“He said Noah was alive.” But he also said Noah would be waiting for me and he wasn’t. I shook my head to clear it. I needed to believe he was telling the truth. I didn’t forgive him. Far from it. I looked down at my wrists, at the scars from where Jude had made me slit them, faded but not gone, after Noah had healed them. I would never forgive Jude for what he’d done to me, for what he’d done to Joseph, but right now I had to believe him, because I had to believe Noah was alive.
“Hey,” Jamie said softly.
Stella ignored him. “Right now it doesn’t matter what he is. How are we supposed to get out of here if we can’t go back to find out how Kells did it herself?”
“Hey!” Jamie said again, snapping his fingers in Stella’s face to get her attention. He pointed at the ocean. “Is that a boat?”
I followed his gaze, shading my eyes.
“That’s convenient,” I said.
“Too convenient,” Jamie said. “What if someone’s been sent to come get us? Like a Horizons person or something?”
“Like one of the counselors?” Stella asked. “Doubt it. Maybe the police?”
“Could they really take us anywhere worse than where we’ve just come from, though?” I asked.
Jamie pretended to think for a moment. “Um, jail?”
I shot him a glare. “Would that be worse?”
He shrugged. “I’d rather not find out. I have plans.”
Stella shaded her eyes and peered out at the water. “It’s a fishing boat, I think.” She bit her lip, thinking. “We could ask it to take us to No Name Key, or Marathon,” Stella said. “But from there?”
“Hitch a ride?” I offered. Jamie looked at me like I was crazy. “I don’t know! I’m new to the fugitive thing.”
Stella turned to us. “One of us is going to have to swim to it. Any volunteers?”
Jamie shook his head. “Not it. Sharks, first of all, and second of all, sharks.”
Stella was already unzipping her jeans and pulling them down off her hips. “I was on the swim team, once upon a time.”
“You shouldn’t go by yourself,” I said.
“Why? You think the fisherman could be a psychopath?”
“Everyone’s a little crazy. Some people just hide it better than others.” I glanced at Jamie, who was smiling, before I offered to go with Stella. Honestly, I thought we should all go. I didn’t like the idea of splitting up.
She shook her head. “You’ve done more than enough. It’s fine, I’ll be okay. Just stay in the trees with Jamie, all right?” She waved at us and then stepped into the water. As she waded farther out, she yelled, “I’ll be right back.”