The Lies That Bind

|6| Wipe Your Eyes

        I smile, knowing very well he is feeling a bit jealous, but choose to stay quiet about the revelation. "He found me when I was wandering through the streets the night after I left Portland," I begin, letting that awful day fill my memories.

        How could Jake have found me already? I covered all my tracks, threw every piece of technology I had the second I stepped on the bus. How did he manage to come to that small town?

        My insides cramped inside me as I remembered his face, searching, looking, knowing he'll find me within the small population of the town.

        Calm down, I chanted to myself. Calm down and think.

        I was alone, in an unknown city without any contacts or a place to sleep in. I left Blake without telling him anything, once again trashing my phone right before hopping on the next bus out of the city. 

        Tears clouded my vision as I wandered around the streets looking for a place I could crash for the night before starting a house hunt. With nothing but a backpack carrying only necessities, I walked feeling lost and uneasy.

        "Hey, are you okay?" I stopped, almost tripping over my own two feet, as I heard the guy in front of me talking to me.

        Not looking a day over 20, with spiked black hair and tanned, olive skin, the guy seemed more than a little bit intimidating standing with wide shoulders with at least 6 feet to his height. I started at his face, finding myself drawn to the exotic dark brown eyes. Despite his outer appearance, his face appeared boyish, a small grin appearing on his lips.

        I shook my head and forced myself to stop gawking him, nodding despite my tearstained face. "Yes, thank you."

        "Well you sure don't look it," he muttered lowly shooting me a doubtful frown. "You new to town?"

        "Yes," I smiled, trying to show him that I was fine. "I am looking for a place to stay for the night. Do you any motels nearby?"

        He started at me for a moment, studying me from head to toe before sighing quietly. "My name is Ray," he introduced himself, swinging his hands forward for an arm shake.

        "Scar," I mumbled back, returning the gesture.

        "Why don't you come with me?" he suggested with a soft smile. "I am heading to eat, I can show you around our town while we sit and enjoy a nice, warm meal."

        For a moment I was going to decline his offer, not trusting this random stranger on the street. Then, I realized how alone I was. It's not like he was taking me to his place. We were going to eat and he was going to tell me how to survive this. There was nothing wrong with someone being plain nice.

        Without a second thought, I nodded, offering a small smile. "That would be great, thank you, Ray."

        "He picked you off the street?" Blake asks, bobbing his head sideways and raising a suspicious eyebrow.

        I laugh and nod at his reaction. "He was very nice and offered to feed me.  He stopped me in a crowd full of people and offered to do something nice, Blake. Who do you know that would do that?"

        "He could have been dangerous, Scar. What if he was going to hurt you?" Blake scolds.

        "But he didn't and that's all that matters," I cut in. "He's done nothing but help me in the last five months. I owe everything to him."