Tangled

10 Ava: Freedom

I make it two days before I give up and call Lisa, ten minutes before her shift. She doesn’t answer the first time, so I call again. This time, she picks up, and her annoyed voice brings tears to my eyes.

“Hello?” that wonderful voice snaps into my ear, suspicious and guarded. She thinks I’m a robocaller.

“Hey, Lise.” Somehow, I manage to sound normal.

“Ava? This isn’t your number. Did you lose your phone?”

I pick at the inseam of my jeans, staring out the train window, focusing on the rolling hills beyond the raindrops splattered against my window. I’ve switched trains a few times and bought multiple tickets at each station, just in case someone figures out how I left the city. In the end, I’ve managed to take an odd, loopy route that has me now in Washington. “Yeah. Look, if anyone from my family tries to contact you… Um. God, this is going to be a lot that I can’t explain before your shift starts, but the main thing is that if my family contacts you, tell them you don’t know anything. Save

34:30

1/6

10 Ava: Freedom.

this number under a random name. Call me Ashley or

something.”

“Okay.”

Her instant acceptance warms my heart. My nose tingles as a few tears escape, sliding down my cheeks. It’s enough to take the edge off that pain in my chest that refuses to leave, as though something important is

missing.

It has to just be in my head, though, right…? If he was my fated mate, he would have never looked at me the way he did. I’ve never heard of a fated who hates their mate. Even the abusive ones.

know he is. It’s a

Damn it.

going to be back. My family’s not going to let me go that easy.” Or maybe they’ll just be happy to get rid of me. That would be nice. I

in shock. I can’t believe you ran away. I

14:30

228

10 Ava: Freedom

will you

my

“Never?!”

it all. But the first thing is the most important. I’m not human, Lise. Not exactly, anyway. My entire family, we’re shifters. I’m from the

the entire area?” Her voice is a higher pitch that normal, but at

screaming.

What if she doesn’t want to talk to me anymore? I know I had pre–mourned her several days before, convincing myself that I

strangled half–laugh sounds from my phone. “Girl,

276

10 Ava: Freedom

just… processing. Holy shit. The Blackwoods. No wonder you said you’d

to move out.”

“Mmhmm.”

run away. And not answered my texts in days,

I resemble a turtle. “I know. I’m sorry. I ditched my phone and thought I shouldn’t contact you, in case they–well. In

in. Look, Ave. I’ll save your number, and we are going to talk, okay? Should I get a different phone in case they like, tap mine, or something? Can they do that? I know they

around here.”

“I have no idea. Oh, God. I hope they can’t. I got a burner. Maybe you can,

Are you safe right now? God, Shelby’s right here. I

14:30

10 Ava: Freedom

can’t see me. “I’m

girl. I’ll call you as soon as I

This is why I gave in. This was what my broken, bleeding heart needed. Love. Not rejection. Not my family. Not him. “I