Kaelix moved quickly toward the door.

"Ma'am! Sir! your bill!" One of the waitress screamed although she was ignored by Sariyah and Kaelix

"Back exit," he said, his voice low.

Sariyah followed him without question, her pulse pounding in her ears as they slipped out the side door into the night.

The cool night air stung Sariyah's face as she sprinted after Kaelix, their footsteps slapping hard against the cracked pavement of the side street. The glow of the Waffle House's neon sign faded behind them, replaced by the harsh hum of streetlamps and the distant roar of an engine.

"They're coming," Kaelix muttered, glancing over his shoulder.

Sariyah risked a quick look back and saw them—a blue Charger turning sharply onto the street, its headlights bouncing as the tires screeched against the pavement.

"Faster!" Kaelix barked, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward an alley. Making sure that he had a grip on her.

Sariyah's breath burned in her lungs, her legs screaming as they ran. The sound of the Charger's engine grew louder, closer, until it felt like it was right on top of them.

Kaelix skidded to a stop at the alley's entrance, his head snapping to the left, then the right. "This way," he said, pulling her toward a set of dumpsters.

The alley was narrow and dark, the smell of rotting garbage thick in the air. Kaelix ducked behind a dumpster, pulling Sariyah down with him just as the Charger screeched to a halt at the alley's entrance.

Sariyah's chest heaved as she crouched low, her back pressed against the cold metal of the dumpster. She could hear the slam of car doors, followed by heavy footsteps echoing off the walls.

"They're on foot now," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Kaelix nodded, his hand gripping the gun tucked in his waistband.

The footsteps grew louder, the men's voices low and tense as they moved deeper into the alley. Sariyah could see their shadows stretching against the walls, long and menacing in the dim light.

Kaelix motioned for her to stay quiet, his finger pressed to his lips. He shifted slightly, his eyes locked on the two figures moving closer.

Sariyah's pulse pounded in her ears as she watched one of the men stop just a few feet away, his head turning as if he sensed something.

"Hey," the man called out, his voice sharp. "I know you're in here Kaelix."

Kaelix tightened his grip on the gun, his jaw clenching as he prepared to move. His other hand being on the side of Sariyah'd back.

The second man stepped forward, his hand resting on the weapon tucked into his waistband. "You might as well come out. Ain't no way outta here."

Kaelix shifted slightly, his muscles coiled and ready.

Sariyah's heart raced as the first man took another step closer, his gun drawn. She glanced at Kaelix, her eyes meeting his.

He nodded once.

Kaelix moved first, stepping out from behind the dumpster with his gun raised. The first man barely had time to react before Kaelix fired, the shot ringing out loud and sharp in the narrow alley.

The man dropped instantly, his body hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

"Shit!" the second man yelled, pulling his gun.

Before he could fire, Sariyah stepped out from behind the dumpster, her hand steady as she raised her own gun.

The second man froze, his eyes wide as he stared at her.

"Don't," Kaelix warned, his voice low and deadly. He didn't know which person he was even talking to, but he didn't want to see her kill or be killed.

The man hesitated, his hand trembling as he started to lower his weapon.

But Sariyah didn't wait.

She pulled the trigger.

The shot was deafening, echoing through the alley as the man staggered backward, his gun falling from his hand. He hit the ground hard, blood pooling beneath him.

The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the distant sound of sirens.

Sariyah lowered the gun slowly, her chest heaving as she stared at the bodies on the ground.

Kaelix didn't know whether to be impressed or worried. Sariyah had pulled the trigger without flinching, like she'd done it a hundred times before. And maybe she had. But he didn't have time to analyze her actions.

Kaelix grabbed her arm, pulling her back toward the alley's entrance. "Cmon, We gotta move," he said, his voice tense.

She didn't argue.

The two of them ran, their footsteps pounding against the pavement as they disappeared into the night.