Bitter Heart √

Thirty Three

Skylar's POV

We ended up somewhere that looked like a rugged, old town. Mostly deserted and barren, I wanted to leave this place as soon as we could've. But when I saw a store nearby, I had to practically beg Caden to stop there.

My feet were killing me at this point.

The shopkeeper was kind enough to lend his phone charger for Caden's phone and I was more than thankful to find a chair to sit down on.

"Thank you for letting us stay." I directed a small, grateful smile towards the shopkeeper as Caden walked inside the shop.

The shopkeeper guy, who looked a tad bit older than me, raised his left brow.

"You just said that for the third time."

My smile turned a bit sheepish and I started fidgeting with a loose thread of my jacket. I couldn't have told him how awkward it felt to get lost in the middle of nowhere and crash at a shop which looked like something in between a bar and a pharmacy.

"You guys don't live in this town, do you?" He glanced at me before opening something that looked like an icebox.

"Um, no."

He nodded back as if he already knew. "How did you end up here then?"

I leaned back on the chair, eyeing him at the same time. "We were driving along the highway and got lost due to some...sinister reasons."

He narrowed his eyes at me as if that explanation wasn't valid enough. I anxiously glanced over at Caden and saw him talking to someone on the phone, his words coming out in hushed whispers.

"What kind of sinister reasons?" The guy asked.

He looked like one of those surfer dudes from the movies, with a perfect tan and a dirty-blond mess of hair. I've always wanted to see one in real life.

"Reasons that I don't know myself." I stated. "Hey, can I get some water?" He gave out a short shrug and threw me a water bottle. I thankfully caught it--some benefits of having an athletic best friend.

Talking about best friend.

"Do you also happen to have a spare phone or something?" I asked him in the politest way I could've.

His gaze trailed back towards me and I don't know why I held my breath.

"Why don't you help yourself with everything?" He smiled then, and it would've been cute if it weren't for the sarcasm.

I smiled back.

A hot surfer dude with a not so hot attitude. Just perfect.

But he did nudge his head towards a rusty, old telephone before walking inside the small shop. I dialled Alex's number first, which he didn't pick up. I dialled Hanna's number after that.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Oh, Hanna! It's me, Skylar. Have you seen Alex anywhere?" I asked her in a rush, knowing that I couldn't talk much longer.

I heard voices from the other end. "I have. Where are you, Sky? I saw you at the library and then you just disappeared?"

I hesitated for a second. "I'm just stuck up somewhere. Can you do me a favour?"

"Yes?"

"Are you still at school?"

"Yeah." She said. "The librarian needed some help with the books."