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Sucking in a deep breath, I dial her, loathing that she will no just how far life has changed That I’ve lost hioes to voiceh my contacts All friends that I couldn’t call Or I could But they wouldn’t coh huht I’ else alertsmy life has become When you’re stranded and in trouble and there’s no one to call, you’ve hit rock botto my lack of options Well, one option teases at oal right now is to avoid danger, avoid getting into trouble And calling him definitely spells trouble

Another car approaches The headlights blind ainst h," I mutter, and dial information Stranded out here, I don’t have a better choice I wait as the operator connectsbehind her, "Golden Palace"

"Yes Could I speak with Sean, please?"

"Sean busy," she snaps sharply into the phone

"Wait This is his sister," I lie, hoping the woman doesn’t know that he only has foster brothers

"No calls at work," she barks into the phone

"Please It’s an euage, and then, "Hold on"

The sounds of the restaurant hu the dark roadwatching for cars There are no streetlights The only light is the occasional glow froht

Finally, a deep voice co passes frole inof i up

"Sean," I blurt his name "It’s me Davy From school" My words tumble free in a rush

Silence stretches between us and for a moment I wonder if I lost the connection Then I hear his breath, just the faint rasp of it

"I’ the phone hard into my ear and peel it away from my face before I accidentally end the call

"Why are you calling?" To the point No emotion

"I didn’t knoho else to call" My voice cracks a little To ader, to an iure out Soe, and Nathan clearly has all the s of a sociopath His HTS status is spot-on So what does that say about Sean? And yethe stepped in and helped me with Brocko out of his way to help you again?

I press ainst my lips, a hot ball of anxiety twists inside me It’s a horrible sensation I shake my head No "I’m sorry I’m fine I shouldn’t have called--"

"Where are you?"

I blink at the abrupt question I thought he would have slammed the phone down by now "What?"

He repeats hi each word firlance at the street sign and nearest house "3412 Mulberry That’s in Boerne"

"I’ll be there soon Stay out of sight It’s almost curfew," he warned

I release a shuddery breath "I know" I start to add a thank-you but the line goes dead

I chafe a sweating pal

Which is why I called him in the first place, but it doesn’t stop the ball of nerves fro in my stomach

There’s an SUV parked not too far down a driveway and I hide behind it, waiting My palhs, glancing between the street and the house,next to the parked car

I tell ht And not the boy co to my aid

The minutes slide by It’s after ten now I’m officially out past curfew I hear another car, and this time it’s a police cruiser It was inevitable They hborhood Mine too

They don’t notice ht blink and wait for the sound of the engine to fade I treone and the sounds of crickets return to fill my ears

When I hear another car, I take a peek It’s an old truck,slowly The driver conize the fall of his hair, the ends brushing the back of his neck

I stand fully and hurry down the driveway The truck stops I hover uncertainly at the driver’s door

He rolls the n We stare at each other for aus Even in the shadows, I canhis neck, the bold, circled H

"Get in"

I s ith a groan I ease er seat and shut the door after s harshly