LIBERTY

Chapter XVI

Libby never once looked away from her side view mirror. Every car that trailed behind them was a potential threat. A feeling of dread was consuming her, trapping her heart and lungs in a steel grip, and it was getting harder to breath. She still couldn't – wouldn't – accept the fact that they got away with it. If this was some sick twisted game her brother planned all along, she'd rather him catch her now and get on with it, instead of leading her on with false hope.

It took her a moment before she realized Leon was calling out to her. She peeled off her stare from the mirror and turned in her seat to face him.

Leon dropped one hand from the wheel and glanced at her. "You okay? You haven't said a word since we left."

"Of course I'm not okay Leon. I ran away. I just signed my own death warrant."

"You'll be fine," he chuckled.

Libby didn't share the same sense of humor. The suspense was killing her.

"Hey," he smacked her thigh, trying to get a smile out of her. "What's the worst that can happen? Grounded for a couple of weeks? Okay, maybe months considering how obsessive your oldest brother can be."

Libby snorted. "Try more like a lifetime."

"Libby – "

"Leon," she cut him off, straight faced. "You don't get it. You just don't."

"Explain it to me then," he told her, flickering his eyes between her and the road.

Libby slouched in her seat, her gaze automatically trailing back to her side view mirror. She didn't speak for a long time, relieved that Leon didn't push. He proved himself to be the best company she could've wished for to share this road trip with. She felt comfortable around him, at ease, but not enough to shake off the bundled mess of stress taking over her mind and body.

"They're different."

Leon perked up at the sound of her voice. "Who?"

"My family," she mumbled.

"Oh yeah?" He reached over to lower the volume of the radio, letting it hum in the background instead. "I suppose all families have their characteristics. Some you like, some you don't."

"It's not like that. A family is supposed to be connected. Every member has a specific role and responsibilities and that's what makes a family work. You know? My family – the dynamic we have going on, it's not working."

Leon parted his lips in confusion. "I'm sorry, I'm not following."

Libby sighed. "Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm the one that's making this thing not work. Maybe I'm the one that's different," she added quietly.

Leon glanced at her through the corner of his eye. "You mean like, you don't fit?"

"Hmm," she nodded almost imperceptibly. "Like there's one piece missing in the puzzle and I'm the wrong piece. But they still try to make me fit in, they force it upon me ... and it's just not working. Do you know how it feels like to not fit in?"

"I guess. But probably not to this extent." Leon bit the corner of his lip in thought. "Have you tried talking to your brothers about it?"

She chuckled, a dry humorous sound. And sad, mostly just sad, Leon noted.

"My brothers don't talk," Libby said. "Not with words at least. They prefer to use their fists to make a point or shove things under the rug. They don't do talking."

"Not even Aaron? I always thought he was a pretty decent guy," he pointed out.

"Aaron tries. That's the only difference between him and the rest of them. He tries." She fixed her stare on the black car that had been following them for a while now. "And he always fails."