The Bolter

1

The highway all looks the same after a while. Even the words on the signs begin to blend together until she can't read them. Not that she cares. The destination doesn't matter. What matters is that she's getting away, escaping before it's too late. If she learned anything from her parents it's that love doesn't last and it's best to leave before getting left.

The further Meredith got from Seattle, the easier the air was able to move through her lungs. She tried to think about where things had gone so wrong, but if she was being honest with herself nothing had gone wrong, and that was the issue. Eventually, the other shoe would drop and Meredith wasn't sticking around and waiting for it to happen. Derek was charming and really seemed to like her, maybe even love her, but love doesn't last and she would not be the one to get hurt when it eventually all blew up, not if she could help it.

She pulled over at a rest stop and took out her phone, noting the dozen missed calls from Derek. After writing down Cristina's phone number on a post it note, Meredith took her cell phone and dumped it in a trash can before driving off again. She didn't know where she was going, but to be fair she never really knew where she was going. Overthinking it would just cause stress and if she wanted stress, Meredith would have stayed in Seattle and waited for her picture perfect romance with Derek Shepherd to blow up in her face.

It was around 11pm when she pulled into a hotel in Los Angeles, California. She paid for her room in cash and dropped her stuff off before getting back in her car and driving to the closest bar. She walked in and sat at the bar, ordering two shots of Tequila and downing them like they were water.

"Tough day?" Meredith turned to her left when she heard a velvety, finding it belonged to a redheaded woman who looked at her with questioning, sympathetic eyes that also held a hint of amusement. The woman tried to keep her face neutral, but Meredith could see a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "I can't imagine an easy day leading you to down tequila like water."

"I've been driving all day, so not a hard day as much as a long day." Meredith sighed as she ordered a beer. "But since the time I was sixteen years old I've drank more tequila than I have water, so my taste buds may be confused."

"You're funny." The redhead chuckled and extended her hand. "I'm Addison."

"Meredith." Meredith smiled as she shook the redhead's hand, her breath hitching in her throat as every nerve in her hand felt on fire at Addison's touch. She chanced a look into the redhead's eyes, noticing her pupils were slightly blown and her eyes were glued to Meredith's lips. She slowly retracted her hand and took a long sip of her beer. "It's nice to meet you."

"You as well." Addison smiled and took a sip of her wine to cover the blush on her cheeks. "So Meredith, what brings you to LA?"

"The highway." Meredith joked with a small giggle as Addison raised her eyebrow. "Do you live here?"

"I do." The redhead nodded. "I needed a fresh start and I've found that LA is the perfect place for a fresh start."

"That it is!" A blonde man with a mustache and a goatee slid into the seat on the other side of Addison, looking between Meredith and the redhead with a knowing smirk. "Care to introduce me to your new friend, Addie?"

"Not especially." Addison shot Mark a warning glare. "But, I don't want to be rude so Mark, this is Meredith. Meredith, this is Mark, my dumbass manwhore of a best friend."

"It's nice to meet you." Meredith smiled politely to hide her disappointment that she and Addison were interrupted, but as she looked into the redhead's jade green eyes she could have sworn she caught a small glimmer of annoyance and disappointment at Mark's presence as well.