Chapter 17: Escaping him

Hazel's POV

The door opened to reveal an old lady dressed in a white blouse and a sky blue skirt below her knees. Her hair was gray, and her eyes were hazel, similar to mine.

"Hello, Miss Hazel, my name is Amelia, and I'm the head maid here. Ale instructed me to serve you dinner early. They will be a bit late, so I wanted to check if you need anything or have any particular food preferences," she stated.

I'm still reeling from shock, but I gather myself, ensuring my words aren't shaky as I push myself to smile. 

"Thank you, Amelia. I'm sorry you came all this way, but I need to leave now. Just tell Ale that I'll text him, okay? Good night, Amelia." 

She eyes me, a hint of surprise and questions flashing in her gaze. Before she can say anything, I stride past her, only to be halted by a burly man. He looks to Amelia, as if seeking her permission to let me go. I hope she's okay with it; otherwise, I'll have to flee before Ale arrives. 

I gaze at her, almost pleading, and say, "Um, I need to get to the dorms to complete an assignment due at midnight. Ale said he would drop me off, but he texted me that I can go alone and maybe someone else can drop me instead?" I blurt out, half-lying. 

The woman in front of me scrutinizes me, trying to determine if I'm lying or telling the truth, and I try to wear my most innocent expression to convince her. She looks to the guard near me and instructs, "Alfredo, dear, please drive Miss Hazel to her dorm and make sure she arrives safely." Then, she turns to me, holding my hand with both of hers, patting it reassuringly. "Nice to see you, dear. Take care and good night," she says, releasing my hand. Alfredo gestures for me to follow him, and we head to the car.

In the car, I replay in my mind how Amelia patted my hand, as if she knew me. I'm not sure if she has ever seen me before, but she seems nice. Regardless of whether she caught on to my lie or not, I just need to get to the dorms and disappear for a few days, maybe even head to France.

The drive ends at my dorm. Before Alfredo can get out of the car, I open my door. He exits the car and moves to accompany me to my dorm, but I stop him. "Um, Alfredo, thank you for the ride, but these are girls' dorms, so it wouldn't look good if you went in," I say. He looks hesitant for a moment, then nods. 

"Good night, Miss Hazel," he says. 

"Good night, Alfredo," I reply, waving at him as I walk towards the dorm's entrance. 

I glance back to see if Alfredo has left, but he stands still until I'm inside the gates. I call out, "Good night!" as he finally moves to the driver's seat, and the car pulls out and drives away.

Once the car is out of sight, I rush towards my room, open the door, and head towards my backpack to pack more clothes, adding to the ones Isabella packed for me.

Isabella hops off her bed. "I thought Alessandro would pick this up!"

I turn to her and smile. "I decided to come myself since my assignment is due at midnight. I'll just pack a bit more and then head out."

She looks at me, worried, and asks, "Are you staying for more days? You're packing for like a week or so... Wait, don't tell me you're moving in with him?" she exclaims, clasping her hand over her mouth excitedly.

"No! It'll only be for a few days, and then I'll be back here," I lie to my best friend. I just can't tell her the truth.

She puts her hands on her chest dramatically and adds, "I thought you were leaving me now that you've found your prince charming." I burst out laughing at her dramatic acting, and she joins in.

"I have to go, Isabella! I'll see you in a few days," I say, double-checking my stuff and checking my charger, laptop, and everything else I might need, as well as my passport.

I hug Isabella tightly, unsure if I'll actually come back. She hugs me back tightly. "Are you okay? What's with the hug, girl?" she asks.

"Nothing, I'll just miss you," I responded.

"Oh, come on, I'll see you in class, right?"

"Yes, definitely," I laugh it off. "I was just trying to be as dramatic as you were."

She laughs and hugs me again. I kiss her goodbye and leave, heading to the taxi station nearby.

I hop into the first taxi. "All'aeroporto, per favore," I tell the taxi driver. He nods and pulls onto the highway, heading to the airport. On my way, I booked a ticket to Caen, France. Apparently, the only available ticket has a long layover in Paris, so I might have to check into a hotel at the airport before my next flight.

I count the minutes, praying that Alessandro is still in the dungeons. The taxi pulls to a stop, and I pay him, getting out and heading towards the security check.

Luckily, it's empty at 11 p.m. I expected the airport to be crowded, but apparently, the security check line isn't that long. In twenty minutes, I'm already checked in and looking for a seat in a far corner, waiting for my boarding.

I pull my phone from my pocket. I hesitate for a moment, wondering if I should text Andrea or not. He was a nice guy. We worked together for a whole semester, so I think he wasn't in on it with Ale. I pull up our text conversation and type:

Hazel: "Hi Andrea, just wanted to let you know that I won't be able to come to the foundation tomorrow. I know I promised, but something happened, and I have to break this promise. Please take care, and thank you for all the coffees you brought me every morning. Good night!"

An immediate response comes in.

Andrea: "?"

I sigh. I can't explain why I have to leave or ask him what Ale's relationship with my dad is. I try to think of what to type when my phone rings, and it's Andrea. At the same time, the call for boarding is announced. I ignore my phone and head to the line. My phone screen keeps flashing with multiple calls from Andrea, and then Ale starts calling.

I board the flight, find my window seat, and put my backpack in the compartment. I sit down and check my phone again. Ale is calling non-stop. I decide to decline the call and open the text tab.

Hazel: "I'm sorry, I had to go. I think we're not meant to be together. Thank you for being my first kiss. Please don't call me. I won't pick up. Take care. Bye."

His response pops up.

Caro Mio: "Hazel, please pick up the damn phone. I need to know if that's you and what's happening. Are you safe? If you are scared, just talk to me. We can talk about it. Please."

I keep staring at the text.

Then, an incoming call flashes on my screen. I give it a thought and then click on the green button. Ale's panicked voice comes through immediately.

"Hazel, baby, where are you?"

"Ale, I'm okay. I just need a break. I'm safe, don't worry."

"How can I not worry? Where are you? I will pick you up."

I try to lie, but the air hostess comes in and asks me to switch off my phone as the flight is departing now. I nod to her. When Ale shouts through the phone,

"The hell, are you on a flight?" There is silence, and then I hear a thud through the phone. "Are you leaving me?" Ale's shaky voice comes through. My eyes become watery, and all I can muster is, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I hang up and switch off my phone, tears streaming down my face. I put my hands to my face and cry myself out. I think I loved him more than I thought. 

I put my seat belt on and closed my eyes, drifting to sleep.