Page 49 of Run Away With Me

‘Where are you from?’

‘Tacoma. I’m a student at the University of Puget Sound.’

‘Go UPS!’

Tipping my head to look at her, I laughed and raised an almost enthusiastic fist-pump. ‘Woo-hoo!’

‘What are you studying?’

‘English Lit and Spanish.’

We were keeping much of the story as close to the truth as we dared, and since I was taking AP English Lit and Spanish, it made lying easier.

‘Where are you going?’

‘To St. Louis, with my cousin, for a funeral,’ I replied quickly. ‘Grandpa Jim.’

‘Hell of a long journey.’

‘I’m scared of flying.’

‘Why here? Why this hotel?’

‘Needed to stop for the night. Not allowed to stay in motels – it’s not safe.’

‘Who’s paying?’

‘My dad,’ I said with a cynical smile. I was sure he hadn’t paid for anything for me in years.

She nodded. ‘You’re getting there.’

While she was grilling me, Brooke had been getting ready. Her hair was pulled back in two long, thick braids and pinned into an updo that looked elegant but still practical. She’d put on a lot more makeup than I’d ever seen her wear before, her eyes dark and smoky behind long lashes. It made her look older, more sophisticated, and less like the Brooke who had checked in at the front desk earlier. I didn’t know eye makeup could be such a good disguise.

She’d changed, too, into our familiar St. Catherine’s uniform. I’d found the silky blue neck scarf the hotel staff wore when I’d gone to use the guest laundry room – a bunch of them had been left in a bag on the counter.Slipping one into my pocket had been easy. My first theft of the night.

Brooke tied it with a flourish and adjusted it so the knot sat on the side of her neck.

She caught my eye in the mirror and saw me chewing my bottom lip. Stealing the neck scarf had been one thing. I still wasn’t convinced about what was coming next, though, and she could clearly sense my hesitation.

‘Stop worrying,’ she said, and turned around to face me. ‘Look, if it doesn’t work out, just come back up here and hang out until I’m done.’

‘Chicken out, you mean,’ I said hotly.

‘It’s not chickening out, it’s being sensible. If you don’t think you can make a clean lift, then don’t bother. It’s better to back out than to be caught.’

‘Okay,’ I said softly.

‘I’m serious, Jessie. Don’t get fucking caught.’

I nodded, determined not to let her down, and rolled off the bed. I instinctively tugged at the hem of the T-shirt to make it cover my belly. Which it didn’t.

Brooke had already styled my hair for me, pulling it back on the side with clips. She’d bought me a copy ofPride and Prejudice, multicolored pens and a pair of oversize tortoiseshell glasses with plain glass in them, since my eyesight was fine. I was allowed to wear my own jeans, thank God.

She’d only made a few tweaks to my appearance, but I was pretty sure my own mother would double-take before she recognized me. That was one small reassurance. Ididn’t look like me – the old me – so maybe I could step into a new persona and be Jenna for the night. Jenna wasn’t Jessie, after all. Jenna was cool and confident and smart.

‘I’m going down now,’ Brooke said, wriggling in the tight skirt so it sat right on her hips. ‘I can’t wait around anymore.’

‘Break a leg,’ I said, too scared to smile.

---