Page 170 of Pretty Poisoned

"No," Declan says. "I mean that Luca and I are going to have to disappear until this all gets straightened out, and the rest of you have a choice: you can get off the bus in the next small town, or you can go on a little hike with us through the Rockies and then we're going to get on a plane. None of you have to do anythingyou don't want to. You're all free to go. No one will come after you; no one will stop you."

"I already told you I'm going with you," Rhett says. "Brady—what about you?"

"I—" he starts. "Where are we going?"

"We won't know until we get there," Declan tells him. "It's better that way."

"Well…I'm going wherever Rhett goes," Brady says.

"I want to go, too," I tell them.

"What about you two?" Declan asks.

Hazel looks at River, then back to Declan. "It's not forever, right?"

"I don't think so," he says. "But it could be weeks. You could stay, live a quiet life. I could set you up with new identities once we get out of here. I wish I could give you more time to make your decision, but we have about twenty minutes until we're getting the fuck off this bus. Iwantus to stay together, but I need you to be happy. You know how I feel about you, Haze."

"Riv?" she asks.

"Well…this is our family. I waited my whole life to have a family. I want to stay together, too," River says.

"Pack a small bag," Declan says. "Something you can carry on your back in the dark for a few miles.No phones.No electronics. You'll need shoes you can walk in for a while, too. Riv, do you even have shoes like that?"

Mouth gaping, she looks from him to Hazel. "I…packed for parties and concerts. I didn't plan on going hiking. I guess I'll have to wear these," she says, gesturing to her Gucci slides.

"I have sneakers she can wear," I say. "They might be a little big."

"And I can carry her if I have to," Rhett says.

"Okay, we're wasting time," Declan says. "Get ready."

"Well, what do we bring?" I ask.

"Only what you need," he says. "A couple changes of clothes—warm clothes. Water bottles. Leave the books, Teag. They'll be too heavy. And try to eat something before we get off the bus."

Around me, the others are already scrambling to get their things. The scene reactivates the panic I felt when I woke up and realized we weren't where we were supposed to be.

And what the fuck could be happening that has Declan ready to run? He at least appears confident in his resolve. I try to hold on to that.

"Come here, Teagan," Declan says.

I sigh and sink into his arms, wrapping mine around his back as tightly as I can. I grab fistfuls of his sweatshirt, and he does the same with the dark curly hair running down my back.

"You cling to me now, don't you?" he asks.

Yes.

"Please don't leave me," I whisper, giving life to my deepest fear. "I don't want to be alone again."

"I'll never leave you," he tells me. "I told you—you'll never have to be alone again, Teagan. I promise."

"I love you so much."

"I love you, too," he says. "Go pack a bag, kitten."

He kisses the top of my head before releasing me, and I walk to that cabin, physically aware of the loss of him. Even though he's standing in the next room, it's too far away when I need him.

Declan used to terrify me. After what happened, when I'm afraid, he's the one I trust to keep me safe. Luca is a wild card, and I fucking love every second of it. He'll laugh when you point a gun in his face, and he'll handcuff you to the bed so you can't leave, and Ineedthat. He's somehow simultaneously self-destruction and a comfort blanket. There's a part of me that's pure unmitigated chaos—a part that's always known I was crazy but learned to be quiet.

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