On the Run: The Texas Files ✔

Chapter 18: The Long Lost History

Parker and I spent the morning together talking and doing literature homework. Turned out there is a pop quiz tomorrow on our reading. I could get used to this...

"Can I ask you something?" Parker asks as he clears away our homework.

I usually flinch at this question. I should be dreading it. But oddly, I'm not. "Sure," I say coolly.

"Do you ever wish things were different?" he asks.

Of course. I wish almost everything was different. "What kind of things?"

He sits a bottle of water in front of me and one for himself too. "Do you think that we would be in this situation if you didn't lose your mom and me lose Liz?"

I wouldn't be here if she hadn't died. We would still be in our four-bedroom townhouse in New York City. My parents would still have their cushy government jobs. Andrew would be applying to colleges. Noah would probably still be with Marissa, and maybe he would be happy to be becoming a dad. As for me, I would be a regular sixteen-year-old girl. I'd be worried about prom or if that guy in my class likes me, not what color I should dye my hair next to stay in hiding. I wouldn't have my gift. I'd probably just be of average intelligence like I was before I threw myself into school.

I shake my head. "We wouldn't've moved. Our lives were in New York before my mom died, Parker."

He nods. "Would you trust me if I didn't have a gift like you?"

"I think I would be friends with you still," I answer. "But I definitely wouldn't have told you about the gift."

I take a gulp of my water.

"Would you like me to take you home?" he asks. "It's getting into the afternoon, and I don't want to make your brothers hate me more."

I snicker. "Yeah. No need to tempt fate, I suppose."

I gather my things into my backpack and wait for Parker to get dressed as I sit at the table in the kitchen.

Living here and meeting this guy will definitely be one for the books... I'll have to take note of this place before we have to pack up and leave.

He comes back into the kitchen wearing his signature blue jeans and a t-shirt with sneakers. "Hey, Jackie?"

"Yeah?" I look up to meet his eyes.

He's holding a cream-colored file folder. "I believe this belongs to you."

I take it from him. The tab says his name. It's his file he took.

I smile. "Thank you."

He smiles. "I don't think we should take Christine," he says. "I don't want to draw attention to you getting out of my car."

I nod. That's probably best. I did tell Dad I was staying with Izzie. 

"We can take my mom's car," he says as he grabs the keys.

I follow him out to the garage and am facing a brand new Mercedes. These cars cost more than Dad's yearly income...

"Your family drives a lot of nice cars," I say casually. 

I'm quite jealous, honestly.

He shrugs. "I don't pay much attention to it, really. Most upper-middle-class families in Austin drive expensive cars. It's just kind of a thing here."

I sigh quietly. We used to be upper-middle-class, but we lost Mom's salary. Now, we barely make enough to get by.

I get into the Mercedes. This car is the lap of luxury, just like Parker's Mustang.