Undercover ✔️

Chapter 8

Audrey's feet beat out an even rhythm against the pavement, fighting off tiredness. She had thought about skipping her run this morning but decided against it and forced herself awake at nine, only five hours after she had fallen asleep listening to the girls talk about every boy.

She was running around a turn, her pace quickening as she got closer to home, when she ran into the back of someone They both crashed to the concrete. Audrey rolled off the person's back and slid along the sidewalk to a stop. She lay still, her body telling more pain was to come if she moved. She gave herself two controlled breaths before forcing herself to sit up and look back.

Lucas was pushing himself up from the ground and looked up at her, his forehead wearing a new pattern of cuts, and his mouth a grimace. Audrey could see his elbows had also taken a beating and she felt bad he got the worst of it.

"So if you were planning to try out for offensive linebacker know that you got the part." Lucas grunted.

"Sorry, I didn't see you. You kind of jumped out at me." Audrey said.

She slowly lifted her body off the side walk and straightened, taking inventory of the damage. Other than being slightly shaking and a few cuts and bruises nothing else seemed to be too bad.

"I jumped out at you? I'm sorry but I think I was the one that was hit from behind by a bulldozer."

"Thanks, that's the compliment I have always wanted to hear, I'm a bulldozer." Audrey said sarcastically.

She reached out her hand to Lucas and he took it as she leaned her body back to make any effect in helping him up.

"Those cuts look pretty bad, we should get them cleaned." Audrey said, gently pulling a tiny rock from the cut above his right eye.

Lucas flinched as she removed it and tossed it into the road.

"Thanks, you look pretty bad yourself."

Lucas's eyes had landed on her elbows down to her scraped knees.

"Please like I haven't been in worse shape." Audrey joked.

"Really?"

Audrey mentally slapped herself for saying that.

"I like horses, you don't think I haven't been thrown once or twice." Audrey said, the lie easily coming to her.

"That makes sense."

"I think my place is closer if you want to get cleaned up there?"

"That would be great, my house is in an uproar for tonight. My mom practically kicked me out this morning so people could start working."

"The party, right. Well let's go then." Audrey said.

She started walking, forcing her legs to steady themselves and pushed the pain away. She watched as Lucas started walking tentatively his movements slow until he forced himself to walk normally.

"How do you feel? Anything broken?"

"You hit me hard but not that hard, I can take a hit."

"Good to know." Audrey said, smiling.

He gave her a half smile and focused back on walking.

"Since we are walking together might as well get to know each other but first I have a question for you."

"Okay shoot."

"What did you mean Charlotte was new money? I thought she was old money like everyone else?"

"No, her father started from, well closer to the bottom then any of these people have ever been. Yes, they have been around the neighborhood since forever and they fit in but that doesn't mean that they still don't have to work at it every single day."