My face went hot, and my fingers went cold. “You hacked my password?”
“Hack is such an ugly word. I’ve waited days for you to tell me what’s going on, and you didn’t, so I took matters into my own hands while you ran into the diner this morning and read your texts. Did you know that social engineering is by far the greatest threat to cybersecurity?”
“I… you…” I shook my head. “No.”
“No? You mean youdidn’tintentionally set my brother’s birthday as your phone passcode?” Gage blinked innocently. “What a strange coincidence. Who’s Oak?”
“Just a friend.” I closed my eyes and shook my head some more, trying very hard to pretend this wasn’t happening, but the way my face went hot suggested that itwas. “That’s not… My passcode’s been that way foryears, and I…”
Gage gave me a pitying look. “Look, I might legit die of boredom if I’m stuck here another night.” He leaned toward me confidingly. “I was meant for adventure, you know? So let me handle this.”
He jumped out, crossed the street, and pulled open the cafe door before I’d managed to lock the car and jam a baseball hat on my head. When I caught up to him, he was already showing his phone screen to the blue-haired teenager at the counter.
“Oh, sure,” the woman said. “Aimee! She’s a chai latte, extra honey.”
Gage smiled broadly and leaned a hip against the counter. “Ah, Megan, you’re a lifesaver. I was totally spaced when I was talking to her earlier. Couldn’t remember what she said to get, couldn’t remember the address where I’m supposed to go to meet her.” He grimaced. “At least now I only have to call her to repeatonething.”
“Brothers.” Megan rolled her eyes good-naturedly, grabbing a paper cup to start making the drink. “I have three.” She winked at Gage. “Aimee’s at St. Vincent’s. Two lights down, make a right, and it’s on your left. Can’t miss it.”
“St. Vincent’s?” I repeated. “What’s that?”
“The hospital?” Megan frowned, like she hadn’t noticed I was there. Then she did a double take and stared at me.
Damn it.
“Ignore my friend. He’s really forgetful,” Gage said.
Megan smiled again and handed over the drink. “M’kay. Well, tell your sister I hope everything went well, and she should come see us when she gets out.”
Gets out?
Gage and I both froze for a moment. He recovered long before I did. “Thanks a bunch, Megan. You have a great day.”
He followed me out onto the sun-baked pavement. “Breathe, Jayd.”
But I couldn’t. “Get out? Like, she’s hospitalized? For what?”
“Dude, I don’t know. Maybe she fell down. Maybe she’s getting a nose job.”
I stared at him. “She’s not getting a nose job.”
“We don’t know that. We’ll just drive down and ask politely—”
“Oh, we’ll ask, alright,” I said hotly as guilt ate at my insides.
Three days I’d spent sitting around in Denver. Four here in Wyoming. And all that time Aimee had beenhurt? Ill? Needing me?
Fuck.
“Get in the car, Gage.”
I couldn’t remember actually driving to the clinic, but when we pulled up outside, Gage rushed around to stop me when I would have charged into the lobby.
“This is a medical facility. They’re legally not allowed to tell you much about her condition, remember? HIPAA laws and whatnot?”
I stepped around him. “I’m gonna ask to visit my sister, that’s all.”
But Gage was right. I was losing my mind from a combination of fear and frustration, and that would help nothing. I forced a smile and summoned every scrap of charm I possessed as I talked to the white-haired lady at the reception desk.
