The Run ©2014 Sydney Wray

Chapter 45

"Please leave your message for-"I groaned in utter frustration, as I forcefully hung up my phone, cutting off the robotic voice. Why wasn't he answering? After nine times of continuously redialing Nathaniel, I had almost given up after the tenth.

But then I thought of Lavender. Quickly, I pressed a number on my speed dial and waited impatiently for Lavender's bubbly voice.

"Hello?" She finally answered.

I sat up immediately from my laid position on my bed. "Lavender? Is Nathaniel there?"

"Well hello to you too." She grumbled.

"Sorry." I said hurriedly. "Can I please talk to Nate? Is he there?"

The line paused for a moment, than I heard Lavender's uncertain voice. "He's not here right now-he just went for a run."

I paused, closing my eyes. My heart was racing, as I tried to understand what was currently happening. I couldn't believe Nathaniel had ended things with me.

"Lindsey? Are you okay?" Her voice cut my thoughts.

I bit my lip. "I'm coming to your house."

"What?"

"I'll be there in a few hours." I said, and hung up without her answer.

~~~~~~~~

Stealing Lucy's credit card wasn't difficult to steal, but as I pulled up to the airport in a Taxi, the rising guilt was almost suffocating. Lucy and David thought I was currently trail riding, and I wondered how long it would take them to realize I was on a plane headed to New York. I was confused, for the most part. I wasn't about to give up Nathaniel for a ridiculous decision he made out of guilt for me, and overhearing my adoptive mother's words.

Once I got through the security lines, I reached my gate within record time and boarded within twenty minutes.

I sat down with my backpack at the window seat, and sighed as the seats filled in around me. Within the same amount of boarding time, the flight attendants voice filled the cabin, "Good afternoon, passengers. Thank you for flying with JetBlue, and we hope you enjoy your flight today. The accurate time from Chicago, to JFK New York City is two hours and fifteen minutes. Please sit back, and we hope you enjoy your flight with us today."

~~~~~~~~

Watching the tall buildings whiz by was comforting, as I sat in the back seat of the Taxi. It's been around three hours since I've been in Chicago, and I've received no calls from Lucy or David.

The Taxi driver pulled into Lavender's apartment area, after punching in the code I called out.

"What's a young girl like you, doing alone in the city?" He suddenly asked questioningly, eyeing me as I got out of the back seat.

"I'm a foster kid," I explained, biting my lip, "I don't have anyone that's missing me."

He frowned, but accepted my outstretched hand of cash. The driver pulled the car into drive, but leaned over to the window. "Look kid, I don't know your story. But there's gotta' be someone out there who misses you."

Somehow, I thought of Nathaniel, and sadness hit me. Maybe he didn't want me after all. "I don't know." I finally answered truthfully, and he pulled out with a shrug.

I walked up to Lavender's door on the third floor, and knocked. I heard approaching footsteps from inside, and the door swung up, revealing Lavender.

"You have some explaining to do." She crossed her arms.

"Missed you too." I said with a grim look.

I went to step in, but she blocked my path. "Oh come on, Lavender."

"You're not stepping into my house until you tell me what's going on. I don't want to harboring a known fugitive." She said.

I let out a laugh. "Trust me, I don't have a criminal record. Except for the spray painting incident..."

I went to step in once more, but she stepped in my way.

"Lavender!" I said, smiling.

But she wasn't. Only a serious look replaced a smile I thought would exist. "What's going on."

It didn't come out like a question, but a concerned statement.

I groaned, and held up my hands in surrender as I looked to the right nonchalantly. "Nathaniel broke up with me, okay? And it was for the most blandest reason, and I'm not going to let him go like that."

It was quite, so I finally met eyes with Lavender. She stepped to the side of the door, meaning I could enter.

Once inside, I dropped my bag and looked around. "Is Nathaniel here?"

Lavender stepped slowly into the room, a frown on her face.

"What?" I questioned.

She didn't answer.

"What, Lavender?" I asked again.

Lavender sighed, wincing, "He left."

"Left?" I repeated, the words feeling like sandpaper in my mouth. "What do you mean, left? Did he go to the store or something?"

"I mean, he moved out and I don't know where he is." She explained gently, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

I shook my head, not understanding. "But you said this morning he went for a run."

"I lied." She said guiltily.

"I don't-" I started, but she held up a hand.

"He didn't tell me where he was going, or why-he just said he needed to figure some things out. He told me not to tell you, and that he would call you and explain immediately after."

I checked my phone, and gazed over the sentence, 'no missed calls.'

"He hasn't called me since you guys left-which would be around three days." I said.

Lavender just shrugged. "I didn't know he broke up with you. I'm sorry, Linds."

I leaned on the counter. "And he hasn't called you?"

A look passed her face.

"He called you.." I said lowly.

"Only to assure me he was okay, and somewhere where he'll be in a good state of mind. Whatever that means..I'll call him now, if you want."

I nodded, numb. She grabbed her phone from the charging dock, and scrolled through her contacts. When the phone started to ring on speaker phone, she handed it to me.

Nathaniel answered the phone after the fifth ring with a husky, tired voice, "Hey, Lavender."

"Nathaniel?" I asked, placing the phone on the counter and leaning over it.

There was a long pause, than his line went dead.