“Sorry, just my brother,” I finally reply to his earlier question, turning my phone over to avoid facing the One NewVoicemail notification. If he’s anything like me, he sat stewing in his anxiety until he was convinced he made a mistake letting me leave and now wants to try to convince me to come back one more time.
Kai glances at me for a moment before turning his attention back to the view. “He’s a freshman, right?”
I nod, surprised that he even knew Mikey existed. With how much we ignore each other at school, it wouldn’t be surprising if people didn’t know we were related at all.
“You two look alike,” Kai says, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “Like your mom.”
The shock of his words makes me gulp so hard I almost choke on my spit. How does he know Mami? Other than her shifts at the Costco forty-five minutes away, she’s hardly ever outside.
More than that, though, I wonder what similarities he sees in us. So many people over the years have said that we are Papi’s spitting image—enough for them to think we are as wicked as they believe he is. Besides our size, I’ve never thought Mami and I had much in common. Looks or personality wise. Then again, Mami has always been tough—the world gave her no choice. Something that’s twisted over the years into stubbornness, a refusal to admit that she might be wrong. Couldn’t the same be said about me, at least tonight? I don’t have any reason to think I’m wrong about sneaking out tonight, but I can’t say I wasn’t stubborn about it, especially with Mikey.
Still, the thought of even that small, seemingly insignificant similarity is unsettling. The idea that I could become the wrong kind of stubborn someday. Or worse: I already am.
“Th-thanks,” I murmur quickly before the silence can sitfor too long. Thankfully, Kai doesn’t notice the unevenness of my voice as he focuses on the last stretch of road.
I shift to the edge of my seat as the cabin comes into view, my breath hitching as I take in the sheer size of it. Even from a distance it towers over the horizon. A large front porch with swings and wicker tables. Kayaks and paddle boards are abandoned beside the steps up to the porch. Twinkling lights are strung along the trees to light the way to the river. Music thumps from inside the cabin. As we get closer we can make out voices, see a small group gathered on the large, sprawling deck.
Kiki holds court from the center of the deck, vape in one hand and a red Solo cup in the other. Her loyal subjects, Carla Gutierrez and a boy I vaguely recognize as one of the jocks they both hang around, are filling their own cups with a mix of juices and liquors spread out across the glass table beside them. So much for this not being a rager.
Kai parks the car, and my eyes land on a rusty axe leaning up against a tree stump at the edge of the driveway, making my stomach drop. The handle is so worn it probably hasn’t been used in ages, and it would probably fall apart if anyone tried. It’s innocent. Just an old, forgotten piece of hardware here only to enhance the rustic vibe of the property. But it still makes my blood run cold. Memories of that night—blood on a blade—threaten to make me sick before I’ve even gotten out of the car. I feel a sudden urge to grab it—to take it and bury it somewhere in a shallow hole in the woods. Just to be safe.
“You good?” Kai asks, halfway out of the driver’s seat.
I nod quickly, shaking my head and all those memories away, and give him my best, most confident smile. Once he closes the door behind him, I pull my phone back out and turnit off entirely—choosing to ignore the New Voicemail notification on the screen.
I’m gone. I’m safe. I’m fine,I repeat to myself like a mantra as I grab my bag from the backseat and shove my phone down as far as I can. Mikey can call me all he wants, but there’s no going back now.
Kai opens the door for me, and I give him another polite smile as he guides me to the house, keeping my eyes carefully averted from the axe.
“Hey!” Kai calls out to the others, racing down the path to the deck and easily leaping up and over the railing like it’s not a solid three-foot jump. “You guys remember Dina, right?”
The entire mood shifts the minute Kai says my name. Kiki and Carla stiffen, cutting off mid-conversation like my presence is a record scratch. The unfamiliar boy glances between Kai and his twin sister like he’s watching a Ping-Pong match. I stay frozen to the ground, crossing my arms across my chest like they can guard my heart.
“Hey,” I call out weakly, unsure what to do. There’s no way I can make that jump like Kai—at least not without getting myself hurt—and I’m not sure the others want me any closer. I figured no one would be thrilled to see me, but I thought maybe they’d at least pretend for Kai’s sake. That maybe the smaller setting, free from judging eyes, might make them kinder. But that was clearly wishful thinking, especially about Kiki Thompson and Carla Gutierrez.
I fight the urge to run back to the car and beg Kai to take me home as Carla gives me a searing once-over. I remind myself that I was invited here—Kaiwantsme here. I have just as much reason to be at this cabin as Carla and whoever the boy with the leering smile is.
“We’re gonna get more drinks,” Kiki announces, completely ignoring Kai’s question as she tugs Carla back into the cabin by the elbow, slamming the sliding door shut behind them.
Kai lets out a quick groan of frustration, softening when he glances over at me. “One sec,” he says before bolting into the cabin after his sister, leaving me alone with a stranger.
The boy gives me a ’sup nod in greeting before hoisting himself off his deep lawn chair. He has the typical high school jock look. Long, wavy brown hair with matching brown eyes. Strong arms and an even stronger jaw. His Brewers jersey rides up as he stretches, revealing a strip of his surprisingly welldefined abs. A move I’m sure has earned him many admirers at school.
“Don’t worry,” he says as he drops his arms back down and leans against the deck railing. “I don’t think your dad did it.”
With a smirk, he follows the others back into the cabin, leaving me with nothing but the trees, the distant hum of bugs, and the sound of my racing heart.
Exhibit E: Transcript of Voicemail Received by Dina Soto from her Brother, Michael Soto, at 7:52p.m.on October 31
MICHAEL SOTO:Dina. Mom came out to the kitchen. She doesn’t know you’re gone or anything, but she just told me about something that happened at work a-and… Shit, I think something might be going on. Call me back. Seriously. Don’t fucking ignore me. I think they’re planning something. The people you’re with… You’re not safe there.
8
The front door of the cabin is unlocked, but I hesitate on the doorstep for almost five minutes. Past the screen door I can hear the rumblings of Kai’s and Kiki’s voices. They chase each other throughout the cabin, their voices fading in and out before finally disappearing altogether. With a deep breath, I tighten my hold on my bag and open the door.
If I thought the cabin seemed impressive from the outside, it’s nothing compared to the interior. Right off the front door, a large white sectional takes up most of the living room, with enough space to seat at least a dozen people around the mounted flatscreen—a TV so large it seems impossible for the wall to be able to hold all its weight. Behind the living room area is a startlingly white kitchen, complete with stainless-steel appliances so polished I can see my reflection gawking back at me as I walk past.
To the left of the kitchen, the sliding door to the deck is propped open. Art of various styles adorns each wall. Painted landscapes of beaches and coastal towns dotted with brightly colored buildings—places I’ve only ever seen in postcards. Some impressionist pieces of… well, I can’t really tell what. Beside the door, a large glass bowl holds three sets of keys—one for each of the cars parked in the driveway.
