16

Ray

“What did she mean, ‘Meet me at Neptune Park’?” Ray demanded as he and Liam cut through an alley. “She’s gonna try to get there on her own?”

“You—know Sasha,” gasped Liam. He was seriously out of breath, but so far he still managed to keep up with Ray. “There’s nothing she—wouldn’t try to do.”

“Yeah, but doesn’t she trust us?”

“I don’t think—that’s the point.” Liam drew a wheezy breath. “I think—she thinks—we should all just—be there.”

Ray swallowed. His throat was insanely dry. He hadn’t had a drink of water since lunchtime. “Yeah, I get it. But she did also call 9-1-1, right?”

“Yeah, she said—she’d do that as soon as—we hung up. Obviously if it’s—really bad—we’ll have to—wait for the pros. But like I said—that’s not—really the point—of going over there.”

“Yeah,” Ray said again. He tried to shake the image of his ruined apartment building, now surrounded by emergency vehicles. Tried not to think about what one of the paramedics had said when Ray approached him a minute ago. Gotta deal with one thing at a time, kid. Sorry, but we have to stay here as long as we’re needed. I’m sure they’ll send someone for your friend as soon as they can.

He tried not to think about the fires that he could smell in the air.

He thought about Harper, his friend, who’d gone back to Neptune Park to look for her lucky keychain one more time. Who’d managed to text Sasha two letters—PH.

Prospect Hotel.

The chances that the old building was still standing were slim to none.

Ray tried not to think about that either.

Instead he just thought about Harper, his friend, and how he wasn’t done being friends with her.