“For what?” Lyla asks.
“For Tucker. For his whole stupid act.” I remember that day with Mom, how he put on a show of being such a gentleman. He did the same thing with me, and I fell for it just as easily as she did. Blinded by the fact that someone like him was paying attention to someone like me. I could say money didn’t make anyone better than me until I was blue in the face, but that wasn’t what I felt deep inside. I put him on a pedestal, excused all his questionable behavior, ignored all the warning signs, because he let me be around him. Wanted me.
I’m pathetic.
Lyla screeches to the curb and throws the car in Park. A horn honks, and traffic streams around us.
“What are you doing?” I wheel around to see if any other cars have stopped too. Is the Society watching this?
“I’m not going anywhere until you explain what happened,” Lyla says.
I grit my teeth, but I can tell she means it, so I tell her everything. Her mouth is hanging open by the time I’m done.
“Do you realize what this means?” she asks.
“The Society was watching us. Which is why we can’t just sit here.”
She shifts into Drive and merges onto the street.
“So it’s not Tucker,” she says.
“I don’t think so.”
“Then who could it be?” she asks.
“I have no idea. Nobody knew we were coming here.” I glance across at Lyla.
“You don’t think it was me, do you? You know I’d never do that.”
“What? No, I wasn’t even thinking that, Lyl.”
I was. But the genuine hurt on her face makes me feel guilty about it now.
They had to have been watching my house for a long time. Since early this morning—at least seven. Was someone camped out there all night? That or…is there a GPS tracker in my phone? In Lyla’s car? Are there cameras pointed at my house? A shiver scuttles down my spine. How extensive is this network?
We arrive at my apartment complex. I sit up straight when I see a familiar head of straight black hair leaning against a maroon sedan.
Ethan.
“What’s he doing here?” Lyla asks.
“I don’t know.” My heart is tight and fluttery, and I don’t know if I’m more nervous or happy or scared to see my best friend.
Ethan squints at the car, then pulls his hands out of his pockets when he recognizes me.
“Call me later,” Lyla says.
I nod as I crack the door.
“Hope?” Ethan asks.
I give him a tense smile and step out of the car.
“Hey,” he says. “I knocked on the door, but no one answered. I figured I’d wait around a few minutes.”
Lyla hesitantly backs out of the parking lot. I give her a wave to let her know I’m okay.
“I didn’t know you were friends with Lyla Greene,” Ethan says.
You don’t know a lot of things about me, I almost respond. “What are you doing here?” I ask instead.
“You weren’t in school. I got worried. Are you okay?”
“Define okay,” I say, but on some level I’m relieved he noticed my absence.
He waits for me to explain. I exhale a long breath. “Let’s…just go inside.”
There’s a deep crease between his brows now, but he follows me up the steps to my apartment. I unlock the door and swing it open, gesturing for him to go first.
“Aren’t you missing school?” I ask. My voice sounds loud in the quiet place.
“I’d rather be here,” he says. After a pause he adds, “I broke up with Savannah.”
I suddenly remember our dance, the closeness of our bodies.
“What happened?” I ask, even though I think I know.
“Nothing, really. I guess I just realized I wasn’t as interested in her as I thought I was.”
My face is strangely numb, and my heart’s beating too fast. “Well, I’m sorry,” I say lamely.
“Don’t be. Hope, I hate how things have become between us.” His voice is tremulous and stiff, as if he’s rehearsed the speech a few times.
“Me too,” I admit.
“I never should have acted that way about Tucker. If you wanted to date him, I should have trusted you.”
“Actually…” I sigh, toying with my fingers. “You were right about Tucker. He—he wasn’t who I thought he was.”
Ethan freezes, and I push my hair back from my face, suddenly unable to meet his eyes.
“It’s…a long story.”
“Is it about where you were just now?” he asks.
I nod.
“Well, I want to hear it. Everything. We never used to keep secrets like this, and I’ve hated every second of it. I really miss you, Hope.”
“I miss you too,” I say. So badly.
A million different emotions swirl inside me. I’m so glad Ethan is here. So glad I can get some of this unbearable pressure off my chest. Tears sting my lashes, and I work hard to blink them away.
“Are you okay?” Ethan gently grabs my forearms, and I hiss when his fingers touch the sensitive pinched skin from Tucker’s attack. He looks down and notices the bruises, and a frown darkens his face.