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Emma murmured in assent. But Laurel’s gaze was on something—some one— across the room. “I think you’re going to have a visitor, Sutton,” she said nastily.
Emma looked up just in time to see a guy with an angular jaw and short blond hair advancing toward their table. Her stomach flipped uncomfortably. It was Garrett, Sutton’s ex. And he didn’t look happy.
“hello, Garrett!” Mrs. Mercer said, her mouth wobbling, sending a worried glance at Emma. Emma shifted in her seat. She’d told Sutton’s dad that she and Garrett were no longer an item, and no doubt he’d told her mom. What they didn’t know was that he’d accosted her in the supply room at Homecoming on Friday. In fact, he’d been a little …
violent.
“Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Mercer.” Garrett nodded politely at Sutton’s parents. Then he turned to Emma. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” He slid his eyes toward a little hallway at the back of the restaurant. Clearly he meant alone.
“Um, I’m here with my family,” Emma said, scooting a little closer to Sutton’s mom. “We were about to order.”
“I just have a quick question,” Garrett said. His voice was pleasant enough, but his eyes were cold and calculating. All at once, Emma knew what this was about: He’d no doubt heard that Thayer had broken into Sutton’s bedroom. Garrett had been shocked that Emma had dumped him, and he was convinced that she had been cheating on him. No doubt he was going to accuse Emma of seeing Thayer behind his back—and maybe Sutton had been.
I took in Garrett’s Abercrombie button-down and khaki pants, feeling a vague flicker of the fun times we’d spent together hiking, going for long bike rides, and having picnics in the park. I was sure there had been some point where I’d been thrilled that he was my boyfriend. But what had happened that made me choose Thayer instead? I thought again about the memory that had come back to me, the push-and-pull of guilt I felt for cheating on Garrett and the thril of kissing Thayer. Garrett was right about me: I was a cheater. He had every right to be mad.
“I’m sorry,” Emma said. “But I just sat down.”
“Okay, I can ask you here if you’d prefer,” Garrett said challengingly, placing his hands on his hips. He glanced at the Mercer parents. “I just wanted to see how your visit to the police station went yesterday, Sutton.” Emma bristled. How did he know that? The Mercers stiffened. “You were at the police station?” Mrs. Mercer blurted. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
Garrett faked a look of surprise. “Oh!” he said. “I figured you would have said something. I’ll leave you guys alone.” Then he backed away, returning to his parents’
table in the corner.
Emma faced Sutton’s parents, feeling her cheeks flush. She’d kind of hoped that they wouldn’t find out about her little trip to see Quinlan.
“Were you in trouble again?” Mrs. Mercer asked, looking heartbroken, no doubt thinking about how she’d visited the police station to reprimand her daughter for shoplifting the week before.
“I bet she was there to see Thayer,” Laurel said, her voice dripping with hatred.
“I wasn’t in trouble,” Emma said, her voice rising. “And I wasn’t there to see Thayer, either. I only went because Quinlan called me in. I didn’t want to tell you because it wasn’t important.”
“Yeah, right,” Laurel said under her breath. “Like you’re such the good daughter. Like you tell them everything.” Emma shot her a look. “What about you? Have you told them about the Free Thayer campaign? How you’re asking kids to contribute to his bail fund?” Mr. Mercer turned to her for a moment, looking horrified. Laurel reddened. “It’s a project for my government class,” she said quickly. “We were learning how petitions impact laws, and we had to put it into practice.”
“You could have petitioned for something other than freeing the boy who broke into your home and scared the hell out of your sister,” Mr. Mercer said sternly. Then he held up a hand. “We’ll get to that in a second. Why did you go to the police station, Sutton? Was it about Thayer?” He leaned forward, staring Emma down. Fear prickled along Emma’s spine. Sutton’s dad looked just as furious as he had the night he’d found Thayer in Sutton’s bedroom.
“I …” Emma started. But she wasn’t sure what to say.
A waitress appeared beside them, then noticed the family’s expressions. She waved her hands deferentially, and backed away toward the kitchen. Mr. Mercer laid his palms on the table, his face softening. “Well, Sutton?” he said in a milder voice. “Please tell us. We won’t be upset.
We’re just concerned. Thayer is troubled. No normal guy runs away and then sneaks into your bedroom. We’re just trying to keep you safe.”
Emma lowered her eyes, her heart slowing down.
Sutton’s dad was using the same gentle-but-protective voice he’d used in the garage last week when she’d helped him work on his motorcycle. He was just trying to be a good parent. Still, there was no way she could tell him about what had happened at the police station.
“I was just signing paperwork about the shoplifting incident,” she said, thinking quickly. “Nothing else happened. I promise. Garrett was just trying to get me in trouble because he’s pissed off because we’re not together anymore. You’re making too big a deal about this.” She hid her shaking hands under the table, hoping they bought her story. Mr. Mercer stared at her. Mrs. Mercer bit her mauve-lined lip. Laurel sniffed, clearly not believing a word of it. But finally, the Mercer parents sighed and shrugged. “Next time you’re at the police station, maybe you could let us know,” Mrs. Mercer suggested calmly.
