Briar Preparatory Academy

Gaining Distance

Celeste POV

"Man I am not going to miss this place." Seth says as he flops down on my bed. I pause from packing my duffle and glance over my shoulder at him. He has a weak smile plastered on his face and his eyes are tired. He puts his arms above his head and turns his face to look at me. I nod in response, and go back to packing my bag. I feel his eyes staring at me after I turn away and feel heat rise to my cheeks. I don't want people to see me bruised and broken like this. I'm ashamed.

"Hey you packed up yet?" Kate asks as she swings the door adjoining the rooms open. She has a duffle in her hand and a backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Yeah I just finished."

"Okay good. I've called Lockharte. He has a plane that is coming to get us at Dillant-Hopkins Airport in Massachusetts. We filled up the jeep when we first arrived here, so we'll grab some gas before we hit the road. The drive is usually about an hour but we are going to take the long way and make a stop or two. Just to make sure we aren't being followed." Kate says with a sigh of relief.

"This truly is a blessing. I don't think I could handle being in a car with Frat boy any longer." Seth says with a laugh.

"I heard that!" Preston yells from the other room. I let out a small laugh.

I zip up my duffle and Seth stands up from the bed. "Here let me take that." Seth says, taking the duffle from my hands, his fingers grazing my hand gently. I start to protest but he cuts me off and walks towards the door carrying my bag and his. Kate follows him out carrying her duffle and her bag with all of her laptops and technology.

The door swings closed behind them leaving me standing alone in the hotel room with Preston. A comfortable silence passes between us as I stand with my arms wrapped around myself. He sets his bag on the floor and turns to look at me.

"Are you okay?" He asks, sympathy obvious in his eyes. The way he asks me strikes me as different. His words are genuine and show concern, but they are not condescending or pitying.

I look up at him and meet his eyes, hesitating before answering. As a spy, we are taught to lie for the protection of others and to conceal weakness. But right now, I don't want to lie. I don't want to pretend to be strong when I am tired inside.

I hate playing the victim. But sometimes showing emotion proves we are human.

"I've had kind of a hard time recently." I tell him with a weak laugh, looking up to meet his eyes. His eyes soften and he pulls me into a hug. His long arms wrap around my thin frame and hold me steady.

I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not cry.

I lay my head on his chest as he pulls me tighter for a split second before we separate. He searches my eyes for emotions that I have already locked away.

"I'm here for you, ya know." He tells me with a small smile, cocking his head to the side. I nod.

"Just don't treat me like I'm breakable. I don't need sympathy. I see it when Kate and Seth look at me, they are afraid to say the wrong thing to me like I might just break down at any moment. They think I've changed. I'm the same person that I was when I left." I tell him, looking up to meet his eyes.

"I think we both know that last part isn't true." He tells me, his eyebrows furrowed together and concern evident in his eyes.

I let out a sigh. "Just promise me."

"Okay. I promise." He tells me. With that I nod and he picks up his bag and starts heading to the door. I follow behind him, letting a small sigh of relief escape for the first time in days.