Love, Lies, and Deception(50)
He was silent for so long that I thought he hung up. “Kristian, are you there?”
Tires squealed in the background, and he came back on the line. “I can’t believe this shit,” he growled venomously. “So, what now? You’re going to go into hiding until the person gets caught? What if no one finds him? Are you just going to stay gone forever?”
Alec could hear Kristian through the phone, and when I glanced over at him he nodded somberly. I muttered weakly, “For the time being, yes, but I have to believe that the guy will get caught. I don’t want to stay hidden forever, Kristian. You know that.”
“Let me guess, Alec is going with you?” he asked dryly.
Alec bristled beside me and clenched the steering wheel tightly, clearly frustrated. He decided to drive so I could make my phone calls, but it might’ve been safer for my car if I’d had driven. I touched Alec’s hand to get him to relax.
Sighing, I said to Kristian, “Yes, Alec is going with me. There’s a lot going on that I can’t tell you about, and it kills me not being able to confide in you, but I just can’t. Please don’t be mad at me.”
He huffed into the phone. “What about graduation and your exams? Does this guy not know how royally f*cked up he’s made your life? None of the things happening to you would’ve happened if he just stayed away.”
Alec’s shoulders sagged in defeat. What Kristian said was true, but I was the one who allowed Alec into my life knowing that he had a messed up past. Except, you weren’t counting on a psycho coming after you, I scolded myself.
“What’s done is done, Kristian, and it’s not his fault.”
“Like hell it’s not. What time does your flight leave?” he demanded. “I want to see you before you go.”
Alec shook his head, not wanting me to tell him, and it killed me that I stayed silent. My silence was answer enough, and I could hear the hurt in Kristian’s voice when he spoke, “I see … so you don’t trust me, is that it?”
Quickly, I replied, “No, that’s not it. No one knows where we’re going. I’m sorry, Kristian, but I just can’t give you any details.”
“That’s fine, Marissa, but whether you like it or not I am going to see you before you leave. I’ll search through the airport until I find you.” With those last words he hung up and I was left holding my phone, speechless. Was he really going to drive all that way and find me at the airport?
Alec cleared his throat and raised his brows. “So yeah … now do you want to tell me that he doesn’t have feelings for you? A friend doesn’t act like that.”
Blowing out a frustrated breath, I shrugged my shoulders and fell back into the seat. “I just don’t know, Alec. I just don’t know.”
“Depending how long we’re gone, I’m going to have like a three hundred dollar parking bill when we come back,” I stated gloomily, unloading my suitcase.
Even in May, the air in Charlotte was already thick with humidity after the downpour we just drove through. That was one thing I loved about the mountains, less humidity and we had snow in the winter. In Charlotte, you’d be lucky to have any snow.
Alec chuckled and grabbed the rest of our bags. “You have nothing to worry about. I’ll pay for it.”
Glaring at him, I placed my hands on my hips. “Alec Holden, I do not need your money. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself thank you.”
Alec smiled and held his hands up in defeat. “Okay, okay. I just thought I’d offer.”
Taking his money was the last thing I wanted. “I appreciate it …” I began, “… but I really don’t need it. My parents started planning and saving for my future before I was even born. They saved enough that I wouldn’t have to work while I was in school and put it all into an account for my use. They wanted me to be able to spend my time studying instead of working.”
“Wow,” Alec replied, “they must have been amazing.”
After locking up my car, Alec put on a hat and glasses before we started making our way to the departure terminal. Being at an airport there was no telling who we could run into that might recognize the infamous Karey Holden.
We had two hours before our flight was supposed to take off, but I knew we had to go through check-in and TSA. I wondered what my parents would think of me now, having to run away.
“They were amazing, both of them. That’s why I miss them so much. What about your parents? Did they not do the same things for you?” I asked.
A sad look crossed his face, but he dismissed it and shrugged his shoulders. “Not really,” he remarked honestly. “When I was still in high school I made enough money to support myself. I moved out on my own and paid for college on my own, too.”
We were almost to the departure terminal when he explained some more. “My parents love me, but they’re really self-involved if you know what I mean. The only reason why they’re helping me now with this case is because they don’t want another scandal ruining their name.”
“I’m sorry, Alec. I know that has to hurt. Is that one of the reasons why you got so big into drugs? Were you trying to get their attention?” I asked nervously.
Alec laughed. “To be honest, I don’t know. I got into drugs because I liked the way they made me feel. I could forget the pressure and who I was for a while and just live with no worries … or so I thought.”