✓ | 𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍, j. hale [1]

XVII. On the Run

Evelyn kept her eyes focused on the road ahead of her as Jasper urged the Jeep even faster towards her house. They had left Edward and Bella at her house; during their drive, they had hastily come up with a plan to get Charlie and Marie off of their backs while the tracker was watching to protect them and lead them away. Bella and Edward were supposed to stage a breakup, and Bella would tell her dad that she was going back to Phoenix. Evelyn would then tell Marie that she was going to go with her to keep her safe and try to talk some sense into her; it wasn't the most seamless plan, but for their current situation, it was they best that they could do.

She wasn't worried about Marie not letting her leave; she knew that her aunt loved Bella like a daughter, and would want nothing more than to see her safe. It was the fact that Marie would be left here alone, and the possibility that she would never see her again, depending on how things played out, that made her stomach twist in knots with fear and anxiety. She could feel Jasper's eyes on her as he drove, and she knew that he was sensing the hurricane within her. She wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans in an attempt to calm herself, but it didn't work.

"Evelyn, don't think like that. She's going to be safe... you're going to be safe."

She shook her head, finally meeting Jasper's concerned gaze. "I can't lose her, Jasper. She's the only family that I have left." Tears stung her eyes, and she looked away as she hastily swiped at her cheeks. She hated that she was crying, especially in front of him, but she couldn't stop herself. "I'm so scared."

"I know, Ev." Jasper felt his heart break at the tremble in her voice. He knew that nothing he could say now would completely reassure her, so instead he took her hand. He grimaced when he felt the wetness from her tears that lingered on her skin, and his frown deepened when he felt her hand shaking in his own. He brought their entwined hands to his lips, gently kissing the back of her palm in an attempt to soothe her fears. This is all my fault, he thought bitterly, but he knew blaming himself wouldn't do anything to help Evelyn or Bella right now. He had to focus on keeping them safe; it was the only way that he could make sure that they all came out alive. I'm not going to lose you.

As they turned down Evelyn's street, she felt her stomach drop. Marie's yellow bug was missing from its usual spot in the driveway, and all of the lights in the house were off. Her aunt was never out this late, and with the tracker on the loose, her mind jumped to the worst possible scenario.

"No..." Evelyn breathed, feeling her chest tighten. James couldn't have gotten here and taken her so quickly, could he?

As soon as Jasper put the Jeep in park, Evelyn was out of her seat and running up the slick path to the front door. She vaguely heard Jasper yell at her to wait from behind her, but she didn't care. She knew she was being reckless; for all she knew, this could be a trap, but that didn't matter to her now. Marie was the only thing on her mind.

She burst though the unlocked front door and was met with complete and utter silence. Jasper was behind her in an instant as she stood in the entryway, suddenly hesitant to move forward and afraid of what she might find.

"I don't think anyone has been here. I don't smell anything unfamiliar," Jasper stated, his tone matter-of-fact. "Marie isn't here, though."

Evelyn nodded, most of her fears at ease, and made her way to the kitchen. She's probably still at the diner or something, she thought to herself. I have to calm down.

Sure enough, once Evelyn turned on the kitchen lights, she noticed a ripped piece of yellow notepad paper on the table with Marie's messy scrawl.

Ev,