Cami grabbed my arm. “Frankie, please don’t do this. It’s dangerous and stupid and—”
“I have to.” I pulled away from her. “You don’t understand. Mom gave up everything for me. She left Richard even though she was scared. She’s always protecting me and taking care of me and making sure I’m okay.”
My voice was shaking now but I kept going.
“But who takes care of her? Who makes sure she’s okay? She won’t let anyone get close anymore. She won’t let herself be happy. And I know it’s because she’s scared. Because of Richard and Clay. She thinks she has to be alone to keep me safe.”
I wiped at my eyes again. “But Derek’s different. I know he is. And if I can just get them in the same room, if I can just make them talk to each other, maybe she’ll see that too.”
Cami was crying now. “What if it doesn’t work?”
“Then at least I tried.”
She hugged me tight. “You’re crazy.”
“I know.”
Nox stood up and brushed the dirt off his jeans. “I’m coming with you.”
“What?” I looked up at him. “Nox, you don’t have to—”
“I want to.” He crossed his arms. “Besides, you don’t have any idea where you’re going.”
I smiled at him. “Okay. Thanks.”
Cami sniffled. “I still think this is a terrible idea.”
“Noted.”
We sat there until the sun started going down. Maggie called us in for dinner, and we went inside and ate like everything was normal. Mom barely touched her food. She just pushed it around on her plate and stared at nothing.
It made my chest hurt to see her like that.
After dinner, Cami, Nox, and I went upstairs to go to bed. But I couldn’t stop thinking about the plan.
“Are you sure about this?” Cami whispered after we turned off the lights.
“Yeah.”
“What if your mom never forgives you?”
I thought about that. About how mad Mom would be when she found out. About how scared she’d be when she realized I was gone. But then I thought about Derek. About the bunny he’d given me when I was two. About the way Mom looked at him when she thought I couldn’t see her.
“She will,” I said. “Eventually.”
I waited until Cami’s breathing got slow and even. Then I waited a little longer to make sure she was really asleep.
The bedroom door opened slowly. “Ready?” Nox whispered.
I scribbled out a note for Cami and then kissed Bunny goodbye. I hadn’t told Cami that part. “Yeah.”
We crept out of the room as quietly as we could. The house was dark and silent. I grabbed my jacket from the hook by the door and pulled on my boots. Nox led the way across the yardand into the trees. The moon was bright enough that we could see where we were going. My heart was pounding so hard I thought everyone in the house could probably hear it.
“This way,” Nox whispered.
We walked for what felt like forever. The woods got thicker and darker. I started to get scared, but I didn’t say anything. I just followed Nox and tried not to think about what Mom would say when she woke up and found me gone.
Finally, as the sun started to come up, Nox stopped. “There.”
