yourself until the case is fully resolved.” The lines around her mouth deepen. “If that’s possible.”
“What do you mean?”
We stop outside the elevator, and she drops her voice. “Your friends really screwed us, turning off those security feeds. Everything we have is circumstantial at this point. Be careful, and you call me if anything occurs to you, or happens.”
This time I remember to put her number in my phone.
“Your classmates know you were playing amateur detective,” she goes on, “so I need you to play dumb. As far as any of them are concerned, you are one hundred percent confident in Tipton’s guilt. Don’t make yourself a target.” She gives my shoulder a squeeze.
“Olivia?” a familiar voice says. I look over and my heart stutters.
“Ethan,” I say in a rush of breath.
“I apologize for the delay, Mr. Kendall,” Cataldo says, either ignoring or missing our awkward reunion. “My conversation with Miss Winters ran unexpectedly long.”
“Can we, uh, have a moment?” I’m already pulling Ethan by the arm over to the corner. The detective doesn’t protest. “I told her everything.” I keep my voice low. “So you don’t have to lie for me or cover.”
“Okay, good, um…” Ethan’s eyes flick to the floor. He ducks his head, fusses with his hair. Then finally meets my eyes. He winces. “I’m sorry I didn’t text you back. We went to Toronto for Christmas, and it was busy, and international texting plans are a real pain, and…” Then he sighs. “And I had to think everything over, honestly.”
“Yeah, I get it.” I play it cool, like his radio silence didn’t hurt my feelings. I poured my heart out to him.
“Do you really, uh, have a crush on me?” His cheeks go red, and I am sure mine are the same.
“I thought it was totally obvious.”
“Uh, you used to basically ignore me outside of newspaper. You ran a bit hot and cold. Before. But I’m glad. To know. I like you, too.”
It’s painfully kindergarten of us, but I don’t care. My grin nearly breaks my face. “Are you staying in Boston?”
“Yeah, until Sunday. Then I’m taking the train back to Connecticut.”
I tilt my head in confusion.
“Extended fam is in Canada. American residence is in the well-to-do suburbs of New York. Which Connecticut counts as.”
“Well, you should come to Avery’s New Year’s Eve party. Tonight. I mean, of course it’s tonight. Since it’s New Year’s Eve.” I’m rambling like an idiot, but Ethan doesn’t seem to mind. He smiles at me funnily, leans closer, cups my cheek with his hand.
“Is it all right if I kiss you?”
“Uh—uh…,” I stammer, but then I nod, and he closes the distance between us, lips soft and gentle. My internal organs shimmy up into my chest as Ethan deepens the kiss, but then Cataldo clears her throat noisily behind us, and it’s over too soon. I can’t say I envisioned my first kiss happening in the sweltering lobby of an FBI field office, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. We break apart.
“So, where is this party?”
As if on cue, my phone buzzes with an incoming group text from Tyler, who I didn’t even know had my number.
Hey Liv and Avery, don’t forget it’s a costume party tonight. Theme is celebrities who died before their time. Like Janis Joplin and shit.
I can’t help but gasp.
“What?” Ethan asks, but words escape me entirely. I hand him my phone.
“Oh, wow. I officially hate him,” Ethan says. “And that cannot be serious. What are they gonna do? Not let us in if we’re not dressed up?”
“Uh, last year’s theme was ‘make an unsexy thing sexy,’ and Avery strictly enforced the costume dress code. I’ve been hearing about these New Year’s parties for years. Avery delights in turning people away.”
Hesitation creeps over Ethan’s features, shows in the hunch of his shoulders.
“Don’t leave me alone with the vultures, please,” I plead. “I want you there.”
“You want me, huh?” Ethan grins. “All right, I’ll be there. Text me the deets.” And with that he walks over to Cataldo.
I practically pirouette onto my train.
* * *
—
Avery can’t contain her annoyance when I arrive hours later than we thought I would. She’s huffy when she picks me up from the station, but I know all the Avery-refocusing tools in the book. Though I would prefer to keep it private, I spill my Ethan news, which immediately turns her mood around. I even get her to suggest that I invite him to