Page 35

“Dion, chill. It’s me.”

After one final thrash, the teen finally stopped struggling and closed his eyes.

“I’ve been looking all over for you. You okay?”

Dion didn’t answer, and Eric gave his shoulders a light shake. “Hey. Help me out here. You hurt? In trouble?”

His eyes popped open. “No. I’m fine. Why you chasin’ me down?”

“Why did you run?” Eric fired back.

“I dunno. You scared me.” Right. Because it was normal to take off running when someone said your name.

“You done running now?”

“Yeah.” The word was mostly a groan.

Eric released him and sat back. He left just enough distance between them to appear unthreatening, but not enough to allow Dion an easy escape should he decide to take off again.

But the fight seemed to have gone out of the teen. He sat up and draped his arms over his knees.

“Where have you been?”

“Around.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Dion shrugged, avoiding eye contact.

“We found a bedroll off the trail a little ways. That yours?”

Another shrug.

“How long you been staying out here?”

“Few days.”

“Hey.” At the seriousness in his tone, Dion finally met his gaze. “Do you know about your mom?”

The teen’s face blanched, then hardened. “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry.”

“She deserved it.” Dion swiped at his nose. He was trying awful hard to look like he didn’t care. And failing miserably.

Eric clenched his teeth. He couldn’t comment on whether Ashley Harrison had deserved her fate, but her boys sure hadn’t.

Light footsteps sounded on the trail, and they both turned to see Allye approaching with Dion’s discarded backpack.

“Everything okay?” she asked hesitantly.

Eric glanced at Dion. “Yeah. We’re about to come out.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Dion mumbled.

“You can’t stay out here alone.”

“I’ve been just fine.”