Page 2 (1/2)

Dark hair

Dark eyes

Dark jacket

Leaning against the bar in the center of the restaurant, with only a sliver of her face pointed in my direction I have to blink totricks on ht, intricate braid, but it’s definitely her

She turns another inch my way and our eyeselse It’s just me, and her Locked in a stare

Her eyes narrow and she shakes her head--like she’s trying to tellBut I have no idea what it is

"Vane?" Hannah asks, and I jump so hard I nearly fall out of the booth "You okay? You look like you just saw a ghost"

She laughs, but I don’t saze, frowning "Do youknow her?"

So Hannah can see her too

She’s real

"Excuseelse

The hostess is leading a large party past our table, blocking my path to the bar, and it takes every ounce of my self-control not to shove them out of irl’s gone

I race for the door, ignoring Hannah as she calls afterthe blast of heat as I burst through the doors And I findnothing

No sign of anyone anywhere--and certainly no gorgeous, dark-haired girl in a jacket Just a face full of scorching desert wind and an empty courtyard

My hands curl into fists

She was there

But how is that possible?

And how did she get away so fast?

I squeeze the bridge ofthrough my mind I still haven’t made any sense of them when I hear quiet footsteps approach behind me

"I had to pay the check so they wouldn’t think we’re skipping out--that’s what took " Hannah won’t meet my eyes "I wasn’t even sure if you’d be out here"

The thick June air sticks inoff my voice The sun has set, but that only rees I stand there, listening to the cicadas in the trees and searching for soize for--my behavior "I’ll pay you back," is the best I can do

She turns toward the parking lot "I guess we should probably go, eh?"

The silence buzzes with the things neither of us says

Seriously, why does so always screw up e the evening e reach my faded white car It isn’tAC, which was prettyit will prove I’m not a total psycho She doesn’t seem impressed Not that I blame her

The drive back is torture I’ve never noticed how many noises er I’ve also never noticed how hway 111 has It’s the ether, so there’s a signal At every Freaking Block And, of course, tonight they’re all red

Thanks a lot, universe

We’re about halfway ho of "affordable cities" in the valley, when Hannah finally speaks

"You gonna tellfor tiht I saw someone I knew" It sounds lame even to me

"Did you used to date her?"

Ha--I wish

Fortunately, I stopthat out loud I can hear the hurt in Hannah’s voice

But it’s nice to know that Hannah really did see her--even though I have no idea what that means

I stare at the dark, e It’s not like"

"Like what?" she asks when I don’t finish

I take h to look at her "I would never chase after soirl’s hot I mean, okay, she is--butthat isn’t why I cared"

"Why did you care?"

I wish I knew

"She’s justsomeone from my past"