Zeus (The God Chronicles #1)

Chapter Twenty

I drove out of town, my need to escape pulling me down the highway at breakneck speeds. Going back to Vegas stung like a slap in the face, so I went the opposite direction, taking the exit for Sacramento. San Francisco called out for me like a siren, the once place that had always felt right for me.

After several hours on the road, my cheeks were tight with dried, salty tears that fell intermittently. The drive was a lot longer than going back to Vegas would have been but, thankfully, I had extra money on me. I'd planned on going shopping, like everyone else in the country would be on Black Friday, but not anymore.

Each piece of Zeus's confession seemed to stab at me, drawing blood with each jab. I thought the girls were my friends. It was true I hadn't spent much time with them once Zeus and I started dating, but it had still felt like we were close. When I'd seen Jessie in the doorway, I'd worried something bad had happened. Now I knew the truth—she was merely out to get me. I wished I'd screamed at her too. Nobody should have to feel the way I did.

Zeus had broken my heart. I could get over the stupid joke if he hadn't told me that they'd planned it from the beginning. Now I didn't know the difference between the lies and reality. Did he even have a friend in trouble? It was embarrassing to realize I hadn't caught on. I could've saved myself so much heartache if I'd stuck to my guns and refused to go out with him. I could only imagine the jokes I would have suffered through if I had slept with him.

Cities and towns rolled by as I continued to drive, letting the warm morning rays dry my face. Each mile I put behind me was a lie I'd been told—left in the past where it could gather cobwebs.

I arrived in San Francisco in the early afternoon. Each turn took me further away from the pain and closer to what I'd wanted to begin with—the art institute. When I'd been in high school, I'd memorized every mile of the long trip to the school, dreaming of the day I would finally attend and all of my dreams would come true.

As I analyzed my situation, I realized it probably wouldn't look very good if I dropped out of school now. The semester was almost over, and I could probably persuade my teachers to let me turn things in online, so I could stay here. I wouldn't be able to go to the art show, but that was fine. If I could go to school here, none of that would matter anyway, right?

I pulled into the empty lot and gazed in wonder at what I'd hoped would be my alma mater. I wasn't accepted before, that was true, but I would beg them to reconsider—paint a portrait of the dean, offer to teach disadvantaged youth in the area about art, anything that would persuade them to let me in. I'd tried other routes and been screwed over. This was the only thing I'd ever really wanted. I had to have it—why couldn't they see that?

I was so tired. I wanted to finally feel like I'd won at something, instead of settling for something else. After sitting there for an hour, I drove away and headed to the beach.

There were no more tears left for me to cry, only determination. I knew I should call home, but Zeus might still be there. Mom would understand eventually, but for now she needed to stay in the dark.

The road ended at the ocean, a pier jutting out over the water with only a couple people in sight—either everyone was out shopping incredible deals, or they were all still in a food coma.

I parked and got out to stretch, feeling like it was safe to leave the comfort of the car at last. There was a slight breeze, which made my sleepy ponytail flutter around my face, and it was nice there wasn't anyone to see my "just out of bed" appearance—neon green and yellow pajamas and all.

The smell of salt and the sound of the waves calmed me further as I walked down the beach. I flopped down into the sand when I reached the water's edge, removing my shoes and rolling up my pants so the liquid could wash over my skin.