heart. Did this guy have a flaw anywhere?
As we left the diner, I saw that the boys who had come to our table had stopped to squish themselves into the booth with the girls. Mandy and Raquel were laughing and talking, but Julia looked uncomfortable. One of the boys in the booth was sitting next to her, but they didn’t seem to be talking.
We got in the car and headed out. Apparently Easton knew where Julia lived, which was a good thing because I realized I didn’t. Her older brother, who graduated last year, had played football, so I didn’t have to ask Julia for directions. We drove, listening to the radio. I was thankful that Easton didn’t seem to expect me to fill the silence. I guess, being a girl, everyone always expects me to chatter nonstop, but I would rather say nothing than something stupid. It was nice to just enjoy his company.
When we pulled up in front of Julia’s house, the girls weren’t there yet. Rather than make me wait outside by myself, Easton insisted on waiting for them to get there. He turned in his seat to face me.
“So are you ever gonna tell me why those flowers scared you?”
Honestly, I had kind of been waiting for this one all night. I can’t say I was surprised, but I still wasn’t really ready to answer. “Well, the answer to that is actually not as simple as you might think, and we really don’t have time for me to answer it right now.” Well, that was true enough. The minute I explained what really scared me about those flowers, there were going to be a lot of questions. And unfortunately, he would probably never feel the same way about me again.
When I was working with his aunt in the snack bar, I realized I needed to come clean—with him, at least. His aunt was one of those people who would figure out who I was, and it probably wouldn’t take long. During Daisy’s murder investigation and all the TV press conferences when we were trying to find her killer, I was prominently displayed. My mother was basically catatonic directly after my sister’s body was found, so I spoke for her a few times. I was pretty direct in speaking to the killer on camera about what I thought of him. The major networks picked it up and ran with it because I was fourteen and well spoken. I guess it moved people, or whatever.
If I knew then that it wouldn’t have helped and would lead to my situation being what it is, I wouldn’t have done it. Well, I guess that’s not true. At the time I would have done anything to catch him. I have never been so angry or scared in my life. I thought catching him would make the pain and fear go away. The reality is, though, nothing would have fixed it. You can’t undo death. It wouldn’t bring her back. And honestly, once something that bad happens, the certainty that nothing bad will ever happen to you is a thing of the past.
I looked out the window and sighed.
“I know I just made it much more mysterious and shady sounding, but it’s true.” I turned in my seat to face him.
He shook his head. “Well, that is not at all what I was expecting. You’re a fascinating girl, Jasmine Rourke.” He smiled. “Give me your phone.”
Uh. “Sure.” I handed it over. He pushed a bunch of buttons quickly, and I heard a ringing in his pocket. When he took his phone out to look at it, he quickly turned to me.
“Why does your number come up blocked?”
Oh boy. “Um, my mom is a little paranoid. I’ll put it in for you.” I grabbed his phone and put it in.
Just then, Julia’s car flew into the driveway with the windows down and the radio blaring.
“I guess I better go. Thanks for taking me; it was really great.”
He nodded and looked serious. “Can I call you later?”
What was he? Nuts?
“Yeah, sure.”
He gave me the death glare before he got out, which I interpreted as: open the car door and you will suffer my wrath. He opened my door and started to walk me to the front door, but the girls were all standing in the driveway laughing and
As we left the diner, I saw that the boys who had come to our table had stopped to squish themselves into the booth with the girls. Mandy and Raquel were laughing and talking, but Julia looked uncomfortable. One of the boys in the booth was sitting next to her, but they didn’t seem to be talking.
We got in the car and headed out. Apparently Easton knew where Julia lived, which was a good thing because I realized I didn’t. Her older brother, who graduated last year, had played football, so I didn’t have to ask Julia for directions. We drove, listening to the radio. I was thankful that Easton didn’t seem to expect me to fill the silence. I guess, being a girl, everyone always expects me to chatter nonstop, but I would rather say nothing than something stupid. It was nice to just enjoy his company.
When we pulled up in front of Julia’s house, the girls weren’t there yet. Rather than make me wait outside by myself, Easton insisted on waiting for them to get there. He turned in his seat to face me.
“So are you ever gonna tell me why those flowers scared you?”
Honestly, I had kind of been waiting for this one all night. I can’t say I was surprised, but I still wasn’t really ready to answer. “Well, the answer to that is actually not as simple as you might think, and we really don’t have time for me to answer it right now.” Well, that was true enough. The minute I explained what really scared me about those flowers, there were going to be a lot of questions. And unfortunately, he would probably never feel the same way about me again.
When I was working with his aunt in the snack bar, I realized I needed to come clean—with him, at least. His aunt was one of those people who would figure out who I was, and it probably wouldn’t take long. During Daisy’s murder investigation and all the TV press conferences when we were trying to find her killer, I was prominently displayed. My mother was basically catatonic directly after my sister’s body was found, so I spoke for her a few times. I was pretty direct in speaking to the killer on camera about what I thought of him. The major networks picked it up and ran with it because I was fourteen and well spoken. I guess it moved people, or whatever.
If I knew then that it wouldn’t have helped and would lead to my situation being what it is, I wouldn’t have done it. Well, I guess that’s not true. At the time I would have done anything to catch him. I have never been so angry or scared in my life. I thought catching him would make the pain and fear go away. The reality is, though, nothing would have fixed it. You can’t undo death. It wouldn’t bring her back. And honestly, once something that bad happens, the certainty that nothing bad will ever happen to you is a thing of the past.
I looked out the window and sighed.
“I know I just made it much more mysterious and shady sounding, but it’s true.” I turned in my seat to face him.
He shook his head. “Well, that is not at all what I was expecting. You’re a fascinating girl, Jasmine Rourke.” He smiled. “Give me your phone.”
Uh. “Sure.” I handed it over. He pushed a bunch of buttons quickly, and I heard a ringing in his pocket. When he took his phone out to look at it, he quickly turned to me.
“Why does your number come up blocked?”
Oh boy. “Um, my mom is a little paranoid. I’ll put it in for you.” I grabbed his phone and put it in.
Just then, Julia’s car flew into the driveway with the windows down and the radio blaring.
“I guess I better go. Thanks for taking me; it was really great.”
He nodded and looked serious. “Can I call you later?”
What was he? Nuts?
“Yeah, sure.”
He gave me the death glare before he got out, which I interpreted as: open the car door and you will suffer my wrath. He opened my door and started to walk me to the front door, but the girls were all standing in the driveway laughing and
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