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Thankfully and also not very surprising, we were alone, so I didn’t bother to wait to listen to Everett’s video.
I turned the volume down on my phone so it was just loud enough for us to hear before I hit play.
“Now, I know everybody is well aware why I chose Lockwood as a destination for the game. They’d be right to some extent. It was definitely because of the summers I spent here growing up alongside Lake and Shaye, but it’s also more than that. Lockwood itself is one of those towns that once you visit it, you never get it out of your head. The people seem happy here, life is a bit slower than it is in the city, but in the best way. There’s character here within the residents and the buildings themselves.”
He paused and glanced around the room. There was definitely more on the walls now than when he visited. It was interesting to see the differences that even a year could make.
“One time I came to town with just my dad. We were doing some work during the fall to prep the cabin for the winter. We went to the hardware store for a few things he didn’t have on hand. If we were anywhere in the city, they would just try to upsell us. Instead, the man looked at my dad’s cart, asked what everything was for, and then proceeded to talk him out of half of the stuff. He offered a few alternatives before giving us a detailed rundown on how to do it properly. Then he handed over his number in case we needed help.”
“That’s adorable,” I said. He was right, Lockwood was different than anywhere else I’d lived. As kids, we were safe wandering the streets. That couldn’t be said for every town.
“Lockwood is somewhere I wanted to end up one day, and now, through this game, I’ll get to live there forever. After just two more destinations, you get to see the video game side of it, too. I know you’ll love it. I made it with you both in mind, after all.”
“So humble,” Lake said. He didn’t look as sad this time either. It was nice to know he was healing alongside me.
Everett’s voice brought my attention back to the video.
“I hope as you’re walking through these locations, you’re able to talk about all the crazy things we got up to as kids. Those memories were something that kept me going, and I want them to keep you going, too. You can’t sit every day and cry over what we had. It’s going to be nearly impossible to avoid the tears—I get it to some extent because I cry thinking about all the things I’m going to miss with you, too. But more than anything, I want you to embrace life, to remember the things that helped you be the person you are now, and to embrace every small moment that comes along. You deserve to have long, happy lives, and I’m so fucking happy that you’re going to get the chance to.”
His voice broke, and my throat tightened as tears threatened to come, but I blinked them away, trying to keep it reined in for once. I’d done my fair share of crying, and he was right, it was time to live in the moment.
“Now, for this code, all you need to do is to find the craziest picture in here. I based this one on the picture itself. To get it right, you need to know the right order: Car, pavement, banner, and shirt. Good luck. I know you’ll figure it out.”
What the hell?
“It’s got to be a picture from those cryptic instructions,” Lake said. “Maybe something with a race car? Otherwise why would it have a number on it? License plates are too common and too long.”
Micah was already veering off toward a wall of photos as Lake talked it out.
Drew pulled out his phone and followed. “I’ve got a note ready to write down whatever we find. We’re not going to find a little envelope with this one.”
Riven pulled me in for a quick hug. It was just long enough so I felt the brunt of my emotions before he was letting go. The way he squared his shoulders and put his hand on my lower back, pushing me to help them find the picture, had me steeling my own spine, knowing that I could do this.
I’d never had anyone believe in me quite the way that Riven did. Everett and I were so deeply in love before we even knew what love really was that it felt like we only saw the best in each other. Riven saw me at my worst. He didn’t try to coddle me or say sweet, meaningless words. Instead he taught me to keep going, to stand my ground and keep my head high.
The guys continued to look at the pictures in the main gallery, but it was something in the back that caught my eye. There was a pennant flag tucked away in an alcove in the back. The main picture was of a dirt bike track, the bikes flying in the air in various action shots. There was one of a full team around it.
“I can’t believe they put this up,” Riven said with a laugh, tapping one of the pictures.
In this photo the dirt bike was flying without its rider. The poor guy was laying flat on the hood of a car where he’d fallen. Thankfully, he had a helmet on and was giving a thumbs up in the picture as a crowd rushed towards him.
It was pure chaos and kind of funny until my eyes drifted to something hanging in the windshield—it was just big enough to see the two bold numbers waiting there. It must have been some kind of parking pass.
Then I noticed the banner hanging along the sidelines, announcing that it was the 75th annual Lockwood dirt bike race. The biker on the car had a number on his torso, and finally, the pavement next to his car was marking the parking spots—the only number visible was seven.
“We found it!” I called out to the others. Drew came over and typed the numbers in as I read them off.
“This was much less eventful than the train station,” Micah said. “Pretty tame overall.”
“I’d say that guy begs to differ,” Drew laughed.
“No fucking way,” Lake said as he leaned in to read the caption. His blond hair fell over his eyes and he brushed it out of the way so he could see. “That’s Walter from the Raven’s nest.”
“No,” I gasped, remembering the grumpy old man. There wasn’t a date on the picture, but it could very well have been him. “Now I have to know. Who feels like coffee?”
I was already walking out of the door, knowing they’d follow after me. Raven’s Nest was only a block away and coffee was always a good idea.
Just as Lake pulled open the door I noticed a music store a few buildings down.
