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As soon as the lesson is over and it's time for lunch, I make a mad dash to the door and run out of the school. I can't stay in there. I need to go somewhere to think, so why don't I give myself the rest of the day off? I deserve it.

I slip into the front seat of my car and phone the school, lying about a stomach ache and telling the secretary that I'll be staying home for the rest of the day. Thank god they don't care enough to ask my parents about it...

The orphanage signed me into Glen Wood High, and they've never questioned anything about me since. No parent-teacher conferences....No nothing.

I have to make sure I never get in trouble, or that's a phone call home. A phone call that could potentially ruin my life. It's already senior year for me...Just four more months of coasting and I'm free.

But that could all come crashing down if Paige lets one-word slip, and that's something I can't afford. If I know what's good for me, I'll have to do exactly what she says.

I sigh to myself and rapidly blink my eyes. I feel like crying...I want to cry because it will give me a sense of release and snap me back into reality. But I can't bring myself to do it.

Instead, I raise a shaking hand to turn on the ignition and then rub it back and forth on the steering wheel. A sharp tap on the window makes me jump in my seat, and I turn to see Jack standing outside with a scowl etched on his face.

I purse my lips and close my eyes for a second. No...I can't do this now...

When I open them, he's still there, his arms crossed, waiting for an explanation.

I lower the window by half an inch so we can speak, but not all the way down. He slides his fingers in between the gap and pulls himself closer towards me.

"Listen, I'm sorry about the note and what people are saying. But I don't think it warrants you running out of school in the middle of the day."

I let out a breath. "No, that's not it."

He raises an eyebrow and rocks back on his feet. "Um...Okay? Then what's this about? Where are you going?"

I hesitate for a full minute, a myriad of plausible excuses running through my mind. What should I say to him? What can I say that won't raise questions, that will get him off my case, that will keep my secret safe?

I finally open my mouth to speak, and a lie easily slips out.

"I'm going to Noah's place. I need to apologize for running out on him the other day."

I wince as soon as the last word escapes my lips, and then recline into my seat, shoulders tensed up.

This is for the best. Whatever we had couldn't have happened anyway because of his Dad...It's just easier like this. And anyway, it's like Paige said. If I don't want everyone to know about me...I need to stay away from Jack.

I look up to meet his gaze and my heart breaks a little at what I see. It's like every word jabbed into him and he looks so incredibly....Vulnerable.

His green eyes bore into me, trying to read in between the lines. It's as if he senses my lie and knows something is wrong, but at the same time thinks it's resigned to be this way and it's what I want.

He takes a step back. "Apologize for coming after me?"

I bite my tongue, focusing on the pain and trying not to cry. I try my best to put on a stoic expression as I give him an answer.

"Well...For running away like that, but yes."

He nods a little and takes another step away from me. I'm tempted to open the car door and go up to him. Tell him that it's not what I want, but that I didn't really have a choice. That it was him that I want. But I really can't.

His lips tilt up, but I am not fooled. He swallows and then fixes me with his oh-so captivating gaze through the car window.

"Wow. Okay, Oaklyn. That's just perfect."

I sniff and bite my lip. "It's just...That, uh..."

He nods. "No, yeah fine. I've already got it. It's just that...I guess I was just wrong."

I want to throw myself at him and tell him that he wasn't wrong, that he was so very right...But I can't. I won't.

Instead, I step on the gas and start to pull away, rolling up my window and holding onto the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn white.

I feel his gaze on me the whole time, but I force myself to look straight ahead. I know that if we lock eyes, I'm going to self-destruct on the spot and drown myself in a sea of tears...