“Sequest,” I repeated, trying to wrap my head around it. I hadn’t imagined much about Benji Dexter, but this certainly felt a bit out of left field; if I had to guess, I would’ve said he was some sort of writer, considering the yearning letter.
“Right?” Phoebe said. “I have a good feeling about it. Do you?”
The opposite. If not for Phoebe, I would’ve put the letter in a drawer and forgotten about it. But we were in this together, somehow. Our first adventure since Dad died. I had no idea how it turned into this, but I wouldn’t complain.
“I haven’t decided, yet,” I replied. She studied my face, her expression growing wary.
“You said if I found him, we would take him the letter.”
“I know what I said.”
“So…?” She tilted her head, fixing me with one of the sparkly, hopeful looks she used to wear when the tinkling sound of theice cream truck swung around the corner. My heart dipped, and frankly, I’d let it drown if it meant this budding bond between us could bloom.
“Yeah,” I said. “Yeah. We can go.”
A bright grin overtook her face.
“But we have to bring Arden,” I added. “She’ll kill me if we don’t.”
Phoebe snatched her backpack off the sidewalk and bolted for the entrance of our building. It wasn’t until the elevator doors slid shut, revealing our reflections, that I realized I was smiling too.
Two and a half minutes into the walk to Sequest, Phoebe and Arden had already lost their minds.
“This is so exciting,” Arden said, clapping her hands over her cheeks. “Do you know what this could mean?”
“We go to jail for breaking the law?” I muttered, sidestepping a jogging woman. The beaming sun had the sidewalks bustling. Boston was at its very best on the cusp of summer, an almost electric feel in the air. A steady stream of traffic emitted the stench of exhaust and gasoline, mingling with the smells coming from Antonio’s Pizza and the quaint café next door. I loved the orange hue painting the tippy tops of high-rises and strategically planted trees, but I couldn’t bring myself to appreciate it with the tittering behind me.
“Think of the possibilities,” Arden said. “What if this is what reunites them? We could bring true love back together!”
“Imagine if that letter never got to Catalina,” Phoebe agreed wistfully. “I would forgive someone if they wrote me a letter like that. Wouldn’t matter what they did.”
I kept my mouth shut so I wouldn’t unleash the pessimisticthoughts rolling through my head. Phoebe needed me to be on board with this. She needed me to be the Violet who was optimistic and fun, even though that version of me had been struggling to scratch the surface since September.
Three positives:Phoebe was smiling, Noah gave us a quart of chicken noodle soup, I avoided stepping in a huge pile of dog shit someone left on the sidewalk.
“We could have a part in this couple’s love story.” Arden burst forward to throw her arms around my shoulders. “Isn’t thatexciting?”
“You guys need to calm down,” I replied. “You’re gonna freak everyone out. This whole thing is weird enough without imagining a reconciliation.”
Arden released me at once, turning to Phoebe. “She’s right. They’ll see the mania in our eyes.”
My sister, not listening, said, “Do you think Benji’s bi? Or trans? And that’s why he works at Sequest?”
Arden covered her heart with her hands. I turned to walk backward, pointing between them as I said, “Stop. That’s none of our business. None of this is any of our business. We are returning a letter to its rightful owner, that’s all. If he’s even there.”
“He’s there,” Arden said confidently. “I can feel it. My gut feelings are getting way more accurate lately. Remember Antonio?”
“Anyone with half a brain knows Antonio has a thing for you,” I rebuffed, facing forward. “Just chill out. Both of you.”
“Maybe you should do the talking,” Phoebe said. I stopped on the sidewalk to meet her challenging gaze. “Since this doesn’t matter to you whatsoever.”
“Okay,” Arden cut in, placing a hand on Phoebe’s shoulder. She shrugged her off. “We’re doing something cool right now, remember? Can we focus on that?”
Phoebe continued staring me down, smile gone. I took a small step toward her. “I care,” I said. “I’m keeping my expectations low. It’s not so easy to be optimistic these days. But Idocare.”
Her expression softened imperceptibly. “Fine. Whatever. Let’s go.”
The broody stomping briefly returned, but by the time the small brick building came into view, Phoebe was smiling and any semblance of doubt fled my head.
