Page 40 of Oakheart

It wasn’t lost on me that he’d said “you’re” leaving, not “we’re” leaving.

He sighed through his nose. “I’d just slow you down.”

“Dad—” I never called him that. It felt formal and odd, but his eyes softened and he shook his head.

“I’ll be fine. Nobody even thinks about me here.”

“We can’t just leave you,” I insisted.

He didn’t promise he’d be fine again, or swear he wouldn’t get hurt. He leaned across the table and squeezed my hand, shaky around half a sandwich. “I need you to do this, kid. You gotta go.”

I hated this, hated leaving him. But Evie looked like she was about to come out of her skin, so I grabbed the keys. For her, I had to hold it together.

“Take the most direct path through the woods.” Pa got up and plucked a coffee can from the pantry shelf. He opened it and pulled out a bunch of folded bills. “You’ll need gas and lodgings, take this.”

I shook my head. “I can make my own money once we’re out of here.”

Pa frowned. “Not till you’re safe. And what the heck would I do with this here anyway?”

He smiled, and something about it made me want to cry.

I took the money and stuffed it in my pocket.

“Finish your sandwich,” Pa said, “then pack a bag and get out of here, okay? Janice wrote down Jax’s phone number.” He handed over another slip of paper. “Reach out when you can. I’m sure he’ll give you a place to land.”

I nodded. He would, and I knew it.

I just didn’t like leaving this way.

“And the others? You’ll”—I swallowed—“tell them I’m... would you...” I looked up into Pa’s mossy green eyes. “Would you tell them how grateful I am for how much they’ve helped? And that I?—”

I didn’t know what to say. There wasn’t enough, and nothing I could say to Pa that’d make this any better for any of them.

Shit.

“I’ve got it, kid,” Pa promised.

Eyes stinging, I nodded and shoved my sandwich in my mouth.

Minutes later, I was packed and ready to go.

I had an old phone from when I’d apprenticed outside, but it’d died years ago and I didn’t even know if it worked anymore, but I’d stuffed it in my bag too. Maybe I could get a new card for it, or one of those prepaid phones so I could get in contact with Jax.

I wasn’t sure, but we’d figure it out.

The first step was getting away.

Evie and I were silent as we made our way through the woods. There was nowhere nearby where cars fit, and few enough pack members had one. Tommy had inherited my grandfather’s old truck. It was ancient and light blue, a little rusty around the edges, but it still ran fine.

My license was expired, but I still had it, and if we found trouble I’d—I’d say I must’ve picked up the wrong one.

We got to the truck without issue, but even when we were inside and the thing started up, we were silent and tense, waiting for the howl that said we’d been found out.

It wasn’t until I merged onto the highway proper that Evie broke the quiet.

“You know this Fyse guy?”

I nodded. “We were friends for a long time before he and the others left. They wanted me to go with them, but?—”