I run.

It's all too much, and Alex is being too nice, and I can't trust him.

So I run away.

I'm running down the sidewalk, dodging pedestrians and badly parked cars.

I don't know where I'm running. Maybe back to Canada.

But I don't end up running to Canada, because his face is everywhere.

Wanted: Nathaniel Raine.

An unflattering photo of him that I took one night is pasted beneath it, his eyes narrowed, one caught mid-twitch. His upper lip curled as he spoke.

I stop in front of the first poster I see, ripping it off the wooden post and holding it up to my eyes. I scan the poster, searching for something, anything, to tell me where my stepdad went.

He may have been horrible to me, but he loved my mom. He told her so.

He would never kill her. It just didn't make sense, it broke the rule he drilled into my head.

All the poster contains is generic information.

Weight, height, appearance, number to alert.

I curse and tear the poster up.

Beneath it is a smaller poster, made quickly with a photo glued on.

Missing: Aurora Raine.

Beneath it is a photo of me he took one night. My body is slightly blurred, but the idea of me being naked is still there.

And under the photo is my information.

Followed by Nathan's phone number.

I grab the poster in a panic and shove it into my pocket, tears stinging my eyes as I blink.

"People named Nathan give me weird vibes," a voice says behind me.

I jump, turning with my fists up, ready to fight.

A boy around my age is leaning against the wall, a cigarette between his lips. He has shaggy black hair and piercing green eyes. He's wearing black jeans and a leather jacket over a plain white T-shirt. He watches me, lighting the cigarette.

"Nothing against them, they're just a bit off."

I watch him warily, not speaking.

He offers me his hand. "Oliver Jones."

"Aurora Raine." I shake his hand after a minute.

"You're Aurora?" He holds out a stack of papers. "These were all over town. My friend and I went around tearing them down."

"What?" I grab the posters from him. Most of them, my photo isn't blurred. I feel bile rising in my throat. "Oh, God..."

"We were about to head out and make new posters. Without photos. But you're here, so we can call the number?"

"No!" I shake my head, my hands trembling. "He... I'm not missing. I'm home, this is where I live. This was put up by my stepdad." I point to the wanted poster. "He's trying to find me."

Oliver's mouth forms a silent 'o'. "I see. The guy who posted it outside the store Stella works at wasn't him though. They're probably all over the country."

"Oh, God..." I bury my face in my hands.

Oliver gives me a sympathetic look. "Want to come to our hangout?"

"I-"

"Aurora!"

I turn and see Alex running towards me. He grabs me and checks me over.

"Alex?"

"There you are! You can't run off like that, Ror, I was worried."

Oliver raises an eyebrow. "You know Alex Rizzo?"

I nod. "Yeah. Well, not really, but kinda."

Alex looks Oliver over and frowns. "What were you doing to her?"

"Nathan had these posted all over town." I hand him a poster. "Oliver said he took them all down. He gave them to me."

Alex's jaw clenches. "Let's go, Aurora."

His hand is firm on my shoulder, and I don't argue.

He's going to hit me when we get home.

"Bye, Aurora," Oliver calls.

I wave over my shoulder.

Alex doesn't speak to me the entire way to the school, and when we get to the car, he opens the door for me.

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

He pauses. "I can't lose you again, Aurora. You scared me. You have to swear you'll never run off again."

I nod, not looking at him. "I promise."

He reaches out, and I flinch away, moving to cover my head so he can't hit it.

"Rora...?"

I look up at him. He looks concerned.

"Come on, sweet girl. Let's go home."