No Strings Attached

Chapter 35: Bus Lullaby

She shakes her head like a timid leaf.

"But I am scared, " Aria admitted. "I just broke the law."

"I know, " James sighed. "But so have we."

I wiped the tears rolling down Aria's face, and tried to comfort her, but the girl didn't meet my eyes.

Shaking her head furiously, Aria murmured, "my parents are at home, worrying about their convict daughter."

"And don't even get me started on my dad's music shop."

I frown, "Why? What's up?"

Aria chewed the insides of her cheeks.

"Isaac and my mother texted me, " she began. "My family is getting evicted from our home."

Silence entered the bus like a fog.

As I try to comfort Aria, Marco, and James exchange shocked looks.

"What?" Marco gasped. "Why?"

Tears fell silently from her eyes, as Aria whimpered, "my dad couldn't make ends meet."

"The Lotus Syndicate continues to pressure him and my older brothers for money."

James gives her a subtle frown. "I am sorry, Ari. That must be hard."

She sighed in agreement. "Yeah, it is. And now, I am on the run, I keep worrying if they are going to be alright."

After that, Aria's brown eyes drift towards the clear window.

She stares at the vibrant markets, crowded sidewalks, and smoke clouds emerging from angry vehicles.

Deep down, I think Aria is scared of leaving Manhattan-just like the rest of us.

But she's brave and capable of doing many things.

James and Marco both know this-including me, a fifteen-year-old aspiring chemist. So even though Aria is inexperienced, she can handle this change.

Glancing around the enormous bus, I notice that we are the first ones in here. Though I was surprised, I didn't care so much about the cops tracking us down.

For now, they believed that we left New York, but I couldn't understand the fact that we are being hunted like animals.

Reading my thoughts, James held my hand then asked what was wrong.

"Nothing, " I lie.

James gave me a look. "Nadine, you are the second-worst liar in the world."

"Oh, really?" I snort. "And who's the first?"

"Marco, obviously."

Listening, Marco swerves his head to our direction, silently flipped James off, then drifted off to sleep.

The bus slowed down as cars constructed a lengthy, irritable line. Sighing loudly, I looked up to the dark gray ceiling when James whispered my name.

"Nadine, " he murmured, tapping my shoulder.

I glance at him. "Yeah?"

James scratched his head nervously.

"So, about that kiss from earlier, " he started to say.

"Was it intentional?"

Instantly my cheeks grew hot.

I didn't know how to react, but I couldn't avoid his question any longer.

"Well, it was to give you courage," I explain shyly.

He stares at me for a second. "Really?"

In a matter of seconds, the silence went from shocking to awkward.