Spencer blinked hard. “She actually admitted that?”
Reefer nodded. “I just talked to her. First she told me about the rescue, but then she admitted what she’d been up to. She seemed to feel really bad about it. I feel bad about it, too. I didn’t believe you. Can you ever forgive me?”
Spencer stared at him crazily. “I should be the one begging for forgiveness. I’m the one who’s been acting crazy. And I’m the one who broke up with you. I never should have done that.”
Reefer squeezed her tight. “Of course I forgive you,” he murmured. “It’s been a weird trip, hasn’t it? Naomi tormenting you, that fugitive girl jumping overboard, and did you hear about the explosion? It might have been intentional.”
Spencer swallowed hard. “I didn’t hear that.” She hoped it sounded like the truth.
Reefer nodded. “It started in the boiler room. They think a passenger did it.”
Spencer looked down, knowing eye contact with Reefer would give everything away. “Do they know who did it?” she asked.
Reefer shrugged. “No clue. They’re trying to bring up security cameras from the boiler room, but two of them were knocked out. I heard that they made out two people on the third camera, though—they’re just trying to figure out who they were.”
Spencer glanced at Aria, who was still talking to Hanna and Emily. She was sure the two figures on the security tape were Aria … and Graham. She shut her eyes for a moment, considering Graham as A. They didn’t even know him. It all seemed so … impersonal. What kind of lunatic stalks and torments his girlfriend’s killers instead of simply turning them in to the police?
A lunatic called A, of course.
She turned back to Reefer, wanting to think about something else. “I missed you so much,” she admitted.
“I missed you, too,” Reefer said, and leaned forward to kiss her neck.
Spencer tilted her head back, savoring the sensation. But suddenly, as a group of tourists wearing American flag T-shirts waded through the kids, reality snapped into focus once more. They were going to call the FBI tomorrow. How would it go down? First a call, then a meeting with the investigator, then a tearful confession? She pictured her parents being summoned to jail, the press clamoring at the door with questions, their names in the news again, everyone staring at them. What would Reefer think when he found out?
She let out a small, quiet moan and hugged Reefer even tighter. When she was a little girl, she and Melissa used to play a game they’d made up called “Prince Charming,” in which they listed all of the characteristics they wanted in a future boyfriend. At first, Spencer always copied what Melissa said—tall, dark, handsome, drives a nice car, and has a good job—until she realized they were, more or less, describing their dad. But even when she imagined a unique future prince, things like smells like hemp or can quote obscure Grateful Dead songs were never on her list. But as she gazed at Reefer’s kind, gentle face, the same wistful, someday-my-prince-will-come feelings she used to have when playing the game welled up inside of her. Even though Reefer wasn’t the sort of guy she had anticipated ending up with, he was exactly what she wanted.
But would he want her, after he found out what she’d done?
32
THE BOYFRIEND PROBLEM
Even though the Eco Cruise company had chartered flights for the kids to take back to Philadelphia, there was still the matter of everyone collecting their stuff from their rooms on the ship. The boat pulled into the Hamilton harbor at 7 A.M. on Monday, and everyone was allowed one hour to pack up. Aria and Noel climbed up the ramp, then glanced at the auditorium, which was still decorated for the talent show. It was kind of sad to see the festive balloons, streamers, and search lights. Even the food was still set up, though flies were buzzing around it hungrily.
Noel pointed at the first-prize Vespa, which was parked near the stage. “I wonder who’s going to get that?”
“No one, I guess,” Aria murmured.
He shook his head somberly. “Yesterday sucked.” He took Aria’s hand. “I just can’t believe you thought it was a good idea to go and get some stupid family heirloom that Spencer lost on a dive. You could have died.”
Aria lowered her eyes. “I didn’t think it was a big deal. We didn’t plan on the raft deflating. It was a freak thing.”