Logan grips her by the shoulders. “What happened? Did you pull herout?”
Skyla glances up at me a moment. “The boys are at your mother’s house. Bring them home for me.” She darts down the corridor before anyone can stopher.
“Skyla!” I run after her, but she’s out the front door and I’m chasing taillights into the night. “Where the hell are you going?” I pant as I try to catch mybreath.
Logan and Lexy run out the door, and I join them on theporch.
“Skyla’s friends with that girl.” Lexy shudders. “I bet she’s off to tellCoop.”
“That’s not Laken.” Logan takes a seat on the porch, and I join him. “Would you mind giving me a minute withGage?”
Lexy clicks her tongue and huffs toward the door. “Fine, but remember I came over to discuss the dance. It’ll be here before you know it, and there are still a ton of details we need to cover.” She slams the door behind her as if to annunciate thepoint.
“Yes, the dance.” Logan bounces his knee to mine a moment. “Lexy just put it all in perspective. Who gives a crap about a mysterious girl wearing someone else’s face or the fact you and Skyla had a moment alone—when we’ve got an ’80s dance on thehorizon?”
“Yup. How I wish that was my greatestworry.”
“Can I ask what happened between you andSkyla?”
“She wanted to know about MelodyWinters.”
“What abouther?”
“I don’t know.” I wipe my face down with my hands. “Something about Chloe gifting Skyla a ring that Melody says she stole. I told her everything I knew about that chick. Anyway, nothing too earth-shattering happened between Skyla and me. I’m still in the doghouse, barking at the moon like a fucking loon. Dude, it’s days like this that have me believing I’ve screwed things up forgood.”
“My dad—your grandpa had a saying”—Logan claps his hand over my shoulder—“all’s well that ends well, and if it isn’t ending well, it isn’t theend.”
“That soundsominous.”
“It sounds good to me, and I’mdead.”
A dull laugh rumbles from me. “I’m a dead man, too. It’s just a matter of time, dude. This is nothing but a long farewell forme.”
“But those boys—” His voice trails off. “They can sure use you around for the next six decades or so. I know what it’s like to lose a parent—both parents. It sucks. No offense to Barron and Emma. God knows I appreciate them, but there’s something about having your own mother and father around that’s a specialblessing.”
“And that’s why I’m fighting.” I stare out at the unmapped darkness that bleeds into the ocean. “What exactly I’m fighting against, I am notsure.”
Logan slaps me over the knee. “Then it’s time to find out. You up for adrive?”
“Depends on where we’reheaded.”
“We’re going on a hunt.” He jumps up, and I’m slow to follow. “Lex”—he shouts through the screen—“I’ll be back in a littlewhile.”
“Okay, hon! Take your time. I’ll be right herewaiting.”
Logan jogs down to his truck, and a quiet laugh strums from him. “That’s what I’m afraid of,” he says for my earsonly.
I hop in next to him as he revs the engine. “So, what are we hunting for?” I slip on my seat belt as the truck jackknifes out of the driveway with ajolt.
“Answers.”
* * *
Paragon is knownfor many things, but answers are not on thelist.
The highway stretches out before us, hardly visible beneath the white plumes of fog cropping up like ghosts. We drive deeper into the night as the terrain gives way to large stretches of shadowed land without the hint of a streetlight to guide our way. I’ve walked along this stretch of road before, so unknowably black in the night with a darkness so enveloping it convinces you to surrender. It tempts you to lie down between the evergreens and fall into a deep slumber with eternity curling its fingers for you to follow along for theride.
I know where we’re headed, and the closer we get, the less I want to behere.
