HIS SCENT IS A MOON LIT LIE

Chapter Sixty One

Elara's POV

Adrian's black convertible moved through the road covered with trees, the tires kicking up dirt.

My heart raced extremely fast and loud, the athmosphere was filled with tension. A wave of fear tangled itself around my spine, my hands trembled slightly as I turned in my seat, watching my mum's car pull closer and closer.

Everytime I glanced back, it felt like I was staring at the mouth of something big coming to swallow us whole.

"Do you think she knows?" I whispered. "She knows I am in the car? Is that why she is coming after us? What did they even talk about?"

Adrian did not spare me a single glance, his eyes were sharp and fixated on the road.

"An answer would be really helpful you know?" I yelled, my anxiety rising.

"Look Elara, I do not have any answer to your questions but what i am confident about for sure is that your mum is not here to say hi." Adrian snapped back..

I stared back at the car, trying to make out who was behind the wheel but it was impossible to see clearly because the car was a few inches behind us.

"What if..." I trailed off, my heart pounding. "What if it is not her driving? What if someone else is in her car?"

"I do not care who it is." Adrian swerved sharply, avoiding a pothole. "They are on our tail and they do not seem to be giving up."

The road narrowed again and trees closed in on both sides. Mum's car responded with sudden speed, getting so close that I could practically feel the heat from its engine.

Adrian pulled the wheel to the right sharply, causing my head and that of Ethan's to bop sideways.

"Adrian!" I gasped, gripping the seat firmly.

He did not flinch. "They want us to stop but that is so not happening."

Ethan who had been unusually quiet until now, suddenly exploded in frustration.

"Great going guys. Just great. We are leaving my car back at the woods, again?" He buried his face in his palms.

"What did you expect? We have bigger priorities than focusing on your old crappy jeep!" I was trying to keep my panic on the low but Ethan's insensitive words slowly triggered me.

"Yeah yeah. Elara, you are one to talk but I am sure you would never agree to leave your Jeep behind, that is if you ever get the chance to own one." He grumbled.

I shot dagger glares at him but then the flashing headlights of my mum's car grew brighter and fear lingered back into my chest.

Adrian's grip on the wheel tightened. "They are not slowing down, we need to think of something."

"Maybe we should stop, we do not even know why they are after us." Ethan said, leaning forward.

Adrian gritted his teeth, one hand on the steering wheel and the other clenched on the gearshift like he wanted to crush it.

"We need a distraction." He muttered, urgency laced in his tone. "Something that will make her stop following us, something big enough to get her distracted, without any suspicions too." Adrian explained.

I blinked at him. "Well, how do you plan on doing that when we are basically being hunted down like fugitives." I rolled my eyes.

From besides me, Ethan groaned. "Okay, this is gonna sound crazy but...."

Clearing my throat loudly and interrupting Ethan midway his sentence, I eyed him. "If it is something crazy then I do not think it is a good idea Ethan."

"Just hear me out Elara." He paused to shoot dagger glares at me before continuing. "I will jump out, cause a scene. Maybe something fake like I am injured or lost or something so she will have to stop and check it out. You know?"

I turned around in my seat to face him. "Ethan, no! That is insane! Why would you even think of that?"

Ethan shrugged. "I mean, I did warn you that it was a crazy idea but if it buys you guys time ----" His hands were already reaching for the door handle and it looked like Ethan was literally about to pull it open until Adrian yelled at him. "Sit. Down."

His voice echoed through the car like a growl. "What are you trying to do? Get yourself killed? That car behind us will not gently slowly down and ask if you are okay. It will run you over and dump your body somewhere in the gutter."

"Elara's mum would never do that." Ethan argued.

"Well, listen closely, we are not even sure if it is Elara's mum and on a normal day, I would not care about you turning yourself into a sacrificial lamb but I am only concerned about Elara." Adrian's last words caused my heart to flutter in ways I could not comprehend, these mixed feelings I was getting, it was hard to explain.

Ethan sank back into the seat, grumbling. "I was just trying to help."

"Well, help by staying alive." Adrian hissed.

"i got an idea!" Adrian's fingers drummed against the steering wheel. "We need to make whoever is trailing us think this car is not important. That we are not in it."

Furrowing my brows in confusion and leaning closer, the question slipped out of my mouth. "How do we do that?" I asked.

"We ditch it." He said simply.

"What?" Ethan and i chorused at the same time.

"We switch cars." Adrian explained. "There is an old gas station up ahead. I know a friend who keeps a busted car there, it runs pretty okay, just looks a lot like your friend's crappy jeep. We will drive this behind the station, cover it and take the other one."

"And she will not recognize the switch?" I asked.

Adrian shook his head. "Not if we are fast enough."

A moment of silence fell between us, we were all trying to process the possiblity of Adrian's plan working.

"And what if it does not work? Your plan." Ethan pointed out.

"Then we split up."

Wait, what?