The Thoughts Between Us // CHALEX

Twenty-Two

"No, but it feels like he knows something's up." Clay informed me, sincerely looking worried. "Ani thinks Winston might have sent the email."

How can this be even possible?

"Has he asked any questions about Monty or Bryce or me?"

Oh Shit.

I always felt weird about Winston's questions, but I never thought he was using me all this time. On contrary, I thought that he was asking them just because they were about my friends.

"I don't know. Maybe." My voice clearly stuttered, and Clay gave me a look. "You and Ani knew about him all this time? So why are you just telling me now?"

"We just wanted to be sure." He replied. "No one else knows yet." 

"What am I supposed to do?"

I really thought Winston liked me for who I was, even if he didn't knew the whole truth. It's quite unbelievable that he was just using me to find out about Bryce's murderer.

"It's... I... I mean, we're just, like..." I continued, trying to explain. "I don't even know what we are. I don't know."

"Look, whatever it is," Clay replied, shaking his head at me. "It's not safe."

Clay decided to leave me alone now, after dropping the bomb on my head which didn't assured me anything that this trip was going to be normal. We were just one hour in and it was anything but normal.

Thinking over everything, I realized the first thing to do here should be getting away from Winston.

I can't share a tent with a person who is out here using me, and trying to figure out who killed Bryce Walker on the night of homecoming. This is scary.

Looking around for a solution, I noticed my Dad talking to Tyler and Tony. Tyler seemed kind of angry, and Tony was just awkward infront of my Dad.

"Dad?" I hurriedly approached my dad, who was staring at now storming-off Tyler's back. "Hey, can I bunk with you?"

"Yeah, ofcourse, son." He nodded. "But you said you were bunking with a friend? What happened to him?"

"Uhm, it's just, I don't feel much safe here, in the woods. So, I thought of bunking with you."

"Okay." Dad looked at me weirdly, then motioned towards behind him. "My tent is that way."

I nodded at him, then made my way to where my previous tent was. Luckily, Winston wasn't seen anywhere so it was easy to just grab my stuff and get out of there.

Rolling up my sleeping bag first, I hurriedly got my stuff back in my bag and started to get away from there.

"Alex." 

Shit. It was Winston, and I clearly heard him calling me but I just continued my way.

"Hey, Alex. Wait up!" I turned and glanced at him, as he sprinted my way. "What's going on? Why'd you pack your stuff?"

I realized he had finally catch up to me, so I turned to face him.

"I'm gonna bunk with my dad tonight."

"What? Why?" He asked, clearly confused about my decision.

"I can't do this anymore." I answered, and looked at him pointedly but he just looked more and more confused.

"Camping?" 

Seriously? Did he just asked me that?

"No, us." I shouted in a whisper at him, then continued going to my Dad's tent.