If you're loved by someone, you're never rejected, decide what to be and GO BE IT
-The Avett brothers
Recommend Reading Introduction to Unproven
DEFINITELY READ Prologue
Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three
Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six
Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty One
Chapter Twenty Two Chapter Twenty Three Chapter Twenty Four
Chapter Twenty Five Chapter Twenty Six Chapter Twenty Seven
Chapter Twenty Eight Chapter Twenty Nine Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty One Chapter Thirty Two Chapter Thirty Three
Chapter Thirty Four Chapter Thirty Five Chapter Thirty Six
Chapter Thirty Seven Chapter Thirty EightChapter Thirty Nine
Chapter Forty Chapter Forty One Chapter Forty Two
Chapter Forty Three Chapter Forty Four Chapter Forty Five
Chapter Forty Six Chapter Forty Seven Chapter Forty Eight
Chapter Forty Nine Chapter Fifty Chapter Fifty One
Chapter Fifty Two Chapter Fifty Three Chapter Fifty Four
Chapter Fifty Five Chapter Fifty Six Chapter Fifty Seven
Chapter Fifty Eight Chapter Fifty Nine Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty One Chapter Sixty Two Chapter Sixty Three
Chapter Sixty Four Chapter Sixty Five Chapter Sixty Six
Chapter Sixty Seven Chapter Sixty Eight Chapter Sixty Nine
Chapter Seventy Chapter Seventy Chapter Seventy Two
Chapter Seventy Three Chapter Seventy Four Chapter Seventy Five
Chapter Seventy SixChapter Seventy Seven Chapter Seventy Eight
Chapter Seventy Nine Chapter Eighty Chapter Eighty One
Chapter Eighty Two Chapter Eighty Three Chapter Eighty Four
Chapter Eighty Five Chapter Eighty Six Chapter Eighty Seven
Chapter Eighty Eight Chapter Eighty Nine Chapter Ninety
Chapter Ninety One Chapter Ninety Two Chapter Ninety Three
Chapter Ninety Four Chapter Ninety Five Chapter Ninety Six
Chapter Ninety Seven Chapter Ninety Eight
Chapter Ninety Nine
Grayson paid the cabbie then hurried to the car, his brows furrowing when he saw that it was just Aryanne.
She got out. "We're taking the car, as far as we think is safe, then giving it to someone. The title's in the glove box."
He nodded slowly, his eyes traveling over her body as if he were looking for injuries.
"I'm okay," she said, "I'll be better when we're out of California."
He closed the gap and cupped her face. "You're okay?"
She nodded, but the searching way he was looking at her made tears spring to her eyes. "He tried to kill me," she whispered, half in disbelief.
The look that came into his eyes was terrifying, and his hands firmed on her cheeks. "Had he accomplished it, my whole goal in this life would have been to take him out. I would have patiently set up the circumstances, and as he took his last few breaths I would have made sure he knew that his entire life's work was for nothing. That the moment he was gone I was going to sell off Teller Enterprises piece by piece, and that I would never have a child, that our line would die with me. It is a terrible irony that the one he attempted to murder is the one who is saving him right now." He pulled her into his arms for a moment, hugging her hard, "It's time to go."
She nodded and he strode to the driver's side, tossing his bag in the back seat as they climbed in.
"Our ultimate destination is South Carolina," she told him.
He nodded as he pulled onto the road. "We'll pick up a map at a gas station, determine the best place to ditch off the car."
They drove in silence for a while, and the atmosphere in the car was desolate. All the excitement they'd recently felt about this trip was completely absent, replaced by anger and pain and a bit of desperation. Ary thought about her grandma and that only added to the oppressive feeling.
A part of her had been in denial up to this point, she realized, thinking maybe the fire was an accident, and they were jumping to conclusions. But Grayson didn't seem to be harboring doubts, and that drove it home. Grayson's father had tried to kill her. They were on the run. She felt like a weight was pressing down on them, and she needed to do something to throw it off before they were crushed beneath it.
Music, she thought, but instead of reaching for the radio she grabbed her purse. She rifled through it for the CD she'd recently bought at a sidewalk fair, because there was a song on it that fit their situation and would hopefully serve to lift them out of this funk. She slid it in and turned the volume as loud as it would go. She began singing with it, quietly at first but by the seventh line her voice had risen to match it.
There's a darkness upon me that's flooded in light
And the fine print that tells me what's wrong or what's right
And it comes in black and it comes in white
And I'm frightened by those who don't see it;
When nothing is owed, deserved, or expected
And your life doesn't change by the man that's elected
If you're loved by someone you're never rejected
Decide what to be and GO BE IT;
There was a dream
And one day I could see it
Like a bird in a cage I broke in and demanded that somebody free it
And there was a kid
With a head full of doubt
So I'll scream 'till I die or the last of those bad thoughts are finally out
"Who is this?" Grayson asked during an instrumental break.
"Two beautiful men called The Avett Brothers," she told him with a smile.
His lip quirked and she could feel the mood begin to lift.
They filled the tank and purchased a map along with drinks and bags of snacks to keep them going for a while, then spent a little time mapping out a route that would keep them off most major highways. Grayson was concerned his father could learn he was missing as early as seven that morning so they needed to be over the border into Arizona before then.
They decided they would ditch the car somewhere near Albuquerque, New Mexico at around six that night, then find a seedy hotel that didn't require identification where they would call the nearest bus station and make sure to be on it as early as possible Thursday morning.
A little more than halfway through the trip Ary offered to take over at the wheel but Grayson declined, insisting that his adrenaline was pumping so hard he would be good until they got to the motel.
They made a point to talk about the festivals, and though they felt considerably better than they had when they’d started out, Ary was continually fighting a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Mostly because of her grandma, who was losing her home and her granddaughter in one fell swoop. She knew Dori would make good on her promise, but also knew it wasn't enough. And, since they were disappearing before the end of the school year it wasn't as though others wouldn't worry about them, namely Andie and Sonya.
Andie and Sonya. She couldn't even think about them right now. She sighed and laid her head against the window.
Things would be better once they reached their destination. She turned her head to look at Grayson whose eyes were glued to the road, recalling the words she'd said the day they'd started making plans; about being willing to risk her life for a chance at the future he'd described. Well the universe was sure putting that to the test. She reached across the seat and put her hand on his leg.
He glanced at her. "You okay?" He asked.
She smiled. "Yeah, just thinking about what I'm willing to give to be with you."
He lifted a brow, "Which would be?"
She breathed out a laugh, "Everything."
His mouth curved into a smile, "Ditto baby." He dropped his hand over hers and squeezed it. "Everything for all my life."
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