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“I’m glad to know he’s spreading the word.” I laughed. “How are you, Mom?”
“Couldn’t be better, honey. I mean that. In fact, I’ve been thinking.” She paused, her words hanging in the air. “I’ve been thinking about coming down there to visit you soon. It could be a great way for us to finally spend some time together. You could show me your campus and the beach.”
My stomach sank. She couldn’t come now. No way. I’d be in Cuba in just a few days. And I didn’t know when I’d be coming back.
“Yeah, that could be fun. Maybe during spring break sometime. I think that’d be good for us.” I really did think it would be a good thing for us to make up for so much lost time together. Just…later.
“The sooner the better. You just let me know.”
“I will, Mom. Can’t wait,” I said, smiling lightly, still feeling a pang of mistrust that I felt guilty for having.
“I’ll talk to you soon, honey. Your dad’s already wandered off back to the garage probably, so I guess I’ll say goodnight for us both. Love you.”
“I love you, too, Mom. G’night.”
I placed the phone down on my bedside table, ready to sleep. Ironically enough, sleeping was my greatest escape these days. I didn’t dream much anymore—or if I did, I didn’t remember them. But that was better than living the nightmare I’d found myself in.
I hadn’t closed my eyes for five minutes when McKenzie crept in, rapping her fingers lightly against my wall. “Hey, you awake?” She crept into the shadowy room.
“Yeah,” I uttered.
“I just came to check on you,” she walked closer, “I know classes start tomorrow and I wanted to see how you’re holding up.”
“I’m good. Just wondering how long it’ll be before they notice I’m not attending and kick me out.” I forced a weak chuckle, but I don’t think my facial expression matched.
“I would do the same thing,” McKenzie cooed. “It’ll be worth it. You’ll find him, Katrina.” McKenzie’s sweet smile flitted across her face as I leaned forward to hug her. “Which is actually the reason I came to talk to you,” she started. I pulled back to look at her while she spoke. “I just can’t let myself stay here while you and Bellamy go do this. Not after everything we’ve been through together. And Noah feels the same. We can’t stay behind.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose between my eyebrows. “McKenzie, we talked about this. I can’t let you give up what you have here at ISA. I can’t let you throw away your dreams for this…for me. Milo didn’t want us to all make it back home just so you could throw it away helping me look for him.”
“You don’t understand, Katrina.” McKenzie paused with a breath that she held for a moment that felt like forever. “Being here at ISA isn’t my dream. Graduating with an art communications degree isn’t my life goal. I’m just here because I didn’t know what else to do with my life. And trust me, with my family’s money, they’ll let me reenroll anytime and pick up where I left off, I’m sure of it. And that’s just the thing I’m saying. I’ve always gotten what I wanted, easily, not because of who I am, but because of who my mom and dad are. And now I want more. Something their money can’t give me. Something I can only give myself. The past month has made me realize what’s important. And it’s not a degree from some stupid preppy art school. It’s the people in my life who matter.”
I stared at her in silence, blinking in the dark. I didn’t know what to say to any of that. I’d never heard such an eloquent speech come from those perfectly glossed pink lips. And I certainly couldn’t believe it was the same roommate who was all too obsessed with dragging me to college parties and ignoring my pleas not to.
“I’ve never thought of it that way,” I said.
“Well now you will. Because I’m coming with you. And so is Noah. And this time, it’s on purpose.” She grinned mischievously.
“McKenzie—” I tried one more time, futilely, to persuade her otherwise, but she was always one step ahead of me.
“You can’t stop me. If you don’t let us sail with you, we’ll fly there.”
“Fine,” I sighed, though secretly I was glad I wouldn’t have to leave her behind. “But you have to be careful, and if things get weird, you stay back and remember it’s mine and Bellamy’s fight. I'd never forgive myself if you or Noah got hurt because of me.”
McKenzie leaned forward close to my ear with a sly look in her eye. “Yeah, yeah. Technically, you’d never even be in this mess if it wasn’t for me taking you to that Halloween party last year, so ya know, it’s kinda my problem now, too.”
“If that’s what you want to tell yourself.” I shook my head, but even all the weight I was carrying couldn’t hold down the tiny smile that snuck its way across my lips.
With one more hug and a couple more laughs, we told each other goodnight, and McKenzie slipped back out the door to her side of the dorm. She made no effort to muffle the sound of her excitement as she made a phone call I should’ve seen coming.
“Hey, Noah! All confirmed. Pack your bags because tomorrow we’re going to Cuba.”
3
From North to West
Bellamy
This room was too empty. Too cold. Too lonely. But I didn’t have the energy to take myself somewhere else. So I sat on the edge of the bed in Milo’s old loft, staring at the floor like it would disappear if I blinked. My leg wouldn’t stop shaking from the nerves. Was I fucking crazy?
