A fairytale without name (Rose and Marco)

Chapter 38

Rose

Fleeing New York again was by far the hardest thing I had done in my life. Because this time, I wasn't running from something I wanted to forget but because I was scared for my parents. They always say that parents will do anything in their power to keep their children safe but I guess it goes the same the other way round. Few people were on that bus and I was sitting alone at the back, counting the minutes until I could call my mom to see if they were okay. When she picked up immediately and I heard her cheerful voice, a huge burden was lifted off my chest. I had a little time to think of a bullshit story to keep them away from New York and try to justify my sudden departure.

My story consisted of me doing a road trip around the States with some old friends that I had recently reunited with. My mom found it hard to believe, but she knew I wanted to travel since I was a teenager, so I counted on that. I tried hard not to cry, when she had repeatedly asked me what had happened. I asked her help with my rent, because I didn't know when I was going to be back and she happily accepted to take care of everything until I returned. I promised to call her whenever I could and when I ended the call, I felt that this was goodbye. Would I ever be able to see them again without risking their lives?

I withdrew money from two different banks whenever the bus stopped. I had enough cash now to get by for some time. I didn't know where I was going or how long I needed to stay away so I couldn't exactly calculate how much money I would need. How had this happened? I couldn't stop crying and when we finally reached our destination, I found myself alone, in an empty bus station, waiting for the next bus to take me even further away. I slept on a bench for the first time in my life. I was so numb that I didn't even feel fear anymore. I wanted this to be over. I wanted to stop hurting. I didn't want to live like this, constantly on the run, afraid of something bad happening to my family because of me.

Would Marco be looking for me? Deep down I wanted him to find me, to fall into his arms and tell him what had happened. Was that even possible? How could I accuse his father and expect him to believe me? I had run away from him in the past and he came after me. But it wasn't that simple this time. Why did it have to be so hard? All I ever wanted was to be happy, to live like everyone else and leave everything that haunted me behind.

Two days on the road and when I couldn't stand it anymore, I settled in a small town called Norton, in Virginia. I had always been a mountain girl, so I quickly got accustomed to the surroundings. I felt like I was far enough from New York to keep my end of the deal with Marco's dad but not too far in case Marco wanted to find me. I checked in a cozy, traditional inn. The old woman running the place seemed curious about my current state but she remained polite and quiet. No questions were asked. She showed me to my room, helped me carry my bag and left without even asking for an ID. After a long, hot shower and several hours of much needed sleep on an actual mattress, I got dressed and went out to explore.

The kind woman, whose name I found out later to be Ann, was very helpful in giving me directions to anything she thought I would find interesting. If only she knew I was no tourist. I thanked her anyway and started walking around the streets of the town, checking every so often if someone was following me. Smiling faces, happy children walking back home from school, couples having lunch and generally a perfect picture of a life someone would normally want, made me want to cry even harder. I spotted a café which wasn't as crowded as the others. Opting for a table outside, to take advantage of the beautiful day and soak in as much sun as I could after the countless hours I spent on different buses, I turned my gaze towards the street. A young couple walking side by side, holding hands and smiling made my heart drop. I would never have that.

I hadn't realized I was crying again, until the waitress asked me if I was alright and if I needed anything else. Thanking her, I let the steaming coffee warm my insides. The smell of food made my stomach rumble and I couldn't remember when the last time I had eaten actual food was. I started crying again for the delicious roast lamb I left behind. How was I going to clean my apartment should I ever be able to go back? Shaking the stupid thoughts off my head, I ordered some food and tried to relax as much as possible, given the circumstances.