“I know,” he whispers. “But?—”
There is no “but”. “I have to do this. Okay? If you give two shits about me at all, can’t you just understand that? Can’t you let me go? Hallie would have.”
We both know that if Hallie were still here, there wouldn’t be any reason for me to leave. I don’t give him a chance to point that out—or to try to figure out another way to stop me. Dancing around the frozen man before I give too much away—or say something I’ll regret—I snag the sweatshirt, then stride purposefully down the stairs and away from the porch.
I thought I got through to him. I thought he understood.
And then Chase calls after me: “Do you really think this’ll bring your sister back?”
That gets me to stop. Another lump rises in my throat, tears stinging my eyes. I won’t let Chase see them. I refuse to turn around.
“Hallie is never coming back,” I tell him. My voice is hollow, and every one of those words hurts deep in my chest. “You better get used to it.”
When I start to walk away again, Chase doesn’t follow me. Maybe my words stunned him or maybe he’s finally figured out that it’s pointless trying to argue with me, but I get all the way across the small parking lot out front before I glance back and see that he’s resting on the balls of his feet, leaning forward on the porch as if he’s about to take flight. He’s hugging himself, and I can tell from the look on his face that he’d kill to have Hallie here again.
Him and me both.
“Goodbye, Chase.”
“Wait—”
I should go. I should take my pack and run before Chase says somethinghewill regret and there’ll be no going back.
For either of us.
“I just…” His voice breaks a second time, and I feel my tough facade chip away a little like a crack in a windshield. If he doesn’t stop, who knows how far it can spread before I shatter completely? “I can’t lose my Hallie again.”
And I know then that there’s no way in any world that I can stay.
CHAPTER 9
Maverick is waiting for me at the corner of Ridgemond and Grove.
On the one hand, I’m kind of surprised he didn’t put Madison behind him as quickly as he could. If he expected a solid troupe of hunters to join him, that sure as hell didn’t happen, and I don’t think he was all that eager to take me up on my offer to tag along. Sure, he sided against Jack, throwing out the “vote” idea, but I wonder if that was only because he seemed convinced our community would lean toward safety, urging me to stay.
On the other hand, the fact that Eddie caught me heading to St. Matthew’s and turned me around, telling me to head back the other way because that’s where the newcomer had gone… I almost saidfuck itmyself and returned to the condo.
I haven’t been back to that part of the Grave since the accident. If I wasn’t so determined to get away, I would’ve done anything to avoid the scorched asphalt where Hallie died. But if I stayed, it was inevitable that I’d have to face Chase again, and… no.
I hike my backpack high up on my shoulders, watching the stranger once I spot him so I don’t see anything else that might mess with my mind.
I approach him. “Thanks for waiting. I’m ready to go when you are.”
Maverick doesn’t move. There’s a pack perched at his feet like a faithful dog showing loyalty to his master; it’s about three times the size of mine, and he has a stained old bedroll stacked neatly on top. On top ofthatthere’s a Tupperware container full of pancakes, a plastic fork, and a bag full of fresh syrup. Looks like Mrs. Baker got to him, too.
A stack of papers are tucked neatly under his arm. He was studying one of the sheets as I moved toward him, but it’s suddenly folded up and out of my sight.
A slight frown tugs on his lips. “This is a bad idea,” he mutters. His voice is rough and quiet without the help of the microphone.
Not the sort of greeting any girl wants to get, though I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t expecting this.
“You spoke to Jack.”
“It’s fair to say I spent a good chunk of my time in your town with him.”
That didn’t answer my question.
“And?” I cross my arms over my chest, a defiant tilt to my head as I look up at him. “We were both at the auditorium. It’s no secret that he doesn’t want me to leave the Grave.”
