Hidden Hearts

Espisode two

Time seemed to slow as Sarah lunged toward Nathaniel, her heart racing with fear. The black SUV speeded down the street, its headlights very bright, and she could see the driver's face twisted in a look of pain on the face of a strong desire to make a decision about something.

"Nathaniel, move!" she shouted, energy-giving body chemicals flowing through her veins.

His head snapped toward her just as she reached him, and deeply, he took a step back. But the vehicle was too close. In a split second, Sarah grabbed his arm, pulling him out of the way just as the SUV (turned from a straight path to avoid something) past them, narrowly missing them both.

They (tripped while walking onto the sidewalk, and Sarah's breath caught in her throat as she turned to face him. "Are you okay?" she (suddenly took a short breath in), her heart pounding in her ears.

Nathaniel stood frozen, his eyes wide with shock. "What just happened?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"That driver... they were coming right for you!" she yelled, still holding onto his arm. "We need to get out of here."

He shook his head, still processing what had just happened. "What the hell was that about?"

"I don't know!" she replied, her panic rising. "But we can't stick around to find out."

He finally seemed to snap back to reality, quickly looking around as if evaluating the situation. "You're right. Let's get to my car."

Together, they raced toward the SUV, and Sarah could feel Nathaniel's grip tightening around her. She had never seen him like this--so capable of being hurt, yet still so commanding.

"Get in!" he strongly encouraged as they reached the vehicle, throwing open the door.

Once inside, Nathaniel started the engine and peeled away from the curb, his expression hardening as they merged into traffic. "What do you know about this?" he demanded, his look fixed on the road ahead.

"Nothing! I swear, I just came here to talk to you," she replied, her heart still racing. "I didn't expect any of this."

"Talk to me about what?" he pressed, quickly looking at her before returning his focus to driving. "You talked about something before..."

She waited, the weight of her secret pressing down on her. This was the moment she had been dreading and looking ahead to all at once. "I wanted to tell you about Lily," she said finally, her voice steadying. "She's our daughter, Nathaniel."

The car fell silent, the air thick with tension. Nathaniel's grip on the steering wheel tightened, and he kept his eyes straight ahead. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm saying she's yours," she continued, her heart pounding. "I didn't want you to find out this way, but you deserve to know."

He shook his head, not believing it was etched across his features. "You can't be serious."

"I am serious!" she insisted, her voice rising. "I raised her alone because I thought it was best for both of you. I didn't want to drag you into this mess."

"And now you think you can just drop this big, surprising thing on me after all these years?" His tone was sharp, and she could see the conflict in his eyes.

"Yes! Because I thought you deserved to know the truth before it was too late!" she shouted back, her frustration boiling over. "You have a right to know your daughter."

He remained silent, his jaw squeezed tightly as they drove through the city streets. The weight of her confession hung heavily between them, a deep division filled with years of unspoken words and buried feelings.

Suddenly, Nathaniel's phone buzzed on the dashboard, breaking the tension. He grabbed it, quickly looking at the screen. "It's Rebecca," he mumbled, irritation flickering in his eyes.

"Don't answer it," Sarah strongly encouraged, her heart racing. "This is more important."

"I have to," he replied, swiping to answer the call. "What is it?"

"Where are you?" Rebecca's voice crackled through the speaker, laced with extreme importance. "We need to talk about the situation. It's worsening."

"I know," Nathaniel replied, his tone clipped. "I'm on my way back to the office."

"Get here now. We're in serious trouble, and there are whispers about you," Rebecca warned. "You need to keep a low profile."

Nathaniel's expression darkened, and he quickly looked at Sarah. "This isn't just about us anymore."

"What do you mean?" she asked, fear creeping into her voice.

"There are people who want to take me down," he admitted, his tone very serious. "And if they find out about you or Lily..." He trailed off, the hint hanging in the air.

"Then we need to leave," Sarah said, panic rising. "We can't stay here."

He nodded, a formal decision about something flashing in his eyes. "I'll take you to a safe place."

Just as they turned onto a quiet street, the SUV from earlier appeared behind them, its headlights lighting the darkness.

"Who the hell is that?" Nathaniel mumbled, his jaw tightening.

"I don't know, but they're following us!" Sarah yelled, her heart racing.

Nathaniel pressed down on the gas, and the SUV suddenly increased forward, but the car behind them mirrored his movements, staying close. "Hold on!" he shouted, (not moving in a straight path) through traffic.

As they sped through the streets, the tension mounted. Nathaniel's focus was razor-sharp, but Sarah could feel the fear creeping in again. "What do we do?" she asked, panic rising in her chest.

"Just keep your head down," he instructed, his voice steady (even though there was the existence of) the noise and confusion. "We'll lose them."

But just as they rounded a corner, the chasing after SUV speeded up, cutting them off. Nathaniel slammed on the brakes, narrowly avoiding a crash.

"What the hell?" he shouted, energy-giving body chemicals surging through him.

The other vehicle came to a stop beside them, and the passenger door swung open. A man with a dangerous and threatening look stepped out, his eyes locked onto Nathaniel.

"Get out of the car, Chase!" he shouted, his voice laced with authority.

Nathaniel's expression hardened. "Do you know who you're dealing with?”

"Yeah, and you're done!" the man growled, taking a step closer.

"Drive!" Sarah yelled, panic surging through her.

Nathaniel waited for a fraction of a second, and in that moment, noise and confusion (suddenly became visible). The man reached for something in his waistband, and Sarah's heart dropped.

"Go!" she screamed, her voice piercing through the tension.

Nathaniel's gut feelings kicked in, and he slammed the gas pedal, the SUV suddenly moving forward just as the man pulled out a weapon.

A gunshot rang out, shattering the silence of the night.

"Duck!" Nathaniel yelled, deeply shielding Sarah as they sped away.

The world around them blurred as they tore down the street, but Sarah's heart raced for a different reason. She had just told you about the biggest secret of her life, and now they were running for their lives.

As they traveled safely through the city streets, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.

What had she gotten them into?