Briar Preparatory Academy

Lest We Forget

Kate POV

I hear the door to the motel creak open and I stand up from the desk to see who it is. When the door opens to reveal a familiar blonde head, I bolt over to it.

"Celeste!" Tears stream down my face as I run to her and envelop her in a tight hug. As I wrap my arms around her frame, I instantly notice that I can feel her ribs.

"I've missed you so much." She chokes out. I pull away and notice her face is tear-stained. I take in her body, which has clearly lost way too much weight. A harsh bruise stretches across her cheekbone and a tight bandage is wrapped around her left forearm, where her tattoo should have been. Her hand holds onto her torso, which I know sports an ugly bruise.

But she's still here.

"Are you hungry?" I ask her, in an attempt to break the silence.

She nods; her lips pursed together, a weak smile on her face. "When was the last time you actually ate legitimate food?" Preston asks, stepping forward and crossing his arms.

"The night I was taken." She says quietly.

"Jesus," Seth mutters under his breath. Three heads turn towards him and he starts pacing across the room. "I can run out and get something—"

"No!" Celeste interrupts him, "It's not safe. Vegas is going to be on our tails. We need to stay undercover and avoid the public as much as possible. Just because I got out of his grasp doesn't mean I'm safe. Me being here is putting all of you in danger. What is important right now is we stay discreet and move as fast as possible. We need to get back to Wyoming. Joe said so."

Seth stands runs his hands through his hair. "Whatever. I just want to get out of here. Fast." He moves into the other room and closes the door behind him. Celeste watches him go and then turns to us.

"What's up with him?" She asks.

I glance over to Preston as he sighs. It isn't our place to tell her. "He was just worried about you." Preston says. I turn away and go to grab some protein bars out of my bag. I toss one to Celeste, who is staring at the door Seth just went through.

"I'm going to talk to him." Celeste says, walking towards the door. I nod as she walks in, closing it behind her, leaving Preston and I in the room alone. He looks at me with his arms by his side as a silence passes between us. I slowly walk over to him and he envelopes me in a hug. I bury my face in his shirt.

"Thank you so much." I tell him, hoping he knows that I mean the words.

"I made a promise and I intended to keep it." He tells me, hugging me back.

I pull away from him, looking at the door leading to the room. "Do you think she's okay?" I ask him, wanting reassurance. Preston presses his lips together and looks at the door too.

"I don't think she will ever be the same again. The things they did to her, the things they told her... I don't see how anyone could anyone could ever recover from that."

I let out a sigh. I can finally breathe. "We need to get back. It's not safe here."

Preston nods in response. I walk over and begin to pack up my belongings. I throw everything in my duffel bag and start to pack up my clothes. Preston watches me with raised eyebrows. I feel the heat rise to my cheeks. "Okay, I guess maybe we head out in the morning. Celeste hasn't slept in a decent bed in forever."

"Right." Preston says. I nod and sit down on the edge of my bed. I look up at Preston's shirt and gasp.

"Your shirt has blood on it." I say. Preston looks down and tugs at the hem of his shirt. He pursues his lips and furrows his eyebrows.