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I clenched my hands into fists. “Because of you, Atlas. She obviously still has feelings for you. You made it sound like you and her were nothing, but it was enough for her to come after me.”
He shoved both hands through his disheveled hair, making it look wild. “We weren’t serious. At least, it wasn’t serious on my end. Wren, I’m so sorry. I’ll talk to her. I’ll talk to Wanda, whatever I have to do to set this straight.”
But I shook my head. “No, Atlas.”
“Starlight—”
“NO!” My voice was almost a scream and it scared me. “I don’t want you to fix this. I don’t want you to talk to anyone. I just want you to leave me alone. I need a break, okay? I need some time to think everything through. Whatever this thing is between us…it’s all been so fast. I need to slow down.”
The silence that followed was deafening. I zipped up my backpack even though I had no idea whether I’d packed anything I needed. I couldn’t be here anymore. If I stayed, I’d crumble and cave. I needed to be strong.
“Where will you go?” Atlas’s voice was barely more than a whisper, full of hurt and heartache.
Utter revulsion for myself flowed through me.
I shrugged my backpack on, clutching the straps. “I’m not sure. I have some money, so I might just get a hotel for a couple days.”
“Let me drive you…”
“No.” I shook my head. “I’ll get a ride from Ellie. I’ll leave your truck here.”
He paused. “You can take the truck, Wren.”
My fingernails bit into the thick straps over my shoulders. “No. That’s okay. I don’t want your truck.”
I focused on the ground as I walked past him toward the door. I opened it, pausing as the balmy night air drifted in. I chanced a peek over my shoulder. He hadn’t moved a muscle. He stared at the spot on my bed where my bag had been, his hands clenched at his sides, jaw rigid.
Fight for me, I thought selfishly. Don’t let me leave.
“Goodbye, Atlas,” I whispered.
Nothing but silence answered me, and I think my heart cracked: a single, giant fissure from top to bottom. I squeezed my eyes closed, tears clogging my throat as I raced through the door, away from the guest house I’d called my home and the man I loved.
I stumbled out into the front driveway, hand pressed against my mouth to stifle the sobs. It was dark now, the stars twinkling above me as if they had no care in the world. As if things hadn’t just fallen apart and crumpled around me. As if my heart wasn’t slowly fracturing in two.
I pulled out my phone to call Ellie, but my finger paused on her name. If I called her now, would Cain know? Once she came and got me and saw the state I was in, she wasn’t going to drop me off at a motel or bus station. She would make me come back to her place. What if Cain followed us? I couldn’t risk her getting hurt either.
I pressed my lips together, making myself think clearly. I didn’t have much time. Calling Ty wouldn’t help. His Jeep hadn’t been in the garage, but I doubted I could talk him into bringing me to the bus station.
And the best place for me right now was the bus station. I had to get out of town as fast as I could, hoping Cain would follow. As soon as I was far away enough that my friends were safe, I’d go to the police there. I’d turn myself in, tell them everything that had happened. I still had Cain’s note. It was buried in the bottom of my bag. Maybe they could help me.
But I needed to get there first. I couldn’t walk from here. The bluff was far from the bus station and it was too dark.
I shifted on my feet, scrolling through the few contacts I had, finally landing on one that just might work.
I pressed on the name and the call connected. I put it to my ear, praying they would answer.
“Hello?” a familiar voice said from the other end of the line, and relief flooded through me.
“Hey, Tony,” I said, my voice raspy with tears. “It’s Wren.”
There was a pause. “Hey, what’s up?” he said, sounding unsure.
I cleared my throat. “Are you with Ellie tonight?”
I tightened my grip on the phone, hoping that he wasn’t.
“Uh, no, not currently.”
