Here's the thing about the witness protection program that I didn't think about prior. You get your documents and a new identity, but you still look the same. Sure, they gave me some highlights and a new style, but essentially I still looked like Emery Starr, and that's why I felt a constant pang of paranoia. I was confused at first why we didn't take a private plane, but Jaxon assured me that they used commercial flights to blend in. We had new ID's and nobody would be looking for a Skyler Finley or a Mason Walker. I was fine with all of this, and despite my paranoia I felt calm as we made our way through security and onto our plane.However, the minute Jaxon left my side to go to his seat near the back of the plane, I felt eyes on me. It was probably nothing, but I kept thinking about Chief's words. The line of followers that this particular mob leader had created was extensive, and they could be anywhere. Comforting, right? I settled down into my window seat and waited anxiously

Grabbing our luggage and making it to campus was a smooth process. Jaxon had ordered me to stay close to him at all times— a relief because the perv from the plane tried to stand by me at baggage claim until he took note of Jaxon. He was quick to step between us, acting as a wall so that Brennan wouldn't be able to see me behind his large frame. It was nice to see Jaxon in action, not that Brennan was anything like the people I needed real protecting from.I felt a little bad that Jaxon had to grab most of the suitcases since my arm was in a sling, but again, he was a huge guy so I figured he'd be fine.Our trip from the airport was mostly silent, as the only conversation that happened was when Jaxon would bark orders at me or fill me in on safety protocols. I tried my best to understand everything he was saying, but I really only got it after he broke it all down. I didn't need to know all of the technical aspects of it anyway. I was thinking about everything Jaxon told me as we ma

Waking up the next morning, I felt a lot of things. I was still scared and emotionally taxed from the events of the last two days, I was physically sore from the whiplash and gunshot wound, I was nervous about beginning my new life, I missed my dad and friends, and surprisingly, I was excited to see Jax again. I looked over to Hannah's lofted bed, noting she was still sleeping. I pulled my phone out from under my pillow and lit up my screen.God, my body hurt so bad. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I didn't know how easily I'd be able to get down from my bed when I could barely even move my arm. I figured it would probably loosen up throughout the day like it did yesterday, but as of now, I felt absolutely terrible. Just then, before I could send anything, my phone lit up with a text from Jax: Mason: what's your plan for today? Well good morning to you too, I thought. Skyler: I think Hannah wanted to show me around campus- she mentioned last night maybe going to a coffee shop?

The rest of the campus tour was okay. Hannah had done a nice job of showing us the ins and outs of this place, and I felt confident that Jax and I would be able to find our classes with ease tomorrow. Besides, we had the same class schedule so if I forgot, I was sure Jax would be able to get us there. As the tour progressed, I found myself opening up a little more to Blake and Hannah; they were both nice and outgoing, which made it easy for me to make small talk with them. Jaxon, on the other hand, remained silent. I wasn't sure what killed his mood, but he really wasn't being very social, and I found myself growing irritated by him.Hannah had said that she had an assignment she wanted to finish up, so she dipped from the tour early and headed to the library while Blake, Jax, and I walked back to our dorm. It felt kind of awkward with the three of us after Hannah left, and I really didn't like it. It was like cold, professional Jaxon was here for no reason after he was being so nic

Heading into the third week of classes, I was actually feeling pretty good. I really enjoyed Hannah. Having her around as a friend was actually helping me much more than she would ever know. It was definitely hard keeping things from her, but for the most part, I found I was able to be myself around her. I was learning that I could still be Emery Starr, just under the name of Skyler Finley. Currently, we had just gotten coffee's and were heading to our Psychology class. I liked this class a lot. The professor was old school, and since it was my previous major, I found the topic to be super interesting. Jax obviously had the same class as me, but he also couldn't be right next to me all the time. It would definitely be suspicious considering he and I weren't even a couple. Therefore, on days like today, he just followed a few minutes behind us, tracking my location in case of emergencies. "Oh my God," Hannah said, pointing at our professor. He was currently wheeling out a large proje