“But …”
“Believe me,” I interrupt. “This is the best way.” I press my lips to his. I can barely make myself pull away, but when I do, I tell him, “I’ll be in touch as soon as I can—look for my note.”
I clamber up the side of a small hill packed with desert sand and hide behind a cluster of thick bushes.
The headlights grow brighter and bounce along the trail, illuminating rocks and slick mud. Laurel’s car skids to a halt, and her door flies open. She explodes from the car and runs to Thayer’s side, her blonde hair flying.
“Thayer!” she cries, dropping to a crouch and putting a hand on his arm. “What happened? Are you okay?”
“I will be.” Thayer’s face tightens into a grimace. “I think my leg’s broken. I need you to get me to a hospital
… somewhere out of town.”
“But we have amazing doctors here! You could—”
“No arguments, Laurel. Please.”
Laurel nods, staring at the odd angle of Thayer’s leg and looking freaked. “I’ll do whatever you need me to,” she says. I can tell she’s trying to sound tough.
My sister helps Thayer into the backseat of the car so he can sit with his legs stretched out. He moans as he pulls his body across the cushions. I try to catch a glimpse of him, but I can only see his white soccer sneakers dangling over the edge of the seat. Something inside me breaks open. I have a horrible premonition: This will be the last time I ever see him. That tiny peck on the lips was our final kiss good-bye.
Just after Laurel shuts Thayer’s door, she glances around the brush surrounding the clearing. Her hands shake slightly at her side. I watch, helplessly, as her eyes squint and stare. She’s looking through each bush and thorny branch, one by one.
I start to duck, but it’s too late. Her eyes lock with mine. She blinks and takes a sharp breath before running to the driver’s side and slamming the door.
A sharp gust of wind whistles through the branches above my head. My legs feel shaky and I dig my fingers into the wet dirt to steady myself.
Laurel reverses and pivots the car over mud and rocks. She flicks on her brights to illuminate the treacherous path ahead. Then she speeds away into the night. I watch the red taillights disappear into the distance, trying not to think about Thayer. But I can’t help it. I think of him wincing every time the car hits a bump. I think about when I’m going to see him again—if I’m going to see him again. And I think about how someone used my car to run down the boy I’m in love with …
But… who?
29
LIKE POISON
Emma whipped around, ready to find herself face-to-face with Thayer, ready to defend herself against someone twice her size in the middle of the desert with no witnesses. But instead, Laurel’s piercing blue eyes stared back at her.
“What are you doing out here?” Laurel snapped, retracting her hand from Emma’s shoulder.
Emma took a breath, her body still tensed. “Just taking a walk,” she said, unclenching her fists and resting them at her side.
Laurel put a finger to her lips. “Wait, let me guess,” she said, her words singed with annoyance. “I’ll bet you’re out here calling Thayer now that he’s out of jail.” Emma flinched. “You know he’s out?”
“What, did you think you were the only one?” Laurel’s face dropped into a scowl. “I wish you’d leave him alone.
He doesn’t need more of you, Sutton. You’ve done enough already.”
Emma stared at her. “What are you talking about?” Did Laurel mean how Sutton had hit Thayer with her car? How could she know about that?
Laurel crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. “I’m so sick of this. I know. I know what you’re hiding.” Emma blinked at her. The night air hung heavy and silent between them. Panic gripped her limbs. Hiding?
Was she talking about Emma’s real identity? Had she figured it out? Had Thayer told her?
“You’re going to stand there and pretend you have no idea what I’m talking about, aren’t you?” Laurel asked, her eyes widening.
Tiny scratching noises sounded in the underbrush as some animal scurried among the cacti. A shiver ran along the back of Emma’s legs and she tried to keep her glare even. The last thing she wanted was to give away how afraid she was.
“I was the one who saved him, after all,” Laurel spat.
She yanked her honey blonde hair into a ponytail and stared at Emma like she was waiting for her to defend herself.
A low buzzing noise sounded. Emma couldn’t be sure whether it was music from the party or desert bugs swarming in the distance. Who had Laurel saved him from?
From Sutton?
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Laurel,” she said finally, making her voice sound as condescending as possible.
Laurel cocked her head to the side and dug her heels into the dirt. “I saw you hiding in the bushes after Thayer got hit by that car at Sabino Canyon. He denied it, but I know you were with him.” She shifted her weight and crossed her arms over her chest. “Why were you hiding? Why did you pawn him off on me? So I could take him to the hospital to be treated? Was that too much for you to handle?” She dropped her chin and shook her head. “Or was it just your usual MO?” She stared at Emma a long moment before lowering her voice to say, “You created too big of a mess to pick up yourself.”
“No!” I yelled at my sister. “I hid because I was afraid you wouldn’t get Thayer what he needed if you knew I was involved! I was trying to do the best thing for him!” But of course she didn’t hear me. I thought again about the memory I’d just seen. I felt foolish for being so convinced Thayer was my cold-blooded killer when I now realized that he was just looking to protect me. The anguish of seeing him lying there, twisted and hurt, felt fresh and raw. Who could have hit him with my car and just sped away like that?