Rush: Chapter 14

I cautiously looked around and ran into a nearby restaurant heading straight for the bathroom. No one else was inside, and I let the tears fall freely.1

I couldn't believe it. Lance had betrayed me. I felt so stupid, so naive. So used. Just when I thought I finally had a friend I could rely on, he tries to kill me.2

I mean, I trusted him. Like, really trusted him. With my life. And then he just threw that away. I didn't know if that had been his plan the whole time or not, but when I remembered the way we met, I was pretty sure it was.3

"I should have seen this coming," I thought to myself. "Lance's offer to help me was just too good to be true." I thought about Arthur. Was he in on it? I doubted it. I had never been attacked before when I was around Arthur, but I wasn't ready to discount anything just yet.4

"Face it, Scarlett," I said quietly, looking at myself in the mirror. "You got played." My eyes were red and bloodshot, and my chest heaved as tears ran openly down my face.5

I wasn't about to let it happen again, though. But to do that, I would have to do something very hard. I needed to separate from Lance.6

I thought about the best way to do this as I dried my tears and worked up the courage to leave the bathroom. The safest way would be to kill Lance, but I don't think I had it in me to do that. I think I would just have to leave. Take my stuff, get out of the hotel, and tell him to leave me alone, or else.7

The 'or else' part scared me. What if he continued to follow me? Would I be able to kill him if I needed to? It hurt to think about this, so I just told myself that I'd know if the time came.8

When I left the restaurant, I knew I had to be careful. I kept my eyes on the rooftops, searching for the sniper, but I was also looking out for the Asian woman. It was still nighttime, so it was hard to see, but that didn't stop me from trying.9

I walked down the sidewalk back to the hotel. My stuff was still in my room, and if I was going to leave, I would need to check out and take it with me.10

I decided to check out before I confronted Lance. I was really just stalling; building up the courage I would need to do this.11

When I got back to the room, Lance was waiting on his bed for me. He stood up, saying, "Scarlett, thank God you're alive. I thought they got you."12

"I gave them the slip," I said without looking at him.13

Lance picked up on my message. "What's wrong?" he asked.14

I picked up my bag and took a deep breath. Then I turned around and told him firmly, "I'm going, Lance."15

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," he said, and I was surprised. "The hotel isn't exactly safe anymore. Where are we going?"16

"No, Lance. I'm going. Not you."17

A confused expression flashed across his face. "What do you mean?"18

"Lance, I know that you were signaling that woman and the sniper by standing outside. I figured your plan out."19

"What!? Are you crazy? I would never do something like that," he started shouting.20

Tears started to sting my eyes again as I quietly said, "Even so, I can't take that chance. I need to save my father, and at least you've taught me that I can't trust anyone."21

"Wait, wait," Lance spluttered. "W-Wouldn't I have killed you by now if I was going to?"22

"I get it. The NLA just hired you. I don't blame you, Lance, but I just need to go."23

I turned toward the door and opened it, but before I could exit, Lance said, "What about what you asked me the other day? I said that if I was in the NLA, I would tell you. I meant that."24

"Yeah, you were right. It was the dumbest thing anyone has ever said." Tears began to fall down my face and my voice quivered uncontrollably as I said, "And what's worse is that I was stupid enough to trust you."25

With that, I left the room and walked down into the lobby. Lance didn't move, and I was hoping that he would come down to the lobby, calling after me, and offer some evidence that I hadn't considered, something that would prove his innocence, but I had no such luck.26

I walked out into the cold night, alone. It was an empty feeling, and it was all I could do to prevent myself from crying my eyes out. Right now, I needed to get away from Lance.27

I struck out, not knowing exactly where I was going to stay for the night, but I supposed anything was better than the hotel. I thought about another hotel, but I didn't have time to find another one. I just roamed the city, straying farther and farther form Michigan Avenue.28

Eventually, I came upon a back alley not unlike the one Lance and I had stayed in the first night I met him. I unpacked my sleeping needs from my bag and laid down near a wall, sheltered by almost nothing. I didn't have anything to make a fire with, and the night was very cold.29

I tried to sleep, but I couldn't keep myself from crying. I told myself that I had done the right thing. I knew Lance had betrayed me, it didn't make the thought of never seeing him again any less painful.30

Ever since my father was kidnapped, he was my only friend. Lance was the only one who had kept my spirits high and my head screwed on straight. He had kept me alive, and that only amplified the loneliness and sorrow that wracked my cold body.31

Eventually, I cried myself to sleep, the whole time wishing someone would put their arm around me and tell me that I would be alright. But deep down, I knew how truly and utterly alone I was without Lance.