Flee

Chapter 3: It Sounds So Sweet When You Lie To Me

Arden's POV

The sun pierces through the thin curtains. The sunlight blinds me when I open my eyes. I look to the left of me to see if my companion is still with me. He is in fact still here, but he is under his covers hissing. 

"What am I witnessing right now?" I ask.

"It's too bright." Jace states. 

"What are you? A vampire?" I ask.

"Ha ha very funny. You are very close I am a teenager actually. Very similar to a vampire." He says. 

I smile at him. 

Jace rolls out of bed and tells me that he has to take a shower and then we can leave. While he is in the shower I get dressed into some clean clothes. Once I am dressed I gather all of my things and wait patiently for Jace to get out of the shower. 

I honestly don't know why I am traveling with this boy I don't even know. I trust him, I guess, but even I know that trusting him is not a good idea. 

Knock Knock Knock. 

Panic rushes through me. What if it's Tim? This hotel doesn't have those little peek holes on the door so I would actually have to open the door to find out who's there, but I am not going to do that. I stay frozen as the knocking continues. 

 Then I hear the water turn off. Thank god.

The person who is knocking continues but this time it is louder. Jace walks out of the bathroom. His hair is still wet and he looks at me an then he glances at the door. 

"Who's at the door?" He asks me and I just shrug. 

He goes to open it. I am hoping that it is not Tim behind that door for Jace's sake. He opens it and it is just the cleaning lady. I sigh in relief. Honestly I couldn't even tell this hotel had cleaning people. Considering it looks like a dump. Jace shoos the lady away and then turns around and looks at me weirdly. 

"Why didn't you open it?" 

"Uh I am not sure. Just socially awkward I guess. Haha." I say. 

"You're lying." He confronts me. 

"No I'm not," I stutter.

There is no way that I am actually tell him my life story. I barely know him. 

"Well I didn't ask you your life story now did I?" Jace says.

What? Oh I said that out loud. Why am I so dumb why why why? 

"Tell me," Jace says. 

I shake my head. I am seriously considering telling him the mommy astronaut story, but he probably won't believe me. No I know he won't believe me. 

"Arden, please?" He begs. "First you look freaked out when your stepdad calls you and now you won't answer the door? What is going on?"

"I don't have to tell you anything you-" 

"Ah ah ah. Cursing is a sin."

"Oh shut up." I say.

"Fine, If you won't tell me I'll just have to figure it out for myself." 

I shrug to show him that I am not threatened by his threat. 

I leave the room without giving Jace a heads up. I hear him say wait up a couple of times, but I don't wait for anybody. He finally catches up to me though because I have short legs. We barely make it a block when we hear sirens. I jump. Jace does a little puppy head tilt towards me. He doesn't say anything though. He just gives me a suspicious look. I avoid his gaze. 

Jace's phone rings in his pocket interrupting his stare. He glances at the screen. 

"Aren't you going to get that?" I ask.

"No."

I grab his phone and answer it for him. 

"Jace... " the woman on the other end sounds sad.

Gulp. I look over at Jace. he has his face in his hands.  

"He's gone." 

I end the call and turn my head towards Jace. I know he is crying. 

What did I just do? I am so stupid he didn't want to answer the phone, so what made me think that it was okay for me to answer it?

"Jace," I whisper. " What was she talking about?" 

"It's nothing it doesn't matter." He says. He turns around and walks away. I begin to follow him and then I realize that he probably doesn't want me to follow him. 

I stayed there all day in the same spot where he left just in case he wanted to come back. He didn't. Once the sun started to go down I began to get drowsy.  I slump down onto the nearest bench and loll my head to the side because I am too lazy to hold it up. Movement across the street comes to my attention. I see a familiar figure making his way back over here. Once he got about halfway across the street a car comes speeding an slams right into Jace.  I watch him fall to the ground. 

 Without thinking I scream.