Page 15 (1/2)

I turn to Isaac, pause for a second to rethink my words and then say, "…Never e unfoldedwheel

"Never mind what?" he says

It didn’t even dawn on ; I was too lost in etting on the road andthrown in our path

Wait Obstacles

I snap back into theparanoid"

Nathan pushes hi his head into our view "Spit it out, gorgeous," he says with a serious, yet lopsided smile "Paranoid or not--what’s on your mind?"

I feel aze out the windshield and toward the house

"I don’t know," I say staring off at nothing really, "but it just seems weird that she would show up like that"

"Well, she is a weird girl," Nathan says

Isaac raises both brows and nods once to indicate: Yeah, he’s got a point

"Like I said: paranoid" I shrug and leave it alone

"I knohat you’re thinking," Isaac says, "and Cecilia could be a valid concern, but probably the least likely candidate" He glances toward the house too, where Cecilia is inside with his sister and then he looks back at o to the same school"

"True," I say, "but that doesn’t mean it’s not her"

"She has a point too, bro," Nathan says "This could be one of those situations where the least likely candidate is the , "we’ll put her on the list of suspects, but I’ut on this one: I don’t think it’s her"

"Fair enough," I say "I guess we officially have a list now"

"One person doesn’t constitute an actual list," Nathan says

"Well, then tellbetween both of them, "I know you both have to have someone you’re suspicious of At least one person"

Nathan and Isaac look at each other briefly, but I can tell it’s not because they share the saht on thisthe other out to see who’s going to speak up first, neither of the to ade the this because I really and honestly believe it," Nathan begins and is no longer s to add Sebastian to the list because he’s the only one in the house who came in around the tiood guy and I swear I don’t think he’s the traitor, but if I had to pick soive it aNathan’s theory

We both look over at Isaac at the saative expression on our faces

Isaac lets his breath out heavily and gazes off toward the house again

"Zia," he announces and his voice is distant

My head draws back in a stunned motion

"Zia?" I say "Why would you think it could be her?"

He turns back to ut feeling"

Isaac choosing Zia as his pick for person of interest has ined I never would’ve even considered Zia for a second And even Isaac admitted that he has no real reason to pick her, but still, this whole situation has becouess I had just assu that the traitor would be someone I don’t like, maybe someone that I despise--Rachel, for instance Yeah, I hope it’s Rachel because then I would have every justifiable reason in the world to wish bad things upon her, e and kick her ass once and for all But of course, if she is the Dark Praverian, that kind of tossesplan out thebecause there’s no way I can fight one of them Actually, if it’s Rachel, I have more reason than ever to be terrified of her, especially since I’ us she see

Okay, so maybe I would rather the traitor be someone else, after all

Chapter 9

WE MAKE IT TO Providence by mid-afternoon and drive for what feels like forever up and down Angell Street and Butler Avenue until we find the two-story house of Minna Abrahamsen

"We’ll park at that church we passed and walk back up," Isaac says driving past the house again and towards the intersection "Don’t want her to see ht of that

We park the Jeep and head back the e ca the sidewalk I grow htens aroundaround in my stomach