Chapter 3

"I…"

Before I could finish, she wrapped an arm around Elliot and hurried past me.

"Elliot hurt his ankle when he hugged me. I'm taking him back to his room to rest."

She did not even notice the bandage wrapped around my foot.

My injury was clearly worse, yet all she could see was Elliot's twisted ankle.

I dragged my throbbing foot along behind them.

When we opened the door, Suzanna stopped short at the sight of the room. She turned to me, her face darkening.

"Shane, seriously?

"Just because Elliot and I took some pictures, you had to trash the whole room?

"Are you doing this on purpose just to make him feel bad?"

Elliot quickly cut in.

"You've got it all wrong, Suzanna. I did it by accident."

"Don't defend him." Suzanna paused, and some of the tension left her face. "I'm sorry. I jumped to the wrong conclusion.

"However, it's a mess in here, and there are broken pieces of glass on the floor. You can't stay here tonight.

"Elliot, you can sleep in my room tonight."

She helped Elliot next door without another glance in my direction.

I had been standing right in front of her this whole time, but she had not noticed my injury even once. Her eyes had only been on Elliot and his twisted ankle.

I stood frozen in the doorway. After rubbing my aching nose, I quietly closed my door.

I do not know how long I slept. A deafening pounding on the door suddenly jolted me awake.

Suzanna stood outside, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Elliot got his pants dirty. His foot is hurt, so he needs some help. Can you take care of it?"

My head was spinning, and my face felt burning hot.

"I'm hurt too…"

Elliot came limping out of the room on one foot.

"Come on, I told you I can handle it myself. Don't bother Shane."

Without thinking, I reached out to steady him. However, my arms and legs suddenly went weak, and I stumbled straight toward him.

"Ugh!"

Elliot fell beneath me, letting out a sharp gasp of pain.

"Are you okay?" Suzanna's expression changed instantly. She shoved me away.

I rolled several times across the rough carpet before my back slammed hard against the wall.

Suzanna pulled Elliot into her arms protectively and turned on me.

"Shane, what the hell are you doing?

"If you didn't want to help, you could've just said so. However, you actually shoved Elliot to the floor? How can you be so cruel?"

Before I could defend myself, she helped Elliot back into the room.

The door slammed shut behind them.

I pressed a hand against my aching chest and used the wall to pull myself up. Then I slowly made my way back to my room.

The wound on the bottom of my foot had started bleeding again. My whole body felt unbearably hot.

I touched the tip of my nose, and my fingers came away warm and red.

The wound had become infected, and I was burning with a fever. Yet even by the next morning, Suzanna still had not thought about me once.

I splashed cold water on my face, then grabbed my phone and bought a ticket back to Ashmoor City.

I had finally realized the truth about this trip.

The three of us were supposed to be traveling together, but I was the one who never belonged.

From now on, I would walk the rest of the road alone.