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Penelope

"I would never leave the house, daddy."I told my dad."Not without you."

He reached his hand across the table and I quickly put mine on the table so he could hold it."That's my girl.I am doing this because I care for you, never forget that."

I smiled tightly, feeling guilty that I had my fingers crossed under the table.I faked a yawn and stood up."I'm really tired.Wow, such a long day.Need sleep."

"Are you fine, babygirl?"He asked, clearly concerned at my odd behavior.

I may be incredibly smart but I was hopeless when it came to lying.And acting.And cooking, on that rare occasion when I had to do it.

I nodded,"Great!"But then I remembered that I was supposed to be tired."I mean, gosh.So drained.I feel like I'm just going to fall over with fatigue.Let me go and sleep.In my room.On my bed."I said,inching away."In the house."I added, just to be clear.

My dad looked at me oddly before sighing."Of course, go and rest.Remember, it is a big day for our family tomorrow."Shoot."135th anniversary of Von Chur Manor and Katie tells me your dress is ready and it's gorgeous.I can't wait to see you in it."

"Aha.Yes, the dress.For tomorrow.Same.I can't wait.For the dress.And tomorrow, which is why I should go and sleep."I pressed.

"Oh, go."He said and waved me off."Goodnight."

I tried not to run so I walked as fast as I could but stopped short when he called my name.I cringed and turn with a smile."Yes, dad?"

His eyes softened when he looked at me and he smiled warmly."I love you."

In that moment I felt so guilty I almost fell to my knees and begged for forgiveness.I almost told him my entire plan but managed to keep it in."I love you too, dad."

I ran up to my room locked the door.I let out a breath I had not even realized I was holding.I ran to my bed and reached under it, pulling out the backpack I had been hiding for the last 2 weeks.I quickly checked the contents of the bag (for the seventh time since packing it) and saw that everything was just how I left it.

One pair of sweatpants, leggings, a hoodie,two clean shirts, socks and an envelope with $2 000 in various notes and coins.I also had a snapback, beanie and glasses just in case I needed to hide.

I quietly opened the window and moved the ladder I put next to it directly under the window.After changing into biking shorts and a hoodie, I was set to go.It took me at least twenty minutes to reach the road leading to town and I cursed myself for being so unfit.

"This is what you get for always sitting on your bum, doing math instead of exercising."Then I gave what I said a thought."What a joke.Me, exercising.Get real, Penny."

The half an hour following that was spent singing songs and talking to myself, jumping at every small sound that I heard because I was afraid that my father would have discovered that I snuck and sent his bodyguards to look for me.I looked back when I saw lights coming towards me,"Bloody finally.I swear, in movies the car shows up much faster than this."I waved my hands for the car to stop but it was going so fast, it drove right passed me."Idiot.I wasn't waving at you, anyways.Keep your stupid car."I muttered angrily.

I slowed down when I saw that it had stopped and was reversing,"No, no, no.You do not get to come back now, you had your chance and you lost it."

The dark car stopped next to me and the tinted windows rolled down revealing a handsome guy.He smiled widely, two deep dimples flashing."Is everything alright, miss?"

I remembered what my tutor, Eleanor, taught me when I was four."Yes."But I also remembered how tired I was feeling right now."Well, not exactly."I smiled sheepishly.

He raised his eyebrows."Oh? Can I ask what the matter is?"I opened my mouth to respond but he spoke up again,"How rude of me, do you want to get in?You must be freezing out there."

I was freezing out here.But I also didn't want to get raped and maimed in there.I looked up at the stars as I thought.The sound of the doors unlocking broke me from my thoughts."How presumptuous of you."

"Hardly.You think out loud."He said to me casually.

He was right.Our butler, Jameson, had told that a million times but my cheeks still had the audacity to heat up like a poker."Oh.Right."

As soon as I was in the car he locked the doors and sped off.He must have turned the heater on without me realizing because it was incredibly warm in the car."Thank you.I don't know how long I would have walked until I reached the city if you hadn't shown up."

"No problem.I am always happy to help a beautiful lady like yourself.Say, what's your name?"He asked.

My eyes widened."Oh no, how rude of me.I'm Penelope, Penny for short."

He grinned at me before turning his eyes back to the road."Nice to meet you, Penny.My name is Grayson."It was silent for a moment until Grayson spoke again."Tell me if I am overstepping but why were you walking by yourself this late? Do you not know that this is when the monsters come out?"

"I was just going for a walk as usual.I always do this kind of thing."I lied.

"I don't believe you."

"Fine.I ran away from home because I want to go to college."I told him the truth.

He laughed."You ran away from your home to go to college?What normal person does that?"

"Me!"

"From what I know you are not normal in the least bit.I straight up told my brother that I did not want to go to college and he told me it's fine because Ma—"

He didn't get to finish his sentence because his cellphone started ringing.I did not listen to the conversation and instead out my head on the window and thought about the fact that I was finally free.