Call meback?
I heard whathappened.
Ness? Send me some fuckingnews.
NESS CALLME.
I smiled at my screen. He was roasting on some desert base or ambushing enemies, and yet he was thinking of me. August was as sweet as theycame.
I feel like a freight train just rolled over me, but I’m alive. Thanks for checking onme.
I hesitated to send a heart emoji. August was my friend. Did girls send heart emojis to boy-friends? I’d never even sent one to Everest, and he wasfamily.
“You gave us all afright.”
I looked up from my phone and locked eyes with my uncle who was manning the bell desk. He rubbed the back of his neck. Was he expecting me toapologize?
“Lucy was out of her mind withworry—”
“Lucy was worried?” My voice sounded slightly unhinged. “She tried to stop me, Jeb. She told me girls shouldn’t play at boy’s games. Wonder where she got thatfrom.”
Jeb blushed. Like a full-on blush. “We were trying to protect you, Ness. We didn’t want you to get hurt, and you did. You weren’t supposed to find a way of gettingthere.”
“So that’s why Everest vanished from the face of theEarth?”
Henodded.
“I may be your ward, Uncle, but this is mylife.”
“So we should just stand back and watch you kill yourself? You think this is what your mother would’vewanted?”
“I’m not going todie.”
“You kids… You think you’re so invincible, but you aren’t. Look at that sweet girl Everest wasdating.”
“She tried to commit suicide. I’m taking part in a competition.Besides—”
“A competition no one wants you to compete in!No one. And I’m not talking about Lucy and me. I’m talking about the whole”—his voice dropped to a hiss—“pack.”
His comment hurt. “I’m out of the running anyway,” I mumbled. “And for your information, the wholepackjust invited me to go out with themtonight.”
He drew his shoulders back until they formed a perfect T. “I thought you wanted nothing to do with them. I thought you weren’t looking to fitin.”
Outside, a car honked, and then Amanda waved from the passenger window of a silver Dodgesedan.
“I thought so too, but I’m trying to make the most of my time here. But don’t worry. I’ll be out of your hairsoon.”
What I’d wished for the most had finally come true, except leaving wasn’t what I wanted mostanymore.
Matt honkedagain.
“I’ll see you later,” Isaid.
Jeb pinched his lips together. Either he was all out of unsolicited advice or he’d understood giving me any wasuseless.
I pushed through the revolving doors, the deep-blue night air slapping my warm cheeks, then pulled open the back door of the Dodge. Someone was already sitting in thebackseat.
Sienna.Her fingers worked the hem of her baby-doll top, rolling it over andover.
