Not to be found

Chapter 21 - Hope

~Noah's POV~

Lacey Grey.
Lacey Freakin' Grey!
How didn't I see this? How didn't I see that she was the girl all over the news? She hid herself so well...too well.

I mentally say as both myself and Lacey walk back towards the house, hand in hand.
I know she lied to me, I know she lied to everyone about who she really is but that will not change the way I feel about her.

I know I've only known her for what is only two weeks but I have never been this happy since when I broke up with her.........Chrissie.

I was heartbroken; like my heart had been ripped out of my chest and stomped on, I had this feeling for around three months.
She was my best friend.....well at least I thought she was anyway.
I spent my evenings crying endlessly into my pillow with a packet of chocolate chip cookies by my side, having trouble to erase the image that I saw from my mind.

The girl that I loved, the girl that I thought loved me making out with some guy called Jack Brenner. The guy that she claimed to have kissed her first, the guy that she claimed to who have only just met.
Like hell that was true!
I saw the way that she looked at him, as I took cover behind the bathroom door as he guided her into the bedroom their lips attached of the party that we were at...TOGETHER!

Immediately after witnessing that, after they entered the bedroom I crept down the stairs as fast as I possibly could and snuck out the front door. As soon as I reached my car I doubled over the steering wheel, clutching my chest like someone had just stabbed me directly in the heart. Tears blinded my vision as I tried to make sense of the whole situation; why would she do this to me? What did I do that was so wrong?

I remember going to 'Smashed' a bar in the middle of the small town that is Wilsbury and draining my debit card of its balance. I don't remember much of my night after that it because it was simply a blur. A series of shots, slurry conversations and the occasional flirt with a random girl that walked past. Although I have no recollection of just how much I had to drink. But what I do remember is waking up laying face down on top of a pool table, don't ask how I got there because I would love to have an answer to that question myself!

The next thing I know I'm being hauled out of the bar by my dad and being sat in the front seat of his car with my head in a bucket. Not my finest moment.
I was then lectured by my parents more so than that of a university student, and I would know since I graduated very early considering I'm only 19.

After getting rid of my terrible hangover I then went into the 'shutdown' phase of a break up where you just lock yourself away in your room for days on end.
Chrissie tried calling, texting, FaceTime you name it and she would try it. I ignored her and blocked her number, until she finally showed up at my front door two days later asking what the hell was going on.
I told her straight, and after a very heated screaming match we were done.

I couldn't go through that again. Which is why I can't lose her.......Lacey.
She's the first to have made me happy since Chrissie. I mean there have been relationships but I haven't felt like this in any of them.

I look down at our intertwined fingers and drag my thumb across hers. She gives me a small smile, one that I return as I discreetly look at her tear stained cheeks and puffy eyes.
She didn't mean to lie, I know she didn't. It wasn't like she could tell me who she really was at the time, I was a total stranger.

"What now?" She asks me, her voice still slightly hoarse from crying.

What now? What does happen now? Definitely not the police, maybe not even my parents.....not now anyway.

"We act normal," I state, "like you are Gracie."

"That might not be possible for much longer," she says her voice quiet in the hope that I couldn't hear her. I could.

"Why? No one knows who you are."

"That's what I thought too," she replied, I could hear the emotion building back up in her voice. Giving my the strong urge to hug but question her.

I come to a stop and pull her closer, "what are you talking about Lacey?" I ask, "who knows you? Who knows that you're here?"

A single tear slips down her cheek, "I don't know," she gulps, "I got these weird messages, blackmail actually; asking for £70,000 in a week otherwise I'll be exposed."

I bring her to my chest and wrap my arms around her. This isn't happening, right? This has to be some sort of weird dream or some sickos idea of a twisted joke.

She begins to cry again, as I hold her tighter to my body. The sounds of her sobs break my heart, a new crack forming every time she whimpers or wails into my chest. All she wants is peace. Just a new life, one free of a dog leash around her neck.

I pull her back and wipe the tears that have fallen from under her eyes,
"Right, this is what we're going to do," I say after some quick thinking, "we're going to get out of here, we're going to go north to a place where no one will find us; we have a cabin there-"

"But your parents," she interrupts me mid-sentence.

"We'll just tell them we're going away for a bit, they'll understand," I persuade her, "they don't even have to know who you are, we'll call them and tell them while we're away."

Lacey's face is full of uncertainty as she looks up at me, she looks vulnerable. She needs to get out of here, she's suffocating.

"What about the money, Noah?" She squeaks out, "I don't have that."

"No money is going to be paid until it's necessary, I'll deal with this guy or whoever they may be. You are safe."

"Thank you."

She smiles up at me, the sadness in her eyes is replaced with hope as she takes my hand in hers, sending a warm feeling straight up my arm and into the pit of my stomach. I look at our hands and smile down at her

I need to keep her safe. I need to keep her happy. I need to get us both out of here. Lacey shall have the life that she wants and deserves, and no one is going to get in the way of that....not on my watch anyway.