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And all of those memories star one specific person—Ryan

Ever since I told Willow the whole story about us, he hasn’t left my mind

Not for the rest of the flight or e headed to baggage claim

Especially not aited in that stupid taxi line because my sister is a rule-follower like him

And definitely not now, as we’re driving past all the irounds

God, I miss him

And you need to see hi out

It’s true I do

Which is hen the taxi turns onto my mom’s street, I inhale a deep breath and preparea coward and face the Ryan music

But when the cab driver pulls into hts flash across the house and stop on the garage and front porch, I’ on the entry sidewalk in a neon-pink ju at her hip

“What is she doing?” Willow asks, squinting her eyes like they have the power to make sense of the situation

“I have no idea,” I respond, and just as those words leavetoward us

She flings open the front passenger door and tosses her bag into the seat Then, before we know it, she’s opening the back door on Willow’s side and getting in

“Mo?” Willow asks, but Stella is undeterred, pushing her “Juicy”-covered ass toward us so much that we have no other choice but to scoot over

“We gotta go!” she exclai the door

“What?” I question, leaning over to look at her “Go where?”

“Sal can’t seeIt’s bad luck,” she explains and then fixates her attention on our driver “Do you knohere the Hilton is? The one that’s just a few miles up the road?”

“Sure do” He nods, s at her in the rearview mirror

“Perfect” Stella sas and take us there!”

Both Willow and I look at each other in confusion, but the decision has apparently already been made Back out of her driveway and onto the main road, our cab driver follows our mother’s crazy demands

And I can’t deny that a pit of disappointiant hole in my stomach e speed past Sal’s house A Yukon sits in the driveway, and I have a feeling it’s Ryan’s rental He’s probably in there, with his dad, and I’ toward the Hilton