Faking Perfection

25|Too Much

２５|Ｔｏｏ Ｍｕｃｈ

ＩＺＺＹ

Huddled in Zane's guest bedroom closet, I find breathing impossible.

Loud footsteps are clambering up the stairs from the police with only a matter of seconds until they find us, so doing the only thing I can think of, I pull out my phone to text my brother for help.

Me: Everett, I'm in trouble. Big trouble. Please don't tell Mom and Dad, but can you pick me up at Zane's?

Everett: Trouble??? What kind of trouble??? I don't have a car.

Me: I don't have time to tell you, but PLEASE pick me up. Hurry.

Stuffing my phone into the back pocket of my jeans, I watch through the slits in the door as Zane barely has the time to shove that suitcase underneath a floorboard before the police barge into the room, and there's not just one or two of them. Several policemen all have their guns drawn, pointed directly at Zane. "ON YOUR KNEES! NOW!"

I jump back from the slits, not even realizing I'm crying until I feel the drops tremble down my lips. My entire body is shaking as I sink to the closet floor, tugging my knees up to my chest, and all I can think about is how badly I wish I had stayed home.

Why did I think I had to mend things before moving on? Why did I think I needed to do one last good deed? Now I'm in an extremely dangerous situation—one I highly doubt I'll be able to escape.

I can kiss my future goodbye. Any plans for college, any plans with Mason...

If that suitcase is filled with drugs like I'm assuming it is and I'm caught in the same room with them, I'll get sent to jail, right? I'll be thrown away to do time before my life has even really begun.

This isn't who I am. Before, I thought I was this badass daredevil who could handle anything, but it was all an act. I'm not that girl. I don't want to be that girl. Right now, I only want to run into Mason's arms and never leave them again. I want to tell him I love him and get over every fucking fear I ever had about being tied down, but now I may never get the chance to.

What the fuck did I get myself into?

It's not long before I hear the barking of a dog, and it's only another five minutes more until the barking comes into the room, nails scratching on the hardwood floor.

There's a lot of noise as I hear that floorboard come up, and then there's silence. A whole lot of silence.

"Zane Morelos, you are hereby under arrest. You have the right to remain—" The policeman pauses when a ringtone starts to go off. 

My ringtone.

FUCK.

I scramble to shut it off, but the closet door is thrown open, and I'm huddled in the corner with tears streaming down my cheeks shaking like a leaf as I'm hauled up from the floor and dropped down onto my knees next to Zane. I don't want to do anything that will get me shot or beaten or whatever the hell they do to criminals, so I'm choking back my sobs as I hold my hands above my head.

The handcuffs go on, and holy shit, this is really happening.

My ears are ringing, and my vision isn't focusing correctly. I'm going to die right here on this hardwood floor of a full-blown panic attack.

"The drugs aren't hers," Zane says. "They're my family's."

I turn my head to look at him, furrowing my eyebrows together. He should have stayed silent. He shouldn't be saying anything without a lawyer present, but he's doing this...for me, I think, which doesn't make any sense.