“At night, the earth cools down, releasing energy it received from the sun that day,” Jack explains, raising his hands in the air, the cloth dangling below them. “You’d think everything would warm up when the sun shines. But because the sun is still so low, the solar radiation isn’t strong enough yet, and the temperature continues to drop. MaybeEntangledwas your sunrise. Barely peeking over the horizon. And now the sun is higher. Things are starting to warm up.”
A real smile takes over my face. “Thank you.”
I fill my lungs with cool air and slowly begin to feel hopeful. This just might work.
“Pull that a little tighter and move this corner up,” I instruct.
Jack does as I tell him. “Like this?” he asks, rotating his hands and pulling gently.
“Here,” I say, tucking my strand of cloth in between secured ones. I sidestep back in front of him, our bodies touching, and reach around his hands with my own to guide them into the places I want the string. Even out here on this breezy night, Jack’s hands are warm and steady. I love seeing them intertwined with my string, making loops with his fingers to tie knots, like he’s now a part of my work.
“Are you okay? Where’d you go just now?” Jack asks when I’ve gone quiet and don’t respond to whatever it is he’s asked.
I redirect my stare up to his face and look into his darkened eyes. “I was definitely not thinking about you tied up in string.”
Jack coughs out a laugh and looks around to see if anyone heard. He pulls the cloth tightly. “I don’t think this would be strong enough.”
I gasp.
“Looking good,” Talia says over the radio. Jack steps back from me as I let go of his hands and collect my cloth. “On our letter, I mean.” She clears her throat, and Jack and I laugh quietly together.
We stand behind the sign, out of sight from the team, and tie off the cloth to complete our “L.” The entire time we’ve been here, I’ve been oddly calm. Now, though, being this close to Jack, with everyone around the corner, my heart races. The riskiest thing about this night is us right here, right now, not keeping our distance.
Jack’s foot slips and sends a rock tumbling down the mountain and into the darkness. Our faces are inches away, and if his foot slipped again, we’d be kissing. Which is all I can think about as everything else fades away. The city lights, the fabric in our hands, the rest of the team wrapping the letters, any sounds from the hand-held radio. They’re nothing but blurs. What is clear to me is the person standing less than a foot away, his face illuminated by my headlamp.
Jack has been right here with me through all of it, from the moments that were hard, uninspired, and precarious. I’ve gotten through them with him. Because of him. And then because of me. He helped me find myself again.
I was always hiding in plain sight. While that won’t be true after today, my feelings will be in hiding if I don’t share with Jack what he means to me. And what I feel is love, pure and true, like the feeling was always meant to happen. I think he might be my stringmate. After everything, how could he not be?
“Jack,” I start. “I—”
And that’s when the floodlights from a helicopter pour down on us. Everyone springs into executing the exit strategy when I notice that the lower half of the “D” sign is halfway done.
“You all go!” I shout. “Exit Route A, like we planned.”
Team Hollywood gathers up the supplies, encouraging me to come with them.
“We’re not leaving you, Rooney!” Talia screams. “Let’s go!”
“I’m staying. I got this,” I shout back. “Let me do this.”
Talia holds her gaze for another second before nodding knowingly.
Jack grabs my arm. “Rooney, come with us.”
I’m breathless. “Jack, we’re so close. This is my responsibility, my risk. It was only a matter of time before they got here. You can’t get caught. Please. Go,” I urge, pushing him to follow the others. “Don’t let them see your faces.”
Before he and the team can try to stop me, I jog to the “D” to finish the work. The police won’t come up here yet. When I’m done, I’ll go down to them.
The exit plan works, and Team Hollywood leaves no trace behind. I savor the last moments of anonymity, bracing myself for whatever comes next. It’s time to be me.
Chapter 26
ROONEY
Outside the Hollywood police station, the sun casts a burning orange glow in the hazy morning. As soon as I finished wrapping the “D,” I walked down the trail and surrendered. A few hours later, I’m free to go with a fine since no damage was done to the sign. Bohai will be proud. So will Mom.
I find Talia waiting for me on the sidewalk.
