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We get ready in silence and he’s about to head out the door before he speaks up again.
“This weekend, I have friends coming to visit. Since you’ll be here, I thought you’d like to know.”
I gulp.
He’s not leaving?
The only thing getting me through the last few days was the knowledge that I’d soon have a three-day weekend without him, a few days to regroup and put a lid on this boiling pot of tension.
I have no choice. I have to leave. Scram. Hitchhike. Walk. Staying here at the camp this weekend with Ethan is not a scenario I want to play out. There would be no survivors.
I hurry to finish getting ready and then rush to find Max at breakfast. He’s smack dab in the middle of a sea of guys, and every one of them greets me with a warm smile and a friendly wave.
“Taylor! You hungry? Want me to grab you a plate?”
I fend off their generous offers and nod my head toward the door.
“Max, do you have a second?”
Everyone’s brows shoot up.
They’re intrigued about why I’d need to speak with Max privately. No doubt they’re reading too much into the situation, about to start singing Max and Taylor sittin’ in a tree, but I don’t have time to care because I need to speak with Max now.
“What’s up?” he asks once we’re outside. His blond hair has grown longer in the weeks we’ve been here. He looks more boyish than ever—the antithesis of my bunkmate.
I wring out my hands. “You’ve been catching a ride home on the weekends with Nolan, right?”
He nods.
“And his truck is full? Even this weekend?”
“Yeah, we’ve even got one more than normal…but if you need a ride, we can shuffle some people around, or maybe see—”
I cut him off, feeling uncomfortable enough as is. I don’t want to be a burden and I don’t want to take anyone else’s spot. “No, no. Don’t worry about that. I’m going to call and see if my mom can swing by and pick me up.”
“All right, but let me know if she can’t and we’ll figure it out.”
Throughout the day—as I run around working—I try to reach my mom. I don’t want to ask Ethan to borrow his phone since he expressly told me I wasn’t allowed to use it anymore. In fact, I’d rather use a carrier pigeon or some kind of smoke signal, but in the end, I don’t have to because I finally reach her in the late afternoon.
Relief swells within me as soon as the call connects. I don’t have time to chitchat though.
“Is there any chance you’ve been able to get the car out of the shop?” I ask, talking a mile a minute, scared our connection will be lost at any moment. “Like maybe the mechanic was wrong and the car doesn’t need any repairs? In fact, it’s in perfect working order and you can come pick me up here tonight?”
“What are you talking about? What’s wrong?” she asks, her voice concerned. “The car’s still in the shop, but if you need me, I’ll find a ride and come get you.” I squeeze my eyes shut as despair fills my veins. “McKenna has a little award ceremony tonight up at the high school for making honor roll, but I could ask Nancy if she’d be willing to let me borrow her car. We’ll have to pay for gas and I’ve already been borrowing it a lot lately—”
“No, no, Mom. It’s okay. Nothing is wrong or anything. I just miss you guys and was wanting to make it back this weekend. Don’t worry about it.”
She sighs as if she’s just as upset about the situation as I am. “We miss you too. I wish things were different.” Her voice picks up, as if she’s trying to have enough hope for the both of us. “And they will be soon. Once I finish up school and get licensed, I’ll make all this up to you. I promise.”
Her kind words are my undoing. Unshed tears burn my eyes and make my throat ache unbearably.
I know I need to go find Max and insist on a ride home. I’ll sit on someone’s lap. I’ll sprawl out in the bed of the truck the whole way home, whatever it takes to get me away from this place.
Unfortunately, it’s later in the afternoon than I realized, and I’m still back at Rose Cabin, getting it cleaned up for Ethan and his friends. I scrubbed the bathroom so it’s spotless and washed every piece of linen I could find in case they need a spare pillow or blanket. I even washed my own in case they want to borrow it. I won’t be here, so it doesn’t matter. After I finish adding water to the bucket of wildflowers on the desk, I make a mad dash back to the camp, heading straight to find Max.
