"Fine," I murmur as I struggle to process the emotions flooding me.
I've always been in this alone.
And now I'm not.
And it's almost as frightening as being alone.
Because alone is familiar.
And familiar, even crappy familiarity, is easier to process than the unknown.
"Are you sure?" His fingers continue to explore my face.
All I can do is nod. And think about kissing him.
But that thought hastily dissolves at the sound of a deafening engine.
"That's probably Finn," River says as he carefully pushes up and peeks over the trash cans.
I hold my breath and prepare to dig out my taser, just in case.
"Thank god," River breathes out, some tension evaporating from his muscles.
Taking my hand, he effortlessly pulls me to my feet. Parking in front of the curb is Finn's sleek car with an engine that is too deafening to bring me comfort. The headlights are on, lighting up the dark night-kissed street, and the windows are so tinted that no one inside is visible. The driver's-side door opens, and Finn hops out, worry etching his features.
"Are you guys okay?" he asks as River and I jog toward him.
"Yeah, just get us out of here," River tells him as he hurries around the front of the car.
Finn climbs back in while River signals for me to hop into the backseat with Noah and Lily. I'm about to duck in when a shout echoes across the air.
"Don't you fucking dare take off!" Will yells.
River's and mine's attention darts across the street. Will is standing with his crew, rage is pouring off of him, and he's still holding the knife. Our eyes briefly lock, and then I ungracefully dive into the backseat. Stupidly, I end up kneeing Noah in the stomach.
"Are you okay?" I sputter as I sit down.
He nods, his face contorted in pain.
"I'm sorry," I tell him as River climbs into the passenger seat.
"Go!" River shouts at Finn as he moves to shut the door.
Right before it closes, Will yells one final thing that sends enough adrenaline through my body that I almost jump out of the car.
"Hey, Maddy! How's your aunt Ellie? I heard she just up and left you! Or did she?" His voice pierces the air like a needle through flesh. “If you want to find her, I can help you.”
I stiffen and then shove at the back seat. "Let me out."
But Finn is already peeling away, taking me with him and leaving a potential answer behind.
CHAPTER 5
MADDISON
I stareout the side window of the car, shaking my head over and over again. The cab is quiet except for our breathing and the loud-as-hell roar of the engine. Noah is fidgeting with a leather band on his wrist, and Lily is softly crying.
"Maddy." River finally breaks the silence, his voice cautiously gentle.
