FLEE Read online

  At first, I was uncomfortable with the deafening silence of the forest. When my ears adjusted to quiet, I could hear the birds chirping, insects buzzing, the creaking of the tops of the trees as they swayed in the wind, and the occasional dim roar of a nearby river.

  We came across three picnic tables in the shade of a large tree, barely visible from the trail. A small brook bubbled nearby. We sat down at the small picnic table, brushing off as much vegetation as we could.

  Gavyn met my eyes. “I have a little surprise for you.”

  “You do?”

  “It’s something I made for you during my down time on set. No big deal.” He pulled something small and brown out of his pocket. It was a narrow leather bracelet similar to the one he wore. It was made of tiny strings of leather, woven together. The braid of the weave was dotted with small pearly sea-shells.

  “It’s beautiful. I love it. Thank you.” I leaned across the table and gave him a loud smack on the lips.

  “I’m glad you like it.” He tied the bracelet on.

  I held out my arm and admired it again. “One of a kind.”

  “Yes, you are.” His face became more serious. “I want to talk to you about something. Something important.”

  I got up from my position across from him, and sat next to him, straddling the bench so I could face him. “Okay.”

  “I’ve been thinking about us a lot. I know I’m hard to be with. I’m contractually obligated for about the next two and half years with various projects.”

  I nodded, since I already knew about his upcoming projects.

  “And you. You and your brilliant little brain are in law school.” He shifted his body so he was facing me. “Let me ask you something. If you could do anything you want, without regards to consequences, what would you do?”

  “No one has ever asked me before. I’m not sure I’ve asked myself before.”

  “I’m asking you now.” He nudged me with his shoulder. “I know you space out a lot, so what are you thinking about?”

  “Mostly you.”

  “Seriously, what do you want to do?”

  “I really don’t know what I want to with myself on a permanent basis, if that’s what you’re asking. I hate law school. I think it was a mistake.” I dropped my eyes to my lap. I had never admitted that out loud, or even to myself for that matter.

  He took my hand. “Well, then my plan might be perfect.”

  At this point, my nerves had taken me to a point where I was pretty sure I would throw up if I opened my mouth to speak, so I kept it shut and waited for him to elaborate.

  “I love you. You know that.” He squeezed my hand. “I want to be with you. I can’t imagine my life without you. I want us to grow old together. I don’t know how you feel about marriage, but that’s where I’m headed with this. I’m serious about you.”

  “I’ve been turning our situation over and over in my mind. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to be with you. I’ll make any sacrifice. I’ll do whatever you ask me to.”

  “I can’t stand the thought of us living in two different cities. I don’t want to be apart from you. I’m going to ask you something, and you can say no. I’m selfish to even ask. Please don’t be angry with me, because I have Plan B, and a Plan C in case you don’t like this one.”

  He stroked my face with his thumb. “Just be with me. You do anything you want. I want you to come with me on press tours, come with me when I shoot on location. I know it’s selfish to ask you to leave your life and live mine. After I’m done with all the contracts I’ve already signed, I can live wherever you want. You can go to school, buy a house, do whatever you want. It would be 100% what you want to do.”

  I tried to wrap my mind around what he was offering me. “I can’t just let you take care of me. That’s not right.”

  “Do you have any idea how much money I have? I respect your independence. All I’m asking is for you to be with me. All of me. Even the part of me with a lot of money.” He crossed his arms. “I have forty million dollars sitting in the bank, with plenty more coming.”

  “Jesus Christ. Your tax bill must be insane.”

  He gave me a small smile. “Seriously. What do you think of my plan?”

  “It sounds like heaven, but I have some very serious reservations about letting you take care of me financially. I know you have a lot of money, but I don’t want to be ‘that’ girl. You know?” I stood. “I need a moment.”

  We returned to the trail, walking in silence for several minutes. I could feel him watching me, no doubt trying to figure out all the emotions flickering across my face. The roar of the river was getting louder, and the faint sounds of a boom-box and crowds of people were flitting through the trees.

  As soon as he asked, I knew I was going to say yes and start my new life. I also knew I would have to tell him about it. I made a decision. Tonight I would show him what I could do. It was only a fair.

  “My mom is going to strangle me when I drop out of law school,” I said.

  He froze. “Is that a yes?”

  “Yes,” I said. “But I need to tell you something about me.”

  “What? You can tell me anything.”

  “Not now, later,” I said.

  We entwined our fingers and continued up the trail. “By the way, what was Plan B?” I asked.

  “Oh. I was going to breach all my contracts and come live with you in San Antonio until you were done with law school. I figured I could settle most of the lawsuits.”

  “Plan A is definitely better for both of us,” I said. “What was Plan C?”

  “Plan C was plane tickets for every single weekend to wherever I was. I’d rather have long distance than nothing at all.”

  We stepped into the clearing where the law school party was definitely on. Barbeque pits and picnic tables with checkered tablecloths were set up along the edge of a crest overlooking the river. The banks were lined with small wooden cabins on stilts. In the large clearing behind the cabins, several families were setting up tents.

  “Nice,” Gavyn said.

  Bree was standing near the edge of the ridge. She was holding a beer in one hand and waving us over with the other.

  “Hey!” she said when were in shouting distance. “Come check this out.”

  We weaved our way through the small but growing crowd until we reached the edge. “Isn’t it pretty?” She gestured over the small cliff.

  We were about thirty feet or so above the river, a lazy current of blue and brown. Big, red jagged rocks lined the edge of the cliff. Some people were wading in the shallows below. Others floated by on inner tubes, beers in hand.

  “How do you get down there?” Gavyn asked. “This looks like a death pit.”

  Bree pointed to her right. “Wooden stairs over there, and over here,”—she gestured to her left—“the cliff rock thing gives way to a dirt incline. It’s lot easier to get down over there.”

  “Cool.” I stepped back from the edge, and pulled Bree and Gavyn several yards back with me. Bree was making me nervous. Combining alcohol and heights is never a good idea.

  In the few short minutes we had spent on the cliff, more cars were parked in the packed dirt, several more tents had appeared, and the crowd had swelled to at least one hundred people.

  I felt a tap against my hip. I looked down into the large brown eyes of a little girl. I guessed she was three or four. She was wearing jean shorts and a red shiny light jacket with a hood. She was holding out a wildflower in her chubby little hand. I took the flower and smiled, crouching down next to her. “Thank you very much.”

  She gave me a big toothy smile.

  “Sorry!” her mom called from lawn chair nearby. I recognized her from my torts class. I think her name was Hailey. “She’s very friendly.” She raised her voice. “Vanessa, come back over here. Leave those nice people alone.”

  The little girl moved closer to the cliff. Her vigilant mom got on her feet and walked toward her. “Vanessa, too close. Stay wi
th Mommy.”

  It must have happened in a matter of seconds, but it unraveled before me in slow motion. The muddy ground beneath the girl’s feet crumbled. The girl slid rapidly to the precipice. Her mom let out the most inhuman, bloodcurdling scream I have ever heard.

  Without a thought in my mind, I sprinted to the edge and dove, sliding toward her. I desperately reached for her red jacket as she slid faster on the slippery ground. We both tumbled over the edge.

  Chapter 8

  I caught her by the hood of her red jacket before we hit the churning water. I pulled her up to my hip and cradled her tightly against my body. She was crying, her eyes squeezed shut.

  And just like that, my life was pretty much over.

  “It’s okay. You’re safe.” I patted her back as I held her aloft. I was amazed and horrified at what had just happened. I had never tested the boundaries of it before so I had no idea I could move so fast in the air or hold anyone up. I couldn’t even feel her weight as we floated.

  I looked up. We were below a sharp, narrow outcropping, blocking us from view from the clearing we had fallen from. The waders and swimmers in the water were staring up at me in silence. Beers were forgotten, inner tubes abandoned and floating down the river.

  Vanessa’s brown eyes popped open. Her little head jerked around as she took in the scenery. Her expressive eyebrows furrowed in concentration when she realized we were not on solid ground.

  Like all young children do, she immediately accepted the reality presented to her. “You’re an angel,” she said.

  I smiled back at her, but my own tears betrayed me.

  Her mom’s frantic cries interrupted my reverie. She was screaming at the top of her lungs. I couldn’t make out any words, but I could hear the anguish in her voice. I heard the low tenor of a hysterical male voice. I couldn’t tell if it was Gavyn or the girl’s father.

  I floated up around the outcropping slowly, not wanting to push the boundaries of it while I had precious cargo in my arms.

  The mother was lying on the ground, screaming inexplicably. Gavyn and Bree must have sprinted to the stairs leading down to the river, but now they were paused at the top steps, staring at me.

  The mother’s sobbing cut off in her throat as soon as she saw me. Gavyn met my eyes as I flew over the cliff. He stood and staggered few steps back, clapping both of his hands over his mouth. Bree grabbed his arm to keep him from falling backwards down the stairs.

  Hundreds of other pairs of eyes were watching me. Somebody screamed, but then fell quiet. My fellow classmates were frozen in place, still and silent as statues.

  I landed a safe distance away from the edge of the cliff. I tore my eyes away from Gavyn as I bent down to place the girl on the ground.

  I turned my attention to Gavyn. He was shaking his head, like he had a fly buzzing around him. My heart collapsed. It was over. He saw what I was and he was afraid.

  Haley embraced me. “Thank you. You’re an angel. Thank you for saving my little girl.” She continued to babble, put I couldn’t make out the rest.

  I pulled away gently. I needed to go. Now. My mom had told me what I needed to if I ever got exposed.

  Run.

  I took one last look at Gavyn, drinking in every detail of his face. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  I turned on my heel and ran down the trail. I thought about flying now I knew I could do it fast, but the last thing I needed was to run into a group of hikers and have more witnesses. Thanks to the long hours in the gym, I was physically prepared to escape.

  My logical self took over and started churning out my options. I could make it back to the cabin in six or seven minutes if I pushed myself really hard. All I needed was my wallet. Anything else I have time to grab is extra. Then I would take Gavyn’s rental car to the airport. I would get a flight to anywhere I possibly could. My eventual destination was Kansas. My mom would know what to do. She was unlisted and had different last name than me. Surely no one would find me. I would just lay low for a while and then…

  Gavyn’s voice pierced through my planning. “Stop!” He was running after me. I pushed back the intense longing to stop and speak to him, just touch him one last time.

  “Aurora, please!” he yelled again. I risked another peek behind me. His long legs were churning, gaining momentum. He was going to catch up to me.

  He grabbed the edge of my shirt, which threw me off balance. We collided and fell, sliding down the trail before running into a tree. I was on my feet in an instant, ready to bolt again. He grabbed my sleeve. “Wait. We need to talk.”

  I yanked it away, fighting the urge to run into his arms.

  “What happened? Is that what you’ve been hiding from me? What was that?” The words bubbled out of his mouth. “I thought you were gone. Oh, my God, I thought you were dead, and then you just, just, floated back!” His voice was teetering on the hedge of hysteria. He collapsed forward, and put his hands on his knees to steady himself.

  He straightened and took another step toward me. “Wait, please.”

  I looked into his perfect eyes one last time. “It’s dangerous for me to be here now. I have to go. Please don’t tell anyone what you saw. I’m sorry.” I took a deep breath, not willing to do what I needed to do. “I love you.”

  He reached for me. I turned around and tried to push his face out of my mind.

  Then, I flew away.

  Chapter 9

  I flew just below the tree line, not wanting to make any more public appearances today. I moved much faster up here than on the bumpy trail below. I kept my ears alert, ready to land the second I heard a human voice.

  Pain ripped through my chest. Losing Gavyn was much worse than I could have imagined. Especially losing him like this.

  Tears clouded my vision, but I wiped them away. I could cry later. I needed all my attention focused on my objective. I needed to get out of here and go into hiding, fast.

  I made it back to the cabin in three minutes. I grabbed my wallet, keys, and cell phone and threw them in to the partially unpacked bag I had left on the rumbled bedcovers.

  Guilt added on to my general misery as Gavyn’s rental car roared to life. It was bad enough what I had put him through today without having to deal with a missing car.

  I sped down the winding road to the main roads. I finally made it to the interstate. I pushed the car up to eighty-five. I really let the tears come then.

  I made it to the airport in twenty minutes. I rushed to the counter of the first airline I saw. The next flight was leaving in thirty-five minutes, and was going to Colorado. I booked it and charged the ridiculous $1600.00 fee on my credit card. I buzzed through security pretty fast. By the time I got the gate, first class was already boarding. I only had a few minutes to make a not-so-fun call.

  “Mom? I’m on my way to Colorado, can you get me a flight to Wichita?”

  “What? What’s wrong?”

  I looked around to make sure nobody was close by. “I flew. In public, and I didn’t mean to do it, but I did.” I put my hand over my mouth to stop the sobs.

  “Okay, baby. Let’s calm down. Count to ten with me. One, two, three...”

  “Four, five, six,” I said in a shaky voice.

  “Keep going.”

  “Seven, eight, nine, ten.” By the time I got to ten, my voice had firmed up a bit.

  “Good.” Her voice was smooth. “I’m going to ask you some questions.”

  “Okay,” I said. “Hurry.” She paused as the attendant announced on loudspeaker the boarding of the first fourteen rows.

  “How many people saw?” she asked.

  “Hundreds, mostly law students.”

  “Like 100 or 200 or what?” she said.

  “Maybe 150.”

  “Okay. Were there any camera flashes or video recordings?”

  I thought back to the moment. I wasn’t paying attention, but I didn’t remember seeing any, and I told her so.

  “Good,” she said. “What happened?”
>
  “I saved a little girl who fell off a cliff.”

  She exhaled loud and slow into the phone. “Okay, let’s get you safe. Hang up the phone and text me your flight number. I’ll purchase you a flight home, and text you the details. I’ll have them leave your ticket at the gate. Okay?”

  “Okay,” I said.

  “Aurora?” she said.

  “Yes?”

  “I love you. Be careful and stay calm. I’ll take care of it from here.”

  I texted her the flight number and found my seat. I stared at my little phone. It vibrated over and over with calls from Bree and Gavyn. I didn’t answer. I finally shut it off and put it in the bottom of my purse when the flight attendant gave me the death stare.

  The flight wasn’t very long, but it felt like it would never end. I could feel every mile between me and Gavyn. I doubted I would ever come back. My chest hurt, each beat sending webs of pain through my body.

  I wanted to be unconscious with a dead, cold sleep where I didn’t feel anything.

  Instead, I slumped over my chair and studied the tops of my shoes. I was in a precarious situation. Would people come after me? Would I be on the news? Would the government try to take me to study me? Okay, maybe that was a little out there, but who knows?

  The flight from Colorado to Kansas was worse. By the time I taxied into Wichita, I had some time to process the events of the day, but I was isolated in the airplane so I had no idea what was going on outside the pressurized cabin.

  My mom was waiting outside the terminal, leaning against her car. She smiled and pulled me into a hug, but there was tightness around her eyes and the engine was running.

  “You don’t have any luggage, right?” she said.

  “No.”

  “Get in the car. We’ll swing by the house, but then we need to go.”

  I got in without another word. She climbed in next to me, took off the parking brake, and peeled out of the airport parking lot.

  “What is it?” I asked in a small voice.

  “It’s already on the internet. The San Antonio newspaper has it on their website.” She tossed me her smart phone.