What A Lie Looks Like | ✓

1.32: sephine

I take one last look at the beautiful boy wrapped in sheets lying in my bed. I don't know how to tell him goodbye because it'd be too hard to explain to him. I don't think I'd be able to go through it if I did.

He's sprawled out with his arm resting on the part of the bed where I was curled up next to him until I started packing two hours ago.

Kind of ironic how this room looks the same as it did when I came here seven months ago: a place to live but not a home.

Cam: Here.

Letting out a sigh, I pick up my suitcase to keep from waking Hayes up, and I can't bring myself to look at him again. I know I shouldn't be running away, but I want them all to get their lives back, so maybe it's better if I go home.

Home.

I still can't believe I'm going back. I haven't told Ollie yet because I know he'd try to talk me out of it, but I called Ms. Banes when I woke up, proceeding to wake her up too, but I could care less. She said she'd arrange for a room at Bayard and that my spot was waiting for me if I took the next plane out.

I just didn't expect the next plane to be leaving within five hours, but I felt more sure when I purchased the plane ticket than I have in a while.

Mom's in Maryland for the next two weeks, but she'll understand even if she's incredibly pissed at me right away.

Cam's car is sitting in the driveway as he reclines against it like he did when I walked out of school five months ago. "Thanks for coming."

He smiles sadly and grabs the suitcase from me, "Yeah, of course."

After getting in the car, I just sit there for a moment staring at Hayes's truck. My heart is screaming at me to go back inside, but my hand pulls the seatbelt, securing me in the seat.

"You know, just because you have a ticket doesn't mean you have to get on the plane." Cam voices his opinion, but I shake my head.

"No, we can go."

My phone sits in my lap on 'do not disturb' mode because of all the texts and social media notifications pouring through. I guess having a recovering addict and 'murderer' as the notifications are showing me on my lock screen doesn't happen very often at Hermon. Besides texting Cam and calling Ms. Banes, I haven't touched it.

"I'm sorry about Ethan," Cam says, breaking the silence when we're about five minutes from the airport.

"Me too."

He clears his throat, "So I'm guessing that what you told Liv yesterday about you and Hayes was a lie?"

"No, it wasn't." It's complete bullshit that I still deny it.

"I don't know why you aren't letting yourself be happy because let's face it; Hayes makes you incredibly happy. I don't know an actress in the world that could have sold what you guys did for four months."

I'm staring out the window into the sun as it glares from it's low spot in the morning sky. "Because he's better off without me. You're better off without me, and so is Liv. I've fucked your guys' lives up so much just by running away from what happened in Seattle only to ruin things again here."

Cam scoffs, "God Seph, how fucking dense are you? I slept with Tessa long before you came here, and it was only a matter of time before Hayes found out. If you hadn't run away from Seattle, I would bet you a million dollars that Hayes would still be hooking up with half our school and probably gotten an STD while doing it. Liv's life hasn't fallen apart! She is still going on her shopping sprees almost every day except now she'll have to do it without her best friend. It's absolute horse shit that you think everyone here is better off without you because I guarantee that you're wrong."