Flee

Chapter 8: Just Me, My Shadow, And All Of My Regrets

My life is a nightmare. It is one of those reoccurring nightmares.

That's what it is.

I slide down in my seat and Jason looks back at me.

"Okay?" He asks.

"Yeah. I'm dandy." I say.

I can tell Jason doesn't believe me, but he doesn't say anything. He looks out the window. He recognized Tim immediately from that one time we saw him in front of my house.

"Arden, that's your dad, right?" He asks me still looking out of the window.

"Er... Yeah. Stepdad." I say.

"What does he do to you?" Jason asks with concern clear in his voice.

Jace's eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror and Jason is turned around in his seat and he is staring at me.

"Nothing. It's nothing." I say.

"He does something. " Jason says.

Jason turns to Jace. "Why aren't you saying anything?" He asks.

"I don't want to push her into telling us something she doesn't want to." Jace says.

"Are you serious? If he is hurting her, that is serious." Jason says.

"Guys it is okay. Don't argue over me. I'm not worth it." I say.

"You're worth it to me." Jason says. "I don't know about Jace here, but to me you are worth it."

"Jason," Jace says. "She isn't with him. She is with us right now, so for the time being she is completely safe. I just don't want to pester her. How would you like it if I pestered you to tell me something that you simply just don't want to share?" 

Jason ignores his question. "Arden, just tell me one thing. Is he hurting you?"

"Yes," I say very quietly. "But it doesn't matter I am still breathing and I know I wouldn't still be breathing if someone confronted him about it." 

Jason inhales sharply. "Why didn't you tell me? Tell us."

I look at Jason sharply. "You are probably the last person I would tell." Tell him. Jace gives Jason a look and focuses his eyes back on the road. 

"Right." Jason says. "Hey, Jace do you think we could stop at a hotel? I am exhausted."

"What? No! We have only gone ten miles." Jace says annoyed. 

Jason groans and slumps in his seat and sets his focus out the window.  I do the same. 

I run downstairs  when I hear shouting. My mom and Tim are shouting at each other. I stand behind them so Tim doesn't notice that I am here. Tim raises his arm to hit her and I go between them and end up getting hit instead.  I hear my mom shriek as I fall to the ground, but she doesn't help me up. Her and  Tim keep fighting.I pass out.  I don't know how long I was passed out for when I finally wake up, but the house is now empty of everyone except Tim. I see him stumbling down the stairs with a bottle of some alcoholic beverage in his hand. 

"You!" Tim shouts as he points his finger at me. 

I don't respond to him so he keeps talking.

"You are the reason she left me!" He shouts and throws the bottle in his hand at me. It hits the wall behind me and shatters into hundreds of  pieces. Some of the pieces of glass pierce my skin. I wince.

"It is all your fault. You made her leave with your pathetic teenage self getting in the way of our marriage. You are going to pay for this as long as I live." He says and waddles angrily up the stairs.  

I slowly stand up and walk to my room. I see a note on my bed. It is from my mom. 

"Arden." Jace and Jason whisper simultaneously from the front seat. 

My eyes fly open. "How long was I asleep?"  I ask them. 

"About two hours." Jace responds. "we are going to stop at a hotel now. Well a motel." 

I nod. I will probably never fall asleep tonight. 

Jace pulls up into a motel. It looks just as sketchy as the one we stayed at the first night. I get out of the car and follow the boys into the motel. Jace payed and got a key and we headed to our room. 

When we get to the room it turns out that there is only one bed and one couch that someone could sleep on. Well only if they could endure the springs popping out of it in every direction. 

"I know what we can do." I say."We can do this the most logical way. You two boys can share the bed and I'll sleep on the couch."

"You are going to sleep on that?" Jason asks me. 

"Well what else would I sleep on, Jason?" 

"Oh I don't know. The bed that is sitting right over there. " He says. 

"Yeah well you guys are sleeping on the bed. The couch is fine." 

I go to the bathroom and get my pajamas on and come back out of the bathroom to find Jason shirtless laying on the bed. 

Holy.

"Ew put on a shirt," I say as I turn around to face the wall. 

"Ha ha. No." He says. 

"You are going to blind me."

"With my hotness?" He asks.

"No with your flab. Seriously put on a shirt!" 

"No." 

"Fine then." I turn around without looking at him and make my way to the couch. I lay down and try to get comfortable, but it is almost impossible. I try to fall asleep, but I can't.

Jace comes back into the room. I didn't even know he left. In his hands he has tons of vending machine food. 

"Dinner is served," he says as he hands Jason and I a bag of chips. I basically inhale them and I lay back down and try to fall asleep. I feel like hours have passed and I still haven't fallen asleep. I keep tossing and turning, but I can't get comfortable with the springs poking me in the back every second. 

"Arden." Jason says. 

I don't respond to him because I don't want him to know I am awake.

"I know you are awake. You can sleep on the bed. I will sleep on the couch." 

"I am fine right here." I lie. 

Jason doesn't say anything. He stands up out of bed and comes over to the couch. He picks me up bridal style and plops me down on the bed next to a very peacefully sleeping Jace. 

I fall asleep instantly.