Daisy raised her eyebrow at me. “Dude, Jamie calledeverybody. Even Carter, so you’re lucky Beck found you first.”
“You—you called him?”
Daisy reached out as if to pat my arm, stopping an inch away. She made a face at my mud-covered shoulder. “Everyone needs a breather sometimes. I’m sure it won’t make Carter look at you any differently.”
I hadn’t meant Carter, though.
Where were you going?I’d asked Beck when he found me at the gas station.When you left your aunt’s house.
I don’t know. Nowhere. The words had been rushed. Lies.I was just going for a drive.
Beck had come out to find me.
“You can take her from here, yeah?” Beck asked suddenly, and I turned to find him pushing up from the picnic table. He pulled his car keys around ona finger, not glancing at me. “I think I’ve been enough of a Good Samaritan for one day. Or a lifetime.”
Jamie caught at Beck’s arm as he walked past. “I appreciate it, man.”
Beck clasped Jamie on the shoulder, giving him a shake. Daisy offered him the towel, and he took it. “A fair exchange, if you ask me.” Then, without looking at me once, he went over to the convertible.
The three of us watched as Beck laid the towel down on the driver’s seat before climbing in, starting the car up, and quickly putting it into reverse.
“Okay, but seriously.” Daisy turned back to me. “Why are y’allfilthy?”
“It’s a long story,” I said, immediately turning to Jamie. “Let me see your phone.”
“Really? You’re not going to ask anything else first—like if Carter was upset you bailed on the bay, or whether or not Mom and Dad are waiting to kill you the second you step in the front door?”
I shook my head, holding my palm out. “Your phone.”
Jamie grumbled as he passed it over. I went straight to the green bubble at the bottom of his screen, tapping it open to an awaiting message thread. Jamie had sent the first message about an hour after I’d left the house.
Is my sister with you?
Beck
Nope
Why? Everything okay?
She left the house and left her phone, and it’s been hours and I can’t find her. She’s freaking me out.
Beck
Can I call you?
There was a break in the text thread, presumably when Beck called Jamie. Two and a half hours later, though, Beck sent another text.
Beck
I found her. She’s at the gas station in Addison. I’ve got her
thank god. Is she okay?
Beck
Yeah. A little sunburnt, but fine. Fine enough to be stubborn. I’ll make sure she stays that way.
I’ll drop her off in a bit
