All the Little Lies (English Prep 1)

“Okay, but—” I heard Hayley’s scream, along with Piper’s.

“Drive faster!” Ollie yelled, and I ground my jaw. I felt like I was going to puke.

“Hayley?” I yelled, my fists aching from my grip on the steering wheel.

Ollie snatched my phone off my lap. “Hayley!”

The only thing we could hear were random bits and pieces of Hayley’s voice. It was static. She was losing service, or I was. It didn’t matter. I couldn’t hear a damn thing.

“I swear to God,” I gritted through my teeth. “This shit has to stop. I can’t take it. The minute I let her out of my sight, something fucking happens.”

Ollie tried dialing Piper’s number again, but it wouldn’t pick up, so I kept driving.

My foot ached to go faster, but I was going as fast as I could. We were nearing the end of Route 55, and I didn’t see any taillights in the distance.

Where the fuck are they?

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Hayley

My hands smacked the dashboard when Piper and I came to a sudden stop, but I popped back up almost immediately, the phone still clutched in my hand.

“Get out and run to that gas station. Now!” I shouted at Piper as we both whipped our seatbelts off. We were able to get a little ahead of the car following us, but not by much. We both tumbled out of her car and dashed for the lone gas station. Our feet slapped against the concrete as we heard screeching tires behind us. Piper grabbed onto my hand when we got to the glass door. The bell jingled above our heads, and the gas station clerk looked startled. He looked up from his phone with furrowed brows. I pulled Piper over to the counter, panting. I didn’t want to look behind me, afraid of who I’d find, but I did anyway. My heart dropped to the ground as I let out a gasp. I saw Eric jump out of his Range Rover. He looked at our car, met my eye through the glass door, and then turned around, waiting for the other car.

“Uh, can I help you girls?” the clerk asked as Piper and I stood back along the counter, still holding hands.

I squeezed her hand as I shut my eyes tightly. My body was shaking with adrenaline. My pulse was still racing under my skin. I’d been through some scary shit before, and I’d found myself in several compromising situations over the last few years, but nothing had ever been like this. The speeding, the bumper hitting, the panic in Christian’s voice, the uncertainty of what to do. It was all too much.

The bell chimed, and I popped my eyes open and met Eric’s icy eyes. “Are you guys okay?”

Piper dropped my hand and crouched down to rest her head among her jean-clad knees. Her head moved back and forth, her red hair swishing. She took several deep, loud breaths. I stood rigid straight. My hands were still shaking. My legs were tingling with fear.

The gas station clerk sounded from behind me. “Yeah, I’m kind of wondering the same thing. Are you girls okay?”

I couldn’t find my voice to answer either of them. Instead, I put my hands on top of my head and shut my eyes. Breathe in and out, Hayley. I

had to catch my breath. I needed to calm myself down. Fear was still slithering up my back like a snake. Why is this happening? I wanted to curse my father in his grave. I knew who was chasing us. Just like, deep down, I knew who attacked me at the football game.

I’m almost eighteen. They said they’d come for me when I was eighteen. The threat made years ago was coming to the surface, and I felt as if nothing in the last five years had prepared me for it.

“Christian’s here.”

My eyes flew open, and I instantly searched through the glass to find him. The Charger came to a sudden halt right beside Eric’s Range Rover, and he was out of the driver’s seat within half a second.

I held my breath until I got to him. I ran past Eric and took off through the door, hearing the little jingle above my head. I ran until I felt his arms circle around me. I buried my head into his chest, taking small gasps of air, breathing in his woodsy scent.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m here. I’m sorry I didn’t get here faster.” I could feel his heart drumming through his chest, thrashing just as hard as mine. My eyes started to well up, but I squeezed his waist harder. Christian pulled me away just a fraction and wrapped his hands around my face. The loose strands of hair from my braids fell on top of his knuckles as he caged my cheeks in. “I don’t fucking like this, Hayley. I don’t like this feeling.”

“What feeling?” I breathed out, still holding on tight. My chest was still heaving; my body was still trembling.

“This fucking feeling of my heart being torn in half at the thought of something happening to you.” He brought his head down, resting his forehead on mine. “I fucking love you, Hayley. And I know that probably makes you recoil because you’re not used to being loved and cared for, but I do. I fucking love you, and we’re going to figure this out. Whatever it takes. I’m not letting someone take you away from me. I’ve already lost you once. I’m not doing it again.”

Tears fell down my face as Christian continued to ramble. His jaw was sharper than ever; his tone was like a knife being sharpened. He listed everything he was going to do in order to fix my father’s mistakes so I would be safe.

He loved me. Christian loved me. And I loved him. There was no other way around it.

That was what made the threat that much scarier. Now I had something to lose. I had someone to lose.