Mated to the Alpha Twins

Thalia had been silent up until we reached the bus terminal. I found myself staring at the brightly lit board, times and dates flashing through my mind. I walked over to the clerk; I pulled a couple bills from my bag. I couldn’t help my wandering gaze, my eyes flickering towards the multitude of camera’s in the bus terminal.

It was a silly thought, one driven by paranoia and fear. What if they managed to find me? Melissa and Frank were useless and would spare no effort searching for me, it was Garrett I worried about. From the look of his crisp suit and his large house, it was obvious he was wealthy. Would Garrett put forth the effort and money into finding me? I wasn’t sure.

I had to pay extra for the soonest bus to Atlanta, Ga. It would take three hours to get to Atlanta, thankfully there were no stops involved. Anxiety and paranoia clung to me along with the crisp nighttime air. My foot tapped relentlessly; my eyes locked on the clock ticking away in the terminal. I had discarded my old flip phone at the corner store before stepping into the cab, another precaution I decided to take.

Thalia had been quiet the entire time, only speaking up as the bus pulled into the terminal.

‘Don’t do this, Aurora.’ Thalia pleaded, her voice as stressed and nervous as my own. ‘I know why you want to leave; I understand. I’m telling you it’s the wrong choice.’

‘I want to find that out for myself.’ I grimaced, ‘I never had a choice, not with anything. If this is a mistake, I’ll find out on my own.’

‘I won’t help you do this, Aurora.’ Thalia’s voice sounded tired and sad, almost making me regret my decision. ‘You’ll be on your own.’

‘I’ve always been on my own.’ I murmured, walking over to the coach bus. The smell of cleaner and air freshener filled my nose. ‘It’s time I make my own decisions.’

Thalia went silent, and I couldn’t help but feel as though I had lost a part of myself. The silence was deafening. It was then I realized how much I had gotten used to her voice, even in the short days I had known her.

“You’re doing the right thing.” I murmured to myself, stepping onto the near empty bus. “I’ll learn from my mistakes like anyone else. At least I finally had the freedom to choose.”

My stomach was doing flips as I walked down the narrow aisles of the bus. Only a few people lingered, clearly impatient for departure. I sat down in one of the empty seats, placing my duffle bag at my feet. My fingers twitched impatiently, the hairs on my arms raising. Fear and anxiety had become my closest companions this past week. They followed me around, their silky voices hissing in my ears.

I could feel the handle of the seat crunch beneath my d***h grip. I only released my grip as the bus pulled out of the terminal, and headed towards the highway. I purposefully averted my eyes, ignoring the large crack I had caused on the handle.

Three hours, three hours of nothing but silence. Dull music played through the speakers of the bus. My cheek pressed against the cool window of the bus, a poor attempt at stilling my nerves. Just as my eyes began to close and sleep began to take me, a noise close by startled me.

eyes were locked on my own.

of thoughts ran through my mind, all driven by paranoia. Did Garrett send

myself dryly, “It hasn’t even been an hour. They probably think

reached my seat, his dark eyes looking down on me. The guy was good looking in a rugged sort of way. His hair was a light shade of brown, wavy and just barely grazing his broad shoulders. Normally a guy like this would send a rush of butterflies swarming through me, but I felt nothing. Only two

The guy grinned softly, showing just a hint of

mumbled, unsure if he

the seat beside me, cramming his bookbag between his legs. Whatever kind of cologne he was wearing swirled around me, filling my nose. It was a pleasant smell, woodsy with a hint of something sweet. Another sharp pain

the corner of my eye as his

you coming from?” I found myself asking, purely to get my mind off of everything else. My voice was stronger than I expected it to be. While I felt weak inside, my

his tanned skin, gold and kissed by the sun. “It’s been a long ride. H**l, I still

dryly, “I’m

to be riding the bus by

makes you feel better.” I shrugged, the lie leaving my lips effortlessly. Lying had become something I was

Liar, liar, liar.

in my

a million-watt smile. A

of me felt guilty for talking to this guy. I could’ve cared

guy shrugged, his lips twitching into a frown. “I’m taking the year off

at how insincere I sounded, my words coming out clipped and hard.

but you can’t have everything.” The guy shrugged, giving a chuckle. It seems he hadn’t noticed

ocean. Even living in California for most of my life, I had never stepped foot on a beach. When I lived with my Grandma, we were too far from the ocean to make

as though I

live in California, never had the chance to go to the beach.”