Parchment & Pearls

17. I'm Not Running...I'm Giving Him A Taste Of His Own Medicine

Chapter 17

I’m Not Running…I’m Giving Him A Taste Of His Own Medicine 

 

 

“You’re what?” Emmy exclaimed.  “You can’t!”

“I’m not going home for the entire summer,” I told her and John as they stared at me in the office.  “Just for a few days.”

“Why?” John asked, leaning forward against his desk from his chair.  “Does this have to do with what happened between you and Drake last night?”

I sighed, rolling my eyes.  “Can’t you not tell him everything?” I asked Emmy.  “Geez, it’s like you two share a brain.”

John shook his head.  “She didn’t tell me.  Drake did.”

This time, I groaned, my head dropping to his desk.  “Great.  Just great.  Do you think I’m an idiot now, too?”

He laughed, reaching forward to tug on my hand.  “No, I don’t think you’re an idiot, Hattie.  Well, you sort of are, but I get it.  You’re watching your back after what happened before.  I know from experience, though your situation is totally different.  But doing this will only hurt you both.”

I gave him and Emmy a look.  “You two really do share a brain.”

“Why do you have to go home, Hattie?”  Emmy asked.

“I need to tie up some loose ends before I leave for two and a half months,” I shrugged.  “And talk to Beau.  Every time we’ve talked in the past week, it ends up turning into a fight.”

“And you know the truth will more than likely come out,” she said.  “That you’ve been with Drake these past few days.”

I nodded, looking down at my lap.  “Yeah, I know…which is why I’m going to tell him that I think we need to take a break for the summer.  Whatever happens after that…well, I’ll deal with that when it’s time.  For now, I just want to focus on the book and the map.

“You know that’s going to take more than just the summer,” John pointed out.

Emmy continued.  “And do you really mean you want to just take a break for the summer…or do you want to break up with him?”

Again, I shrugged, shaking my head.  “Right now, I really don’t know.  After everything…I’m just tired of everything getting so complicated.  And don’t you go telling me that I’m the one making it complicated.  I know I am.  But that’s just what Drake does to my life.  He complicates things.”

Which only makes the adventure more fun and frustrating at the same time. 

“But, Hattie…” Emmy started. 

“No buts.  I just need a few days.  Let me take the jet in a little while and I’ll be back by the weekend.”

***

Okay, so maybe I should have said goodbye to Drake.  But in my defense, when I was about to leave, he, Cruz, and John were down in the archive room, pouring over the map.  And, on top of that, I was catching a ride back to London with Elena, Nathan, and the kids.  They were ready to leave by the time I was finished packing, putting Lorraine’s second journal in the front pocket of my backpack. 

I knew Emmy thought I should have waited.  I could tell that much from the look she gave me.  I wanted to tie things up back home without my goodbye to Drake hanging over my head.