Betrayal Codes

Chapter 17: Libby

I'm finishing up my makeup when Cleo bursts in. "Guys. Some dangerous shit is going to go down and we need to get out of here."

"Wh-what?" Shay pokes her head out of the bathroom where she just finished doing her hair.

"We need to leave the hotel. Now," Cleo commands.

"Let me just get dressed," I hustle over to the closet for clothes.

"Nope," Cleo drags me to the door. "No clothes. We're leaving now. Especially you," she looks at me pointedly.

"Me?"

"Yes. My orders are to get you three out of here, but especially you, Lib."

My hands fall onto my hips. "Who do your orders come from? Jess?"

"No. Cole." Now I really panic.

"Ohmigod, is he okay? Where is he? Why did he send you?" I shoot off all these questions as Cleo is dragging me to the fire escape stairs.

"He sent me because I was the only one of us up there," she answers, ignoring the most important questions.

"Is Cole okay?" I repeat.

"I'm sure he will be," she responds seriously before turning back and yelling down the hallway for the others. "Go to the bakery. I'll meet you there when I can get these two out of here."

"Are you sure–"

"Go!" The fire escape door slams shut behind her. Looking at the stairs, I realize I have two options: save myself and go to the bakery or use my training and save Cole.

I'm really worried about Cole. Not only because I can't bear to lose him, but also because I don't think he was ready for whatever he's going through. He didn't seem anxious or scared when he left, so he couldn't have known something dangerous was going to happen. But what did "dangerous" really mean? The building didn't seem to be on fire. No hurricane was predicted to hit anytime soon. So was "dangerous" just related to Aiden's consequences? Aiden was just a nineteen-year-old boy. What could he really do that's so bad?

Maybe it's all just an exaggeration. Maybe Cole's just worried Aiden's going to come harass me after he finishes with Cole. Maybe Cole's just looking out for me. And maybe he knew I wouldn't leave if he told me he was worried, so he sent Cleo to make it a big thing and force me away. If he really was worried, I wasn't going to fight it. I'd just wait it out at the bakery.

I head down the stairs, greet the doorman as I walk out, and take in the nature as I leisurely walk to the bakery. Cold wind whips my hair around and gray clouds hang ominously in the sky, preparing to snow even though piles of it are still scattered around from a few days ago. I try to admire the trees, but all of them except the evergreens are leafless. I listen for bird calls, but all the birds have migrated to warmer places now that winter is in full force. Even the bakery looks a little gloomy.

I order a coffee and a chocolate croissant and right as I'm sitting down, Taylor and Shay come in. "Where's Cleo?"
"Dunno. Just ran off," Shay supplies as she sheds her jacket and drops into the chair next to mine. "So. What happened last night?" she wiggles her eyebrows.

"Ooh, yes, fill us in. We've been dying to know," Taylor chimes in.

"Nothing happened. We talked and then fell asleep."

"Boring!" Tay announces. "Nothing happened? Not even some sexy kisses?"

"Or dirty jokes?" Shay adds.

"Um..." The memory of us joking about him in his underwear comes to the front of my mind. For some reason though, I want to keep that between us. "Nope."