Zoey's pov
"I am so sorry," a masculine voice says, as I fall back onto my butt. I look up and come face to face with a teenage boy with glasses. He offers me his hand and I take it.
"It's okay. I should've watched where I was going," I say, looking around. My nerves have been a mess ever since I turned off the television last night. Every sound I heard was the Range brothers coming for me.
"Uh, we'll I'm Peyton," he says, smiling at me.
"Zoey," I reply.
"Zoey? Like Zoey Irwin... that's why you look so familiar! You're the girl who was-" I clamp my hand over his mouth, cutting him off.
"Don't say my name. Pete, Johnathan, and James are still looking for me," I hiss, not removing my hand.
Peyton pulls my hand off of him, "Then why don't you tell the police? They'll be able to protect you."
I shake my head no, "The less people who are associated with me, the better. You might've just signed your death wish."
"I'll be fine," he replies, "but what are you going to do?"
"I'm gonna try and find my way back home to LA," I tell him.
"LA? You aren't too far away. We're in Arizona right now. But why on earth do you want to go home? Don't you think that's a really dumb idea?" Peyton questions.
My eyebrows scrunch together, "Why would going home be a dumb idea?"
"Think about it. If you kidnapped someone, and they escaped. Where's the first place you would look for them?" Peyton asks me.
I sigh in defeat. He was right. The first thing those awful men are going to go to LA and search for me.
"I'm sorry," he says softly.
"For what? You probably just saved my life. I would've gone right back to LA and gotten re-kidnapped," I tell him.
Peyton blushes and looks down at the ground, "If you don't have anywhere else to go, you could hang out with me."
"Peyton, I'd love to. But I can't," I reply.
"Why not?" He questions.
"I'm still going to LA," I answer.
Peyton's eyes widen, "But, you can't! That's suicide! The Range brothers are out looking for you!"
"I know. But I need to get them locked up so that I can go home. I miss my older brothers so much," I tell him. It's true. My heart literally aches thinking about the boys.
"Fine. But I'm going with you," he says stubbornly.
"I can't ask you to do that."
"Well you didn't ask. And I'm going you're not getting rid of me, Zoey," Peyton says, determined.
I smile and hug him, "Thank you so much."
He gently hugs me back, "You're welcome."
