Page 72 of Serpentine

I lift my brows in question.

“Don’t let him stay too angry with me for leaving like this. Explain it to him, yeah?”

I nod. I’m still a little jealous that she’s all right in saying goodbye to me, but I can’t bear to say goodbye to him. I know it’s because I caught her leaving.

It had been just as hard.

“I meant what I said, princess. Don’t make me drag you back here.”

Don’t let us down.

I keep the final thought to myself as she punches an address into the navigation and puts her car in drive.

“I might just make you. For the thrill.” She smirks, and gravel flies as she drives toward the property exit.

She just might be as wild as Whitney.

My gut churns with the idea I’ve made the wrong decision to let her go.

Only time will tell, though.

TWENTY-TWO

AELLA

The drive home was surreal. When I checked my phone—which Miles had given back—I saw I had been gone for nearly two weeks today. I was hidden away from the world in the Oregon forest, just off a long expanse of highway that seemed to go nowhere.

When I got into Twin Pines, I found a hotel to settle into, as I knew I couldn’t go home.

Now, I’ve been glaring at my phone as if it’ll give me answers on how to handle this next bit—the news drones on softly in the background of the dull room. The bedsheets look like one good stretch away from bursting. The carpet has a mustiness that says it should’ve been replaced long ago. This is what I could get with the cash Miles gave me, though. I didn’t want to use my cards if some agency watched their activity.

I should focus on what I must do, but I’m not. Instead, my mind is whirling with thoughts of how Braxton will take my disappearance and how he will feel when he finds me gone.

I shouldn’t have left the way I did. I should’ve trusted that he’d know how to act. After all, I’m doing this for them.

Finally, I take a deep breath and snatch my phone. I don’t let myself think about it before I smack Dad’s contact photo.

“Aella! Where the absolute hell have you been?” he shouts into the phone.

I tug the speaker away from my ear. “Hi, Dad, nice to speak to you, too.”

“Everyone except the National Guard is looking for you, Aella Marie! You tell me where you are right now!”

I close my eyes and steel myself to deal with him. This is his way. He’s two-faced and fake to his fucking core. He’ll act as if he cares until I’m out of sight and mind, especially if I’m behaving. There’s no need to bother me, then.

“I’m in a hotel. I’ve dug in if you will. I needed time to process, Dad.”

“Process what exactly?” he asks, and I notice his tone has softened and grown curious.

“I’m certain he told you. That you know by now that Carter and Charlotte are fucking? They set it up for me to find them in our new home together. I was so hurt and embarrassed. I just had to get away before the story broke.”

He sighs.

He knew!

“I told him to keep his affairs to himself, but the boy never listens. He says he loves her. That’s neither here nor there. I need to see you.”

His blatant disregard for my life blowing up in one fell swoop pisses me off, but I bite my tongue.