Scars Read Online Free PDF Page B

it was going. She told him it was going somewhere in Oregon. Matt had never heard of the town the woman mentioned before, but he didn’t care; anywhere was better than here, and Oregon was far enough to begin with. He bought a ticket, walked to the platform, and waited.
     
    When the bus finally arrived, Matt didn’t get on it right away. For a few moments he struggled with his decision. Should he really turn his back on his sister? Should he really just walk away? He should, he decided. It was the best thing he could do for her.
     
    By the time he finally brought himself to climb onto the bus, the thing was packed, so much so that when the bus lurched into motion, Matt hadn’t found a seat for himself yet. He took a moment to look out the window and watch as they pulled out of Austin’s bus station and then out of the city proper. He felt a shiver run down his spine. He had left for so many travels in his life that he had lost count, but this was different. This had a finality to it that he wasn’t sure he liked, but that he knew was necessary. Matt knew this was his last chance—he would either find himself again, or he would be lost forever.
     
    Running again , he thought dejectedly. He could only hope that, for once in his life, he was running towards himself.
     

CHAPTER SEVEN
     
    In the morning, she wasn’t feeling better. That was no surprise, really. What was surprising was that her intentions had not changed from the night before; now more than ever, she knew that she couldn’t stay in Lincoln. Holly had never been one for dramatic actions, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized she truly had no choice. Simply put, it was fight or flight. Holly had tried fighting, and that had not worked. Her only choice now was flight. If she stayed, she would die. She wanted to choose life instead.
     
    So Holly packed a bag. She went downstairs. She had breakfast with her parents, both of whom greeted her as though nothing had happened. She went along with it, because something was about to happen, and that knowledge made the pretense bearable. She finished her meal. She got up. She kissed her mother on the cheek and then her father. She went outside to the garage. She got into her car and checked that the bag she had hidden earlier was still in the backseat. She drove the car out of her father’s ranch and then out of the town of Lincoln. She left it in the parking lot of Austin’s bus station.
     
    Holly shouldered her duffel back and walked up to the counter. She asked the woman there when the first bus out of the city was due to leave, and where it was going. She was told it was going somewhere in Oregon—in fact, the woman said a specific name, but Holly didn’t know the town, and she didn’t care; Oregon was far enough to start.
     
    Holly bought a ticket. She climbed onto the bus and found herself a seat, and then she settled down to wait for the bus to take off. All the while, her heart was hammering within her chest. She sneaked looks out of the window, terrified that somebody might be coming for her.
     
    When she finally realized that nobody had realized what had happened and nobody would be coming after her just yet, she didn’t know whether she felt more relieved or disappointed.
     
    Finally, after what felt like hours, the bus lurched into motion. Holly watched as they pulled out of the station and then out of Austin. She couldn’t suppress a sense of elation mixed with a good dose of panic. She had traveled before, of course, but never alone—and certainly never by bus. Besides, what really mattered was the nature of the voyage. This wasn’t a holiday. It wasn’t even a leisurely trip. Holly was running away. She felt a shiver run all the way down her spine at the realization.
     
    I’m running away, she thought, repeating the words over and over in her mind in order to make them sink in. She could hardly believe what she was doing.
     
    “Anyone sitting here?”
     
    Holly