As if sensing I need her help, Sylvie walks up. “Hey, Goob,” she says to Wyatt. “No need to interrupt your merrymaking. I’ve had enough of this lovely event and I’m headed toward Lily’s, anyway.”
Wyatt scowls. “You live in town.”
“Yeah,” says Sylvie, “but I hear there’s a kick-ass party out Lily’s way at Black Bear Pond. You might not have heard about it. Only the cool kids were invited.”
Ignoring her sarcasm, Wyatt turns back to me. “I’ll walk you to the door.”
Sylvie and I sign out at the front table while Wyatt tries to convince the Gestapo moms to let him walk us to the car, then return to the party, even though it’s against the Rules. He promises to be back in five minutes, and they give in.
Leaving the activity center, Wyatt and I follow Sylvie across the parking lot to a black Lexus.
“Whoa, look at you,” Wyatt says in a teasing voice, eyeing the shiny new vehicle. “So Sylvie has a traditional side. Who knew?”
She gives him the finger, then opens the driver’s-side door. “It’s my dad’s. My shitmobile is in the shop.” Before sliding behind the wheel, she blows Wyatt a kiss.
Laughing, he walks me around to the passenger door. “Call me when you’re home, okay?”
“Sure.” I hug him. When we step apart, Wyatt dips his head to kiss me, but the moment our lips touch, I pull back.
His face falls. “Is something wrong?”
Struggling to control my emotions, I say, “I just don’t want to give you my stomach bug.”
He smiles. “I’ll see you tomorrow. After I get some sleep, I’ll come by your house and we can look over all that stuff about your dad.”
I can’t say anything because my throat has closed up. Instead, I force the best smile I can muster and climb into the car next to Sylvie.
As she pulls into the street to take me around to the back of the building where Ty is waiting, I glance over my shoulder and see Wyatt standing in the parking lot, watching us. He lifts one hand in a wave. I press my lips together and wave back.
19
As we cross the northwest corner of New Mexico, the highway unrolls ahead of Ty’s car like a strip of black tape, and the moon shines down like polished silver. I tuck my feet beneath me in the passenger seat and lean against the door, staring ahead. Ty doesn’t try to get me to talk, and I’m grateful for that.
I bolt upright when my phone vibrates, and look at the display. Great. Pushing “Talk,” I say, “Hey, Mom.”
“Lily, thank God. Where are you? Addie called Wyatt to check in, and he said you went home sick.”
“I’m okay, Mom. Is Addie with you?”
“Yes. What’s going on?”
“Where’s Wyatt?” I ask.
With a note of impatience, she says, “He’s at the party waiting for me to call him back. He’s worried about you.”
“Everything’s okay.” Taking a breath, I say, “I’m with Ty.”
“What?” Her voice drops. “I told you to stay away from him.”
“Mom, I’m fine. He told me why he came to Silver Lake. I know all about Dad’s work, and that Ty’s mom used to be Iris’s music teacher.”
“Come home now, Lily,” she says quickly, panic punctuating each word.
I take a breath and steady myself for her anger. “I can’t. Kyle—Ty’s brother—he’s in the hospital in Baltimore in a coma. He’s not going to get better. I want to be there for Ty, Mom.”
“You’re not going to Baltimore!”
“Yes, I am! You know how it is to lose someone you love. Ty needs me right now.”
I wait for her to yell at me, or say she understands, or something, but she remains silent.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I know I should’ve told you, but you would’ve tried to stop me. I’ll call you in the morning, okay?”
“I’m furious with you right now, do you know that?” She sighs, and in a strained voice adds, “Call me the second you wake up. I mean it. And be careful, okay? I love you.”
“I love you, too.” I end the call and lean my head back against the seat.
“I take it that didn’t go well,” Ty says grimly. “You want to turn around?”
“No, keep going.”
Minutes later, my phone chirps a second time, and guilt and worry drop down on me like a bomb.