A few days later and the jet is landing safely within American borders. I can feel Victor shaking my shoulders and urging me to wake up but after all that I've been through in the last few hours I don't feel like moving until the next decade.
Clearly I remembered the summer when dad convinced me to help him out with making a software he could use to store important files, I had been so glad that he had come to me for help instead of one of his other overpaid programmers. I spent days and nights working nonstop on that software making it perfect and virtually impossible to crack but like any good programmer I made a backdoor password only I knew and so it was easy for me to hack into the system and do what my dad asked.
Since the system could only be hacked manually I actually needed to be in France to do that, which was the real reason dad flew me out to France in the first place. The plan now was to let Alister, and the rest of the world believe that I was really dead. I was still torn up about Rajaun and what happened to him. He was scheduled to be buried in two days. He would be buried as Julian Descartes which is my true identity. As soon as I did what needed to be done I was sent back to America for my safety.
No one can find out that I'm not really dead. As long as Alister believes that he killed me he won't be searching for me anymore and I will be safe. That is the only way.
The best part is that I don't have to hide my identity anymore. What I mean is that I don't have to hide behind all these nerdy clothes and whatnot to reduce drawing attention to myself. After all, I can't be found if no one is looking for me. I still have to pretend to be Ferdinand Solace, but I don't have to pretend to be a complete loser anymore just to drive people away. While my dad finish sorting things out on his end my restrictions have eased up a bit. It's too early for me to fully expose myself but he's allowing me to have friends now! Though I'm still not allowed to post photos of myself online. So long as our plan works, and the file end up getting corrupted by the virus I made. Then Alister won't be looking for me anymore and I'll have much more freedom than before. That's the good news.
The bad news is that I still have to keep my two bodyguards. Not that I don't enjoy their company but damn, a guy needs some space. I also still can't have any social media to risk anyone recognizing me.
Unfortunately, that's not the only bad news. Not in the least.
"This is America? I'm not impressed".
Jason, Victor and I all turn to look at Celeste as that snobby remark leaves her mouth.
"Why is she here again?", I whisper to Jason who seems even lesser enthusiastic that she's here than I am.
"We're not paid to protect her too, are we?", Jason whispers to Victor instead of answering my question.
I have to slap my hand over my mouth to stop myself from laughing out loud.
The car is already there waiting for us on the tarmac as we begin to get off the jet. While Victor gets our luggage off the jet Jason opens the back door for me and rolls his eyes when Celeste walks in first.
I shake my head in frustration as I sit beside her on the backseat.
Soon the car pulls out and we are on our way home. It's past midday now and the jet lag and bright sunlight streaming in from the windshield is not helping me at all.
Celeste looks at me and raises a brow, "Are you alright babe?".
I didn't have the strength to correct her like I've been doing for the entire flight, so I just shake my head as I feel it begin to spin.
I hadn't been paying attention much before but, since when does she speak English anyway? And how the hell did she get rid of her accent so quickly if our dads only recently agreed to send her to America with me?
She smiles brilliantly at me and takes one of my hands in hers and intertwine our fingers, my first instinct is to pull away but strangely it does make me feel a bit better, so I just let her hold me.
************
It's two o'clock clock when we get home. As soon as the car parks I rush outside and open the house door then head for the stairs. The moment I'm in my room I dive face first into my bed and close my eyes.
I've missed this place.
The silence allows me to reflect over what has happened in the last day alone. I begin to remember the conversation I had with Mr. Dubois ten minutes before I got on the jet.
'Julian, there's something you should know. After Rajaun was assassinated I got a call from Alister. He knows I've been helping your dad to keep you hidden these past few years. He threatened my daughter. He didn't come out and fully say that he would hurt her, but it was implied that whoever helps your dad will suffer the consequences. I'm not afraid of my own safety, I can take care of myself, but I can't be with my daughter twenty four seven and she insists on not having a full time body guard'.
My eyes scrunched up in confusion as I looked at him, 'Why are you telling me all of this?'.
Please don't let it be what I think.
'I'm sending her to America. With you', his words set my doom.
Oh God no!
I was looking to go back home to get away from her. Suddenly, staying here and taking my chances against Alister wasn't looking so bad.
I was kidding of course. Or maybe not. Anyways, that's how I got stuck with Celeste for God knows how long.
I don't know when I fell asleep, but I awoke when someone decided it would be fun to knock incessantly at my door. I groaned into my pillow but made no effort to get up.
"Julian come on, we're going out for some food", a voice I'm not sure whose, said from behind the door.
At the mention of the word 'food', I was sitting up erect in my bed. In the next ten seconds I had on my shoes and was just about ready to go get some food into my stomach.
"That was quicker than I expected", Victor commented as we walked towards the stairs.
"Well, with the right incentive one could make a dumb man talk".
"Yeah whatever", he waved dismissively at my logic as we headed outside to the black SUV where Jason and Celeste were already waiting for us.
"What happened to your hair?", I asked her as I got into the car beside her.
Her hair was a light shade of brown in contrast to its natural jet-black hue, it was cut a few inches shorter than it was back in France.
"I'm keeping within my new identity, Celeste Adams", she said matter of fact, "wait did you only just notice my hair it's been like this since before we got the plane".
Was there a nice way of telling her I wasn't paying much attention to her in the first place? No there wasn't.
So, I just kept my mouth shut. As she slapped my arm and pouted.
Jason and Victor laughed from the front seats.
"Wait, why do you get to keep your first name!", I protested, and I think I saw a smirk make its way onto her face.
Five minutes later we pull up outside our local McDonald's, maybe I'll get to hang out with my friends here, if I make any friends at school. The second I'm out of the car Celeste loops her elbow through mine and moves way too close to my side. I stare at her deadpan, but she just smiles and shrugs as she begins to drag me inside all the while maintaining her hold.
Jason is in front of us, and Victor is behind us. Once we are inside he tells us to wait by the door while he finds us a table and so we do just that.
That is, until my eyes begins to survey the inside of the huge fast-food place and they land on a pair of blue eyes and blonde hair. More so I notice the arm of some unknown dude draped over her shoulder rather possessively.
I'm confused. Does she have a boyfriend? Maybe I shouldn't jump to conclusions.
I didn't think for a second that I would've ran into her here of all places.
Her eyes aren't staring at me though. No, they are glaring at something else.
The girl that has draped herself around my arm.
It feels like forever since Delilah had confessed to me that she liked me. She shakes off the guy's hand that was previously on her shoulder as if he had in that moment contracted some deadly disease. Then slowly her eyes moves up and they meet mine.
The moment they make contact with mine a cold shiver rushes down my spine. She looks just about ready to murder.
Well shit!
The worst part is that no one else seems to realize what's happening. Yet, I'm well aware of situation and how it looks to show up here with Celeste.
Before I can panic or do anything else Jason returns informing us of an empty table and Celeste drags me along with my two bodyguards and I let her, leaving behind a fuming blonde glaring daggers at me with her eyes.