“Hey, do you think your dad will let you stick around until you graduate?”
She paused, a wistful longing sweeping over her expression before she smiled. “Hopefully.”
I wanted to read more, see what else she might show me, but the strong shield went up over her eyes. In spite of it, I couldn’t help asking once more.
“Do you know where you’re going? Are you sure I can’t give you a lift home?”
“I’m sure.” Her nod was firm as she took a step away from me.
I reluctantly gave in. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“You bet. I’m gonna beat you at laps this time.” She called over her shoulder as she started walking away.
I chuckled. “Wanna bet?”
She paused, her blue eyes sparkling as she turned back to face me. “I’m game.”
My eyebrows rose of their own accord as I took a few steps towards her. “Okay.” I licked my bottom lip and crossed my arms. “I win and you come to dinner with me.”
Her lips pursed to the side. “Where?”
“My buddy, AJ cooks at a local restaurant every Friday night. My friends and I go there to harass him.” I wrinkled my nose. “To be honest, he’s actually a really good cook.”
“These friends, are you talking about Liesl and Elliot?”
“Yeah, and Jaeda.”
“The pretty redhead who wears those beanies?”
“That’s her.” I tipped my head with a grin.
A smile nearly reached her eyes as she nodded. “Okay.”
“And if you win?”
“Well, maybe I don’t want to win anymore.” Her voice held a touch of flirt and I couldn’t decide if she had intended to be that way.
My eyebrows rose again.
She blushed, dropping her gaze to the driveway. Her teeth caught her bottom lip, making her look adorable. Man, I wished she wasn’t leaving.
“Come on, let me drive you home.” A last ditch effort.
Her nose wrinkled. Tucking her thumb beneath he bag strap, she shook her head once more. “I like to walk, Zach.”
“No, that’s not it.” I pursed my lips, deciding how far to push it. “You find it hard to trust people, don’t you?”
Her face flashed with something I couldn’t quite make out. Surprise? Fear? I wasn’t sure.
Maybe I shouldn’t have pushed it.
I didn’t feel bad though. I liked her unchecked reactions, it helped me build a clearer picture.
I was in the midst of trying to decipher what she was feeling when her expression was wiped out by a killer watt smile that made my belly quiver. “I trust them when I need to.”
Her words were a warning to back off, the smile putting a glossy coating on the threat. I stepped away from her and raised my hand in farewell.
“Night, Dani.”
“Night, Zach.”
I didn’t want to watch her walk away and turned before anything more could be said, but then I couldn’t help myself. When I glanced back, I noticed that instead of walking, my newfound puzzle was sprinting down the road.
Chapter 8
LUCY
February 2009
“Hey! Hey wait! I’m not gonna hurt you!”
Lucy heard his words chasing her, but didn’t believe them. Scrambling into the forest, she ducked through the trees, trying to find a good place to hide. She figured she didn’t really have time to climb a tree. He’d see her doing it. She needed to find a place she could gain some serious speed.
His footsteps were catching up too fast.
Hurtling over a log, she dashed towards a patch of darkness before the bottle bashing guy could snaffle her. Her feet were already leaping towards the black, when she realized it was a steep slope that plunged straight into a river. She didn’t have time to stop. Her body slid the short distance and was quickly assaulted by the freezing water. Scrambling for air, she kicked her heavy feet and grappled with the water. She managed a frantic gulp before her head went under once more.
She knew how to swim, but had never been strong, so she tended to avoid anything more than splashing around in a pool or the shallow ocean. The freezing water made it hard to think clearly and her weak muscles were doing her no favors.
Maybe she should give in. Maybe this was a sign it was time to join her parents…but for some reason, her will wouldn’t let her do it. She kept kicking, kept thrashing her arms until she popped into the open again. The current was strong, tugging her along. Looking for rocks or anything to cling to was hard in the dark. The one rock she managed to touch was slippery and impossible to hold on to.
Her head went under again and she thought she could hear a distant yelling, as if the guy was still chasing her. Part of her wanted to stay below the water in case that were true but she didn’t have a chance to make that choice. A hand slapped onto her back and gripped her jacket.
Her body was hauled from the water.
The surprise made her freeze momentarily and the grunting person dragged her onto the dry bank easily.