Always on the Run

15. A declaration

And here's the second chapter as promised. Enjoy! I will try to update quicker next time. :)

You know the drill x

***

I stare at Jamie for a moment, totally dumbfounded.

He continues, “You need to go away. Go into hiding. Go anywhere but here, where no one knows you.”

“But I’ve got a job and my mum and—” I cut off as I realise I was about to say Penelope. Despite my reluctance to be her friend, we’ve been texting back and forth over the last week and she has become a close friend. My first friend in a long time. She hasn’t mentioned Jamie though and he hasn’t said anything so I can only presume they still don’t know each other. Either way, it’s safer if I keep her out of it for now. “—just life in general,” I quickly correct. “How can I just up and go?”

“I know,” Jamie says with a sigh, “and I’m sorry you have to do this but it’s the only way that will keep you from being arrested. For now. It will at least give me time to figure something out. You understand, right?”

I nod even though I hate that it’s come to this. “Of course I do. It doesn’t mean I like it though. Alright so if I go away somewhere, how will you find me?”

He gives me a disbelieving look. “Did you really just ask that? I will find you somehow. Don’t worry about that. So will you do it?”

I sigh and nod before I can say otherwise. I mean what else can I do? I’ll have to talk to Mum obviously but something tells me she’ll be supportive. After all, this is almost like déjà vu. She had to run away from her life once before and now I’m doing the same thing.

Jamie’s smile lights up his face and he embraces me. “Oh thank god,” he breathes.

I’m a little overwhelmed by everything. This morning I was having a breakdown. This afternoon I was going shopping with Mum and feeling better about things. And now…well now I’m about to flee town. Yep it’s official…my life is totally stuffed up. Who knew I’d be in this situation a year earlier? If I had stayed married to Gregory I would have—

You would have been miserable.

It’s a sad but true fact, regardless of how amazing he is. We all have the right to be happy, right? And right now being happy means being with Jamie so I have to do anything I can to make that happens. Even if it means running away.

Jamie pulls away and smiles. Something suddenly occurs to me.

“Why are you here?” This probably should have been the first question I asked but hey, things came up.

The smile slips from Jamie’s face and worry fills his eyes again. Sighing heavily he shrugs and folds his arms. A lump forms in my stomach and settles there like a lead weight. Something tells me I’m not going to like this.

“I escaped custody,” he says so quietly I barely hear him.

I do though and I leap back as though burned and start looking around to ensure no one has suddenly appeared to arrest him and me.

“You what?” I exclaim, walking backwards toward the window. “What in the world possessed you to do that?” Once I reach it I peek through the curtains. I breathe a little easier when I don’t see a fleet of police cars parked out the front with flashing lights. “Didn’t you even stop to think that they might follow you?”

I turn back to him and place my hands on my hips. “What the hell is going on, Jamie? I assumed you were in jail and now you’re saying you escaped custody.”