Chapter 12
When we finally reach the car again, we sit in an awkward silence. Krista seems lost in her own thoughts and Lucas just stares at the window.
“Alright, the both of you, out with it, what’s going on in those heads of yours?” I say impatiently.
“Nothing…nothing, I promise, just thinking about the date Scott and I have planned later this week.” Krista answers with a too bright smile on her face.
“Uh-huh…and you Luke? What’s wrong?”
“You’re really just going to up and leave just because he asked you to?” He asks with his jaw tight.
‘’You know you might want to take Mr. Fallon up on his acting offer there, Luke. Because you’re being awfully dramatic,” Krista tells him with a hard glare.
"I'm just worried for you, Kate, alright? You’re in this whirlwind romance now, and he's got the amazing career and all the screaming girls and he's making this movie and all...but all that isn't real. You are though. And what's going to happen when someone else comes around and he takes his eyes away from you, what then?!"
I just glare at him and Krista looks about ready to explode at him. I close my eyes and make myself take a deep breath, "Do me a favor and just shut up for the drive back to campus, k?"
He runs a frustrated hand through his hair and looks up at me, “I’m sorry, ok? I’m your friend, right?”
I sigh and nod, “Right.”
“Well, as your friend, I’m allowed to worry about you. And what path he might be leading you down. To be honest…I’m scared one day he’s going to take you away and I’ll only ever get to see you in a picture in a magazine.”
I shake my head, "That's not going to happen, ok? Right now, my life is centered on getting my degree, and going on to do what I love, helping people. If I decide to go on this little...trip with him, I won't be moving into a Hollywood mansion by the end of the week."
Lucas just nods and leans back in the seat deciding to let it go for now.
“Can we go now?” Krista asks impatiently.
“Yes, we can go now.” I tell her with a small smile.
She pulls out and begins the long drive down the highway and cranks the radio up loud. After about 30 minutes of driving I notice Krista pick up speed and keep checking the mirror nervously.
"Hey, what's wrong?” I ask curiously looking in the mirror myself.
"Nate and Eric have black cars, right?"
I nod, "Yeah, why?"
"Because there's been a silver SUV following us for the last 10 minutes and they've even kept up with us when I've started going faster and going down the back roads.” she answers nervously and grips the steering wheel tighter.
"What's going on?” I hear Lucas ask from the backseat.
"We're being chased.” I say with a frown and grab for my cell phone. "If it keeps up, I'm going to call that number Nate and Eric gave us before.”
Krista nods and checks in the mirror again before focusing on the road and cars ahead of us. When she picks up speed, I hear other cars honking as the silver SUV tries getting between them to keep up with us. Krista suddenly swerves for an exit causing me to squeak and grab onto whatever I can to keep myself righted.
"Call that number, Kate. Now!” Luke yells and I look behind us and gasp seeing the SUV right up on us.
"Oh God...is it paparazzi?” I whisper and fumble for the number in my phone.
"Who cares! They're about to run us off the damn road!” Krista yells and slams her foot on the gas.
The next thing I know the SUV is beside us swerving in and out trying to get us on the side of the road and into the ditch. Krista is screaming and I'm shaking the faster we go and the more of a blur everything around us is.
With shaking hands, I press the number for Nate on my cell and wait nervously.
"Yeah?” I hear his voice and almost feel relieved.
"Where are you guys?!"
"Mrs. Warren?” He sounds confused, "We're at set. Aren't you and Ms. Quinn still standing by?"
I feel tears come to my eyes as I shake my head and look over into the windows of the SUV, I can just barely make out the profile of a woman, but I don't see any camera. "No! No, Nate, we're not. We left...and...And now we're being chased. Or just plain ran off the road, God, where are you?!"
I hear the panic as he starts yelling at people and hear something about tracking a GPS and then I scream when the silver SUV slams into our side over and over again.
"She's going to kill us!” Krista screams with tears pouring down her cheek.
I have tears of my own spilling down and feel completely helpless. Whoever this is, is insane, and apparently doesn't care if we come to our deaths or not.
"Girls, look at me.” Lucas says sounding really serious.
I turn to him and he grabs my hand, "We're going to be all right, ok?"
Krista casts him an anxious look through the rearview mirror and just nods her head.
A whimper escapes me as I look over into Krista's terrified eyes and the SUV barrels into the back of our car causing it to fishtail and I squeeze my eyes tight as Krista rights the car again and slams back down on the gas. I have just a minute to look out the window again and see long blonde hair and for just a moment see the face of Alexia Dalton. She gives me a big satisfied grin as she slams into us hard enough that Krista can no longer control the car and the next moment we are flipping in the air, I grab for both Krista and Luke's hands as I close my eyes and brace for the impact.
Reconnected Page 13