I hated silence. And that was all I could hear now.

My fingernails tapping against the window, my slow breathing, the soft hum of the engine. They were the only noises filling up the car. This was going to kill me.

He had barely spoken since he walked out my door. After he left, I had gotten dressed and walked downstairs to him standing in the doorway, arms crossed across his chest. When I followed him outside, he was standing in a garage that I hadn't noticed before, next to a bright red car.

"Why are we getting in this?" I had asked as he unlocked it and stepped inside.

"Because it's much less obvious than a police car." Straight facts, no emotion. I sighed.

"This is supposed to be inconspicuous?" I joked, hoping to get a smile from him, but I had no such luck and he just ignored me, beginning the silence that had remained until now.

I held my breath as I turned my head, looking at Riley's stiff and rigid body. I was still adjusting to his on-off attitude, he was so... ugh, infuriating and enticing at the same time.

I breathed a sigh of relief when we finally came into Remington and slowed outside of the food market, finally we could do something other than sit in the awkward silence.

Riley didn't say anything when he cut the ignition, but he got out of the car and I did the same.

"Are you going to give me the silent treatment all day?" I asked, hoping to get a legitimate answer, this was getting old.

"I'm not giving you the silent treatment," he responded. Still as monotone as possible, not even the slightest tremble or hitch.

I growled, now irritated.

"You're being childish, Riley." Not even a glance at me.

"No, Sabine, it is you being childish. Stop carrying on." Okay, no way buddy. I tried very hard not to hit him right there, certain it would do me more pain than him.

Instead, I stormed into the store, as far as from him as could. I really needed to cool off.

Why did he have to be so ridiculous? He was blaming this all on me, when really it was him to blame. But of course, Riley is the all-great-and-powerful who could never make a mistake, so it has to come back to me.

I've been living with the guy for three days and I already wanted to claw his eyes out, and if I couldn't manage that, mine would do.

I strolled the isles, trying to look at the food but too consumed by my own anger to notice too much.

My mistake, that's how you have psychopaths sneak up on you.

"Hi," a voice spoke across from me. I jumped not expending anyone to address me. I looked up from the fruit to see a dirty-blonde headed boy standing across from me, he was taller than me and standing in my path.

"Hi," I mumbled back, stepping to the side to get out of his road, only to have him follow me.

"I'm Spence," he says, and despite my anger I find myself looking for Riley. Where is he when creepy people actually appear?

I nod, taking a step backward. They boy winks at me and I notice that his hazel eyes seem oddly familiar, but I worry more about the fact that he just stepped closer to me.

"I never got your name," he says. One step forward.

"I never gave it." One step back.

He laughs, "Indeed you didn't. Not a fan of new people?" Another step forward.

"Only the creepy ones," I reply, stepping back one final time, only to crash straight into the table of apples.

They tumble down around me and I fall straight backwards. My hands fly out to stabilise myself but only end up slipping on the fruits, causing more damage.

Eventually I find myself lying flat on my back, apples and a now demolished table lying beneath me. Gasps and shouts sound out but I can't make out anything over the pounding headache I suddenly have.

A face suddenly appears in my vision, two faces. One is Riley's, the other is Spence's.

I sit up, placing my hand on the ground rather than a fruit until I am upright. People surround me, some worried, others frightened, but there is one who is annoyed. Very annoyed. Riley.

"What the hell are you doing?" He whispers but it might as well have been a shout. I scrunch my nose up at him, I'm in pain and he's still yelling at me.

"Having a picnic, Sherlock, wanna join me?" I ask, refusing his hand to help me up. I don't bother to see his reaction, instead concentrating on the other hand that reaches to assist me. I follow it to a face. Spence.

Looking back to Riley, I feel my anger reach the surface again. Who does he think he is?

In my own defiance, I completely ignore Riley and take Spence's hand, allowing him to pull me to my feet beside him.

"I'm okay guys," I announce to the crowd, "I'm also really sorry."

Most people smile at me and some reach down to begin picking up the apples.

-

"Again, I'm really sorry. I'm not usually this clumsy," I apologised.

"No, don't worry about it, dear. I appreciate your extra help." The manager, Lottie, was the sweetest old lady you could ever meet. After my incident with the apples, she had rushed over to make sure I was okay. Myself, Riley and surprisingly, Spence, stayed to help pick the bruised apples up and bring out new fruits.

"After the mess I made, it was no problem," I said, still a little embarrassed. Lottie simply smiled at me and gently pushed me toward he door.

"Oh, and tell those boys I said thank you also," she whispered to me, looking to the doors of the market, where Riley and Spence stood opposite each other, but both looking at me. I smiled and nodded to Lottie, walking back to the boys.

Riley was the first to straighten and walk to stand beside me. He was still mad about the incident this morning and now, about the apples too. I didn't say anything, but instead kept walking.

When we reached Spence, he walked with us, on the other side of me, and I was now flanked by two tall and brooding men.

Lucky me.

"God, that's bright," I exclaimed as we stepped outside. It was about midday and the sun and high in the sky.

Neither of the boys spoke and I sighed, walking faster toward Riley's car.

"Um, actually," Spence said, "I was wondering if you wanted to get lunch, Sabine."

Before I could even process what had been said, Riley slid in front of me, "No."

I scoffed and pushed Riley aside, so I could see Spence. He looked amused by Riley's reaction.

"Not as a date, just lunch," He clarified, and I smiled, looking up at Riley.

"No," that seemed to be his word of choice today. I decided that Riley Martin could go stuff himself; I was doing what I wanted.

"Lunch sounds great," I said, looking back at Spence who was grinning from ear to ear. I could hear the growl that came from Riley, but chose to ignore it.

"So where are we eating?"

-

"You're serious? You never went to a real school?" I almost shouted, before sinking back into my seat. Spence laughed, shaking his head.

"No, I was always home-schooled... we moved too much to bother going to new schools, so my mum taught me."

"Wow, that's awesome. Where have you been?" I asked, amazed. Despite my family's field trips, I'd never been out of the state.

"Everywhere, pretty much. I've lived all across the country. Seen some cool things," he replied flippantly, as if it was no big deal.

In spite of his cool appearance, Spence was uneasy. He had been looking behind me throughout our conversation, most probably at Riley, who sat in a corner table at the edge of the café. The officer had refused to speak a word after I'd agreed to Spence's invitation, but, however unhappy he was, he was still looking out for me.

I'd learnt a lot about my new blonde-headed friend during our 'not lunch date.' He was nineteen years old, an only child and living on his own.

"So why are you here in Remington then?" I looked back to Spence, whose eyes were on me once more.

"I could ask you the same question, Sabine," my eyes widened but Spence only winked and lent down to take a bite of his sandwich.

I looked back at Riley, who caught my eye and motioned toward his wrist, telling me he wanted to go. I nodded and this seemed to appease him for a while.

Turning back, again to Spence, I quickly ate the last of my sandwich and pushed my plate aside. Spence smiled sadly at me, he had seen Riley tap his wrist, too.

"I'm sorry, Spence. We have to go. But I had a great time."

"It's okay, I understand. I had fun too, and Sabine?" He asked as I began to stand.

"Yeah?"

"I really would like to do it again," she said simply, a smile gracing his pretty face. I returned the gesture.

"Me too." Riley appeared behind me, placing his hand on the small of my back, gently pushing toward the direction of the door.

I shot one last smile at Spence, before following Riley's pushing to the door.

-

"You do realise that having lunch with men you meet in grocery stores defeats the purpose of the whole witness protection program, right?" He chastised.

Ever since I had sat down in the car and Riley had driven away from the cafe, he'd been giving lectures about the "stupidity" and "ignorance" of my actions.

God, I couldn't exist for 5 minutes without doing something to piss him off. I was getting on my last nerve. Next thing I know, he will be yelling at me for breathing through my mouth and not my nose.

"-Anything could have happened, had I not accompanied you-" he continued on his rant. I was kinda just tuning him out by this point.

I don't understand how we can know each other for less than a week and have every single thing infuriate the other.

And it's not like Spence was a bad person, I mean, yeah, he creeped me out in the beginning, but he is so funny, and very cute. He wouldn't hurt a fly, I'm sure of it.

I didn't even realised we had pulled up at the cabin until I heard the slam of Riley's door. He walked back to the house, stiffly, not once looking back at me.

Yeah, he's mad.