Page 5 of Escape

He stalked towards me, the smell of alcohol following him like a stench cloud. My insides coiled into a tight ball as he rested his hand on my cheek, more tender than he had touched me in years.

“I’m going to miss you, honey.” The slurring softness in his voice made me want to vomit, but I couldn’t fuck up this chance. I just had to keep the peace for one night, then I was free.

“I’m going to miss you, too.” I stiffly leaned into his touch, making a mental note to scrub my cheek raw before going to sleep.

“When you come home, things will be better.” The rough pad of his thumb stroked over my skin. “I know I’ve been an ass lately, but it’s almost over. I promise.”

I knew he was full of shit, but there was a hint of truth in his voice. It was unsettling.

“That sounds great, Jared.” I forced a smile.

His gaze bore into me, like he was trying to compel me into believing him. He squeezed my cheeks together, making my lips puff out before planting a kiss on them. I forced down the bile that crawled up my throat as his saliva mixed with mine.

I pulled back and his fingers curled around the air where he had held my jaw. His face fell before dropping his arm and turning to leave.

The second he was out of my sight, I could breathe again. Just a few more hours and I could leave this all behind.

***

The 9-hour drive stretched on, but I didn’t mind. I drove with the music blaring and the windows down, letting the air tousle my curls all around me. I decided to avoid conflict and leave without waking Jared. I left him a note on the kitchen island and slipped out of the house before the sun came up.

The reunion was that night, but I would make it into town with just enough time to settle into my room and get ready. I didn’t want too much time to be able to back out. Although I was nervous to see everyone I went to high school with, part of me was also excited. I was curious to see where everyone had ended up. I wanted to catch up with Ariana, too. Maybe it would make me feel like an actual person again.

Spotting a drive-thru coffee spot off the highway, I stopped for a caffeine pick-me-up. Just as I was about to pull into line, a giant black truck swooped in front of me.

“What the fuck?!” I screamed to myself.

I slammed my hand toward the horn, but stopped mid-swing. I’d never been great with confrontation and by the size of the truck and the audacity, the driver would have no issue with a fight.

Instead, I sucked in a deep breath, squeezed my hands around the wheel and leaned back into my seat. I was free and on my own for the first time in years, waiting an extra 5 minutes for my coffee was not about to ruin my good mood.

When I finally got up to the menu I ordered the largest iced coffee I could, along with a breakfast sandwich. I resisted the urge to grab my favorite pastry along with it…my mom’s voice ringing in my head about fitting into my dress.

I pulled up behind the asshole truck just as they were paying. They stuck a giant, rolled-up wad of cash through the window and I rolled my eyes. A rich, flashy asshole, of course.

I tried to get a better glimpse of them in their side mirror. They were in a black hoodie, hat and dark sunglasses. From the small amount of skin I could see, I thought I saw tattoos. I squinted, focusing harder. They smiled and lifted two fingers in the air, giving me a small wave before peeling off without their order.

“Okaaay...” I whispered as I watched them pull off. “Fucking weirdo.”

When I got to the pickup window, the barista already had my drink and sandwich waiting for me. When I dug into my purse for my card, she stopped me.

“No worries, ma’am,” she smiled. “The person in front of you paid. Left a hefty tip, too.”

My mouth hung open, absolutely shocked. A generous, rich, flashy asshole?

“They also added this. Thought you might like it.”

She handed me my coffee and sandwich, then an extra pastry bag. Not wanting to hold up the line, I thanked her and pulled into a parking spot. I opened the extra bag and my stomach twisted. It was my favorite pastry that I talked myself out of ordering.

I smashed the bag closed and whipped my head around. The truck was nowhere in sight.

A coincidence. Just a weird fucking coincidence, that’s all it was.

I repeated the mantra over and over as I scarfed the perfectly crumbly coffee cake down and pulled onto the highway. They were just being kind. I deserved a little bit of kindness.

Chapter 4

Kel