“What is?” I asked at the same time Gavin called, “Who is it?”
Justin pressed his lips into a thin line. He backed up, saying, “Sorry. Didn’t realize. I’ll text you as soon as I get inside my car.”
The door shut with a soft click. He’d better hurry. Curiosity was now in the process of eating me alive.
“You were going to show me something,” Cole prompted.
I nodded, and led him past the kitchen. Gavin glanced up from the loaf of potato bread he was slicing, frowned. “Seriously? You’re abandoning me?”
“Only for a few minutes.”
“You don’t owe him an explanation, either,” Cole said, dragging me away. “And I’m not apologizing again.”
I think Gavin flipped him off, but I couldn’t be sure. In the hall, I heard Nana humming under her breath.
“We have another guest,” I called.
She stuck her head out of the door and brightened. “Cole. It’s wonderful to see you.”
“You, too.”
She arched a brow when she noticed my hand on the knob of my door. “You’re going in there...alone?”
“Just for a few minutes,” I said.
Her eyes narrowed, but she nodded. “I’ll be watching the clock.”
I stepped inside—only to gasp. She had decorated my room with everything she knew I’d love. The furnishings were a dark cherrywood and polished to a glossy shine. Wispy white curtains covered my window, and a framed picture of Emma and me hung on the wall. She was in front of me, wrapped in my arms, and we were both smiling our biggest smiles.
There was a note taped to the border.
Angels must have held this photo in their hands, because that’s the only way it could have survived the bomb. I had it framed weeks ago, but wanted to wait to give it to you at Christmas. This seemed like a better time.
Love, Nana
Oh, Nana, I thought as tears welled in my eyes.
“You’re both adorable,” Cole said, stepping up behind me to study the photo. “You look so happy.”
“We were. We’d just finished playing hide-and-seek in the house, and of course, she had won. She always won. My legs were too long to fit anywhere. She was gloating in that sweet way she had—nah, nah, nah, I’m the crown champion again—so I snatched her up to tickle her. Mom demanded we pose.”
He squeezed my shoulder. “I have one of my mom and me, taken a few weeks before she died. It’s more valuable to me than my heart and lungs.”
I liked when he shared something from his past. He didn’t do it often. I turned, met his gaze.
He hooked a strand of hair behind my ear. I could feel myself getting lost in the moment, in him, so when his phone beeped a few seconds later, I jumped. I also sighed with relief.
“Go ahead,” I said. “Check it.”
He hesitated a moment before scrolling through the message, his features darkening as he read. “Justin says the spy is someone who was at the park tonight. Information about the fight has already hit Anima.”
“So...that rules out Collins and Cruz. And Frosty and Bronx were too busy rescuing Kat and Reeve to hand out any details.”
“Not necessarily, but I know them better than I know myself, and they’d never help the enemy. I’ve never suspected them.”
Had he ever suspected me? “You can rule out Lucas and Trina, too. I watched the spy watch them, remember? So that leaves...Veronica.”
“You saw a male in the forest.”
“Yes, and she could be working with him.”
“Maybe.” His gaze locked with mine and searched. “There’s also Gavin.”
My hand fluttered to my throat, rubbed. Gavin... He had to be innocent. And yet he wanted to stay the night here, no matter how uncomfortable he’d be on the couch. Maybe not because he hated the motel, after all, but to keep tabs on me and my dark metamorphosis.
“Anyway, they weren’t the only ones there,” Cole reminded me.
“Me?” I squeaked.
He rolled his eyes. “I never suspected you. I mean Kat. Reeve.”
“Girl. Girl.”