Fire with Fire

WHEN I WAKE UP, IT’S JUST GETTING TO BE LIGHT outside, and I’m leaning against Reeve’s chest and his arms are around me. The clock on the dashboard says 7:07. Oh God.

I try to sit up, and Reeve stirs but doesn’t wake up, and he doesn’t let go. He holds me tighter, and for a second I let him. My parents are going to kill me.

Was it worth it? I look up at Reeve; his eyes are closed and his lashes are long and his hair is all mussed in the back. He looks like a little boy. Yes, it was worth it. I know now that I can’t not be with him. It will be hard, but I’m going to have to explain it to Mary and Kat so they understand that I didn’t plan for anything like this to happen . . . but it did happen. They’ll have to, they just will.

I sit up and gently shake Reeve’s shoulder. “Wake up, Reeve.”

He opens his eyes, and he smiles. Then his eyes widen. “Shit.”

“My parents are going to kill me. I was supposed to be home by two.” I slide away from him and start looking for my clutch. I find it on the floor by my shoes. I check my phone—eighteen missed calls, all from home. “Oh no.”

Reeve starts up the truck, and reverses out of the woods and onto the main road in one swift move. “I’ll get you home in six minutes. We’ll explain that we fell asleep; it’ll be fine.”

“You’re not explaining anything,” I tell him. “You’re just dropping me off. I’m talking to them alone.” I check my hair in the mirror. A mess. I start running my fingers through it, trying to untangle the ends. I’m starting to feel queasy, and it’s not just my parents. Every time I think of Mary, I feel an ache inside. And the way I left things with Rennie . . . it’s all such a mess.

Reeve reaches over and grabs my hand. He laces his fingers around mine and says, “Ren will get over it eventually. I’ll talk to her. She can’t stay mad forever.”

I let out a laugh. “Do you know Rennie at all? Of course she can.”

Confidently he says, “Not at me. We’ve known each other for too long.”

“Okay, then, she’ll forgive you and she’ll go on hating me.” As soon as I say it, I know that’s exactly how it’s going to go. Reeve’s just a guy; he’s not her best friend. He didn’t betray her the way I did.

“I won’t let her hate you, Cho,” Reeve says, and I start to smile but then stop.

“And Mary. Mary’s going to be so upset,” I whisper.

Reeve asks, “Who’s Mary?”

“She’s my friend.” We’re pulling into my neighborhood now. Later, if my parents ever let me out of the house again, I’m going to tell him everything. The revenge pact with Mary and Kat, the ecstasy at homecoming, the plan to make him fall in love with me—all of it. I know he doesn’t want to hear it, but it’s the only way. And when he understands how badly he hurt Mary, he’ll go to her, and he’ll apologize. He’ll want to make things right.

When we turn onto the road to my house, I see it—a police car in our driveway. Oh my God. My parents put out an APB on me.

Under his breath, Reeve says, “Uh-oh.” He pulls into my driveway. Worriedly, he asks, “Are you sure you don’t want me to come inside with you? Blame it all on me.”

I’m already opening the passenger door. “Just go. I’ll call you later.” I hop out of the truck and run for the front door. I don’t look back, but I hear his car drive away.

Breathless, I run up to the door and slip inside the house. My dad is pacing by the fireplace, and my mom is crying on the couch with Nadia in her arms. A police officer is sitting on the couch. “I’m so sorry,” I begin. “I fell asleep—”

I stop talking because my mom lets out a choked sob and my dad has the strangest expression on his face. He runs over to me and grabs me in his arms and hugs me to him tight. Hoarsely he whispers, “Thank God you’re okay. Thank God. We thought—” He can’t even finish the sentence.

“What’s happening?” I ask. Then I look over his shoulder at my mom and Nadia on the couch. My mom’s crying; so is Nadia. She’s smoothing the top of Nadia’s head and rubbing her back.

“Lillia,” she manages to say, and holds her arms out to me.

I’m scared. I’ve never felt so scared. “Daddy?” I pull away from my dad and look up at him. “Tell me what’s happening. Is it Grandma?”

My dad closes the front door and tries to maneuver me toward the couch. “First sit down, honey.”

I’m shaking my head. “No. Tell me now.”

He puts his hands on my shoulders. The lines around his eyes look deep in this morning light. He looks so tired. “It’s Rennie.”

My heart drops. No no no no no.

“She’s been in an accident, and we didn’t know if you were with her. She—she died, Lilli.”

I feel my legs go out from under me. My dad rushes to lift me up, but he can’t. I can’t move. This isn’t happening. This is a dream. Rennie can’t be dead. It’s not possible.