I take a few steps away from them, pull off my ski hat, and strain to hear. Now it sounds like two sirens. Maybe even three. I run over to the radio someone brought and shut it off in the middle of a killer Led Zeppelin guitar solo. Someone whines. I say, “I’m not kidding! Shut up.”
I guess something in my voice tells them to take me seriously. They shut their traps. And then we all hear it. Like every fire truck in Jar Island is on its way to something bad.
“Ricky!”
I’m running over to his bike and putting on a helmet as fast as I can. No one knows what to make of this, but Ricky, bless his heart, doesn’t hesitate a second. He roars the engine and we peel out, sending a spray of dead pine needles and snow.
We drive toward the sound. It’s not far off. But we can’t get close. One of the fire trucks has blocked off the road. I climb off the bike and run to the side of the road where a fireman is pulling caution tape across the pass. A few hundred feet away, around the bend of the cliff, I see a bright orange glow. Like a fire.
“What happened?”
He gives me this look, like I’m some stupid rubbernecker wanting the gory details. “There’s been an accident.” And then he turns his back to me.
I grab his arm. “Who? Was it a car? Was it a white Jeep?”
As soon as I say the white Jeep bit, he spins around, his face completely different.
I fall to my knees and let out a howl like a wild animal.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
When I wake up, it’s just getting to be light outside, and I’m leaning against Reeve’s chest and his arms are around me. The clock on the dashboard says 7:07. Oh God.
I try to sit up, and Reeve stirs but doesn’t wake up, and he doesn’t let go. He holds me tighter, and for a second I let him. My parents are going to kill me.
Was it worth it? I look up at Reeve; his eyes are closed and his lashes are long and his hair is all mussed in the back. He looks like a little boy. Yes, it was worth it. I know now that I can’t not be with him. It will be hard, but I’m going to have to explain it to Mary and Kat so they understand. They’ll have to, they just will.
I sit up and gently shake Reeve’s shoulder. “Wake up, Reeve.” He opens his eyes, and he smiles. Then his eyes widen. “Oh shit. It’s morning. We overslept.”
“My parents are going to kill me. I was supposed to be home by two.” I slide away from him and start looking for my clutch. I find it on the floor by my shoes. I check my phone—eighteen missed calls, all from home. “Oh no.”
Reeve starts up the truck, and reverses out of the woods and onto the main road in one swift move. “I’ll get you home in six minutes. We’ll explain that we fell asleep; it’ll be fine.”
“You’re not explaining anything,” I tell him. “You’re just dropping me off. I’m talking to them alone.” I check my hair in the mirror. A mess. I start running my fingers through it, trying to untangle the ends. I’m starting to feel queasy, and it’s not just my parents. Every time I think of Mary, I feel an ache inside. And the way I left things with Rennie . . . it’s all such a mess.
Reeve reaches over and grabs my hand. He laces his fingers around mine and says, “Ren will get over it eventually. I’ll talk to her. She can’t stay mad forever.”
I let out a laugh. “Do you know Rennie at all? Of course she can.”
Confidently he says, “Not at me. We’ve known each other for too long.”
“Okay, then, she’ll forgive you and she’ll go on hating me.” As soon as I say it, I know that’s exactly how it’s going to go. Reeve’s just a guy; he’s not her best friend. He didn’t betray her the way I did.
“I won’t let her hate you, Cho,” Reeve says, and I start to smile, but then stop.
“And Mary. Mary’s going to be so upset,” I whisper.
Reeve asks, “Who’s Mary?”
“She’s my friend.” We’re pulling into my neighborhood now. “Reeve, there are a lot of things I need to tell you. Not now, but later.” I’m going to tell him everything. The revenge pact with Mary and Kat, the ecstasy at homecoming, the plan to make him fall in love with me—all of it. It’s the only way. And when he understands how badly he hurt Mary, he’ll go to her, and he’ll apologize. He’ll want to make things right.
Reeve pulls into my driveway, and about two seconds later my front door opens and my dad’s standing at the door. Worriedly, Reeve asks, “Are you sure you don’t want me to come inside with you? Blame it all on me.”
I’m already opening the passenger door. “Just go. I’ll call you later.” I hop out of the truck and run for the front door. I don’t look back, but I hear his car drive away.
Breathless, I run up to the door. “Daddy, I’m so sorry, I fell asleep—”
I stop talking because my dad has the strangest expression on his face. He grabs me in his arms and hugs me to him tight. “Thank God you’re okay.”
“What’s happening?” I ask. Then I look over his shoulder and see my mom and Nadia on the couch. My mom’s crying; so is Nadia. She’s smoothing the top of Nadia’s head and rubbing her back. Then my mom sees me, and her face crumples.
“Lillia,” she chokes out, and holds her arms out to me.
I’m scared. I’ve never felt so scared. “Daddy?” I pull away from my dad and look up at him. “Tell me what’s happening. Is it Grandma?”
My dad closes the front door and tries to maneuver me toward the couch. “First sit down, honey.”
I’m shaking my head. “No. Tell me now.”
He puts his hands on my shoulders. The lines around his eyes look deep in this morning light. He looks so tired. “It’s Rennie.”
My heart drops. No no no no no.
“She’s been in an accident. She—she died, Lilli.”
I feel my legs go out from under me. My dad rushes to lift me up, but he can’t. I can’t move. This isn’t happening. This is a dream. Rennie can’t be dead. It’s not possible.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
At dawn, I wake up to find myself in a ball on the ground. Frosty green grass, dirt, and a touch of snow. But I don’t feel cold. I don’t feel anything. I lift my head.
What happened? I know where I am now. I’m in the big graveyard in the center of the island.
I crawl closer to the gravestone I’m lying in front of. I just need to see the name. If I see the name, I’ll know it’s not true. This has all been a nightmare, every minute.
I guess something in my voice tells them to take me seriously. They shut their traps. And then we all hear it. Like every fire truck in Jar Island is on its way to something bad.
“Ricky!”
I’m running over to his bike and putting on a helmet as fast as I can. No one knows what to make of this, but Ricky, bless his heart, doesn’t hesitate a second. He roars the engine and we peel out, sending a spray of dead pine needles and snow.
We drive toward the sound. It’s not far off. But we can’t get close. One of the fire trucks has blocked off the road. I climb off the bike and run to the side of the road where a fireman is pulling caution tape across the pass. A few hundred feet away, around the bend of the cliff, I see a bright orange glow. Like a fire.
“What happened?”
He gives me this look, like I’m some stupid rubbernecker wanting the gory details. “There’s been an accident.” And then he turns his back to me.
I grab his arm. “Who? Was it a car? Was it a white Jeep?”
As soon as I say the white Jeep bit, he spins around, his face completely different.
I fall to my knees and let out a howl like a wild animal.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
When I wake up, it’s just getting to be light outside, and I’m leaning against Reeve’s chest and his arms are around me. The clock on the dashboard says 7:07. Oh God.
I try to sit up, and Reeve stirs but doesn’t wake up, and he doesn’t let go. He holds me tighter, and for a second I let him. My parents are going to kill me.
Was it worth it? I look up at Reeve; his eyes are closed and his lashes are long and his hair is all mussed in the back. He looks like a little boy. Yes, it was worth it. I know now that I can’t not be with him. It will be hard, but I’m going to have to explain it to Mary and Kat so they understand. They’ll have to, they just will.
I sit up and gently shake Reeve’s shoulder. “Wake up, Reeve.” He opens his eyes, and he smiles. Then his eyes widen. “Oh shit. It’s morning. We overslept.”
“My parents are going to kill me. I was supposed to be home by two.” I slide away from him and start looking for my clutch. I find it on the floor by my shoes. I check my phone—eighteen missed calls, all from home. “Oh no.”
Reeve starts up the truck, and reverses out of the woods and onto the main road in one swift move. “I’ll get you home in six minutes. We’ll explain that we fell asleep; it’ll be fine.”
“You’re not explaining anything,” I tell him. “You’re just dropping me off. I’m talking to them alone.” I check my hair in the mirror. A mess. I start running my fingers through it, trying to untangle the ends. I’m starting to feel queasy, and it’s not just my parents. Every time I think of Mary, I feel an ache inside. And the way I left things with Rennie . . . it’s all such a mess.
Reeve reaches over and grabs my hand. He laces his fingers around mine and says, “Ren will get over it eventually. I’ll talk to her. She can’t stay mad forever.”
I let out a laugh. “Do you know Rennie at all? Of course she can.”
Confidently he says, “Not at me. We’ve known each other for too long.”
“Okay, then, she’ll forgive you and she’ll go on hating me.” As soon as I say it, I know that’s exactly how it’s going to go. Reeve’s just a guy; he’s not her best friend. He didn’t betray her the way I did.
“I won’t let her hate you, Cho,” Reeve says, and I start to smile, but then stop.
“And Mary. Mary’s going to be so upset,” I whisper.
Reeve asks, “Who’s Mary?”
“She’s my friend.” We’re pulling into my neighborhood now. “Reeve, there are a lot of things I need to tell you. Not now, but later.” I’m going to tell him everything. The revenge pact with Mary and Kat, the ecstasy at homecoming, the plan to make him fall in love with me—all of it. It’s the only way. And when he understands how badly he hurt Mary, he’ll go to her, and he’ll apologize. He’ll want to make things right.
Reeve pulls into my driveway, and about two seconds later my front door opens and my dad’s standing at the door. Worriedly, Reeve asks, “Are you sure you don’t want me to come inside with you? Blame it all on me.”
I’m already opening the passenger door. “Just go. I’ll call you later.” I hop out of the truck and run for the front door. I don’t look back, but I hear his car drive away.
Breathless, I run up to the door. “Daddy, I’m so sorry, I fell asleep—”
I stop talking because my dad has the strangest expression on his face. He grabs me in his arms and hugs me to him tight. “Thank God you’re okay.”
“What’s happening?” I ask. Then I look over his shoulder and see my mom and Nadia on the couch. My mom’s crying; so is Nadia. She’s smoothing the top of Nadia’s head and rubbing her back. Then my mom sees me, and her face crumples.
“Lillia,” she chokes out, and holds her arms out to me.
I’m scared. I’ve never felt so scared. “Daddy?” I pull away from my dad and look up at him. “Tell me what’s happening. Is it Grandma?”
My dad closes the front door and tries to maneuver me toward the couch. “First sit down, honey.”
I’m shaking my head. “No. Tell me now.”
He puts his hands on my shoulders. The lines around his eyes look deep in this morning light. He looks so tired. “It’s Rennie.”
My heart drops. No no no no no.
“She’s been in an accident. She—she died, Lilli.”
I feel my legs go out from under me. My dad rushes to lift me up, but he can’t. I can’t move. This isn’t happening. This is a dream. Rennie can’t be dead. It’s not possible.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
At dawn, I wake up to find myself in a ball on the ground. Frosty green grass, dirt, and a touch of snow. But I don’t feel cold. I don’t feel anything. I lift my head.
What happened? I know where I am now. I’m in the big graveyard in the center of the island.
I crawl closer to the gravestone I’m lying in front of. I just need to see the name. If I see the name, I’ll know it’s not true. This has all been a nightmare, every minute.
