“No!” I practically yell. “She has too much going on. I’ll figure it out.” She’ll be dealing with Lo’s first appearance soon, so risking this kind of stress when Lo will be in charge could ruin the chances of her accepting.
“But—”
“I said no,” I bark. “I’ll be back in two days. I know what I need to do.”
“But—”
“Shut it, Erik. Calm down and trust the system.”
“Oh-kay,” he mutters, his voice shaky.
“The world won’t end if we are closed for a few days. Whatever happens will happen. But I have it handled.”
I hang up before he can come up with other what-ifs that will only cause more stress than I’ve already got. Opening the email I had abandoned to answer the call, I click RSVP.
Chapter Five
Two Days Earlier
Joey
“Gray,” I nearly cry into the phone after she answers. “I-I need somewhere t-to go.” I’m not sure why I called her. Gray and I met in France two years ago when Dad married Marsha, and she was my first and only friend while I was out there. We haven’t spoken much since I came back to Hollow Ridge, and even then, it was a text here and there. The flood of tears won’t stop as they leave my eyes. My blurred vision isn’t safe while I drive over to the cove.
The place where I met Wes is the last place I want to be. It has many memories and most are the best of my life, but one is now the worst. It’s only been a day since I caught him doing the deed. However, residing in my car in an abandoned parking lot, as sleep never took me, isn’t ideal. Since leaving, my mind has jumped all over, and I haven’t been able to concentrate since. One thing I know is that my dad won’t be happy, so I can’t call him crying. He’ll just make me feel worse and tell me, I told you so, Josey.
“Come here!” she suggests as though we’re still in France. There’s no way my dad will help me afford a move there. Even a temporary trip is out of the question.
“Really?” I cry. She never asks questions; she’s just inadvertently here for me. I don’t have enough saved for more than the flight, but the thought festers.
“Of course, babe. I’m here for you. I’m staying in Hawthorn now,” she explains. She’s here and less than an hour away? We found each other by pure coincidence. I was in France, escaping Marsha. My dad felt bad when he dropped the ball and got married without telling me, so he sent me away for six months to detoxify my drama as he called it. Gray and I were at the same coffee shop every day. One day, she left the shop, and a car came straight for her. Gripping the little backpack on her shoulders, I tugged her away. Luckily, the straps didn’t snap. We’ve been friends ever since.
“Wait, you’re in California?” She said Hawthorn, but she could mean any Hawthorn.
“Yeah, Dad and I came back to visit family and check out the colleges. He wants me to go to Brookewood like him and Uncle Jase, but I’m not too sure. I have a while to decide if we’re moving back or staying in France with his family. I’m leaning toward croissantland, though. This place has so many memories...” She pauses. “...not a lot of good ones. It’s been months, and I’m really just not ready to see the faces of those I left behind.”
What’s her story? We never really dived deep into it because she cared more about mine. All I know is that we love the same bands, and she’s around my age. That’s it.
“Who’d you leave behind?” I ask, knowing there’s an answer that I’ll probably never get.
“My past,” she stalls, not wanting to divulge any further. Fair enough. No one knows what I went through, not even her.
“How long are you here for?” I deflect for her benefit.
“For the summer, at least.”
“Wow, small world,” I muse, entirely shocked that she’s so close.
“It is. I’m originally from Hollow Ridge,” she explains.
“This is crazy!” I practically squeal, feeling the sadness abate for a moment. “I’m from Hollow Ridge, too.”
She gasps. “How have we never met in this small town?” I think of the tiny rich town I grew up in, the stuck-up brats that allowed their parents to pay for everything, and how I did everything to avoid contact with others. I’m not a people