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My eyes narrow, moving from Penelope to her. “Itold you that.”
She only smiles. “So, this favor?”
“My van died.”
“Oh, no.”
“And I told my grandpa I’d visit him today…”
“Let me put Penelope in her tank.”
“But it’s an hour away.”
She’s halfway to her back door already. “Okay.”
“I’ll probably be there a couple of hours.”
“So, I’ll bring a book,” she says, already in her house with the screen door closed between us. “Meet me by my car!”
I don’t know why it never occurred to me before right this moment that I’ve never been a passenger while Harlow drives. It’s strange—but also good, because I get to watch her while she focuses on the road, and now I’m wondering if she used to do the same with me all those times I drove her around. “Can you believe we’re graduating tomorrow?” she asks, catching me watching her when she glances my direction.
“Finally,” I murmur, then add, “Your earrings are different.” I noticed them the last time I saw her, when we were out at the creek a few days ago, but didn’t think it was the right time to mention them. The moon, stars, and lightning bolt are gone now, replaced with a sun, butterfly, and starfish.
“You’re very observant,” she states. “I was kind of getting sick ofliving in the darkness, so I switched them out. They’re another graduation gift from my dad. Actually, he kind of just gave me money and told me to buy things, so…”
“Will your dad be here for graduation?”
Harlow smiles full force, nodding. “He’ll be back tomorrow morning, and then he’ll be home for an entire week.”
I shift in my seat, focus ahead. “Have you spoken to your mom at all since…?”
“Nope. But apparently my uncle reached out to my dad for—get this—relationship advice.”
“The nerve…”
“The fucking audacity, right?”
“What did your dad say?”
“He laughed, said, ‘good luck, buddy!’ And then hung up and called a lawyer to draft up divorce papers.”
“Good for him.”
“Right? I thought I had it rough, but the shit he’s been through? He should be the one in therapy, not me.”
Speaking of therapy… I settle into my seat, my back against the door so I can face her. “I was thinking about what we said… out by the creek…”
“Oh, yeah?”
“The stuff about Reyna.”
Her face scrunches. “I know you like to give an extensive amount of details when it comes to her, but I really don’t want to know.”
“No, it’s just…” I sigh. “Whatexactlydid you see?”
“Jace, I really don’t want to relive it,” she says, her voice cracking.
“Because I did kiss her?—”