Page 56 of Wherever You Are

Maya: Can you respond just to let me know you’re in one piece?

Maya: Not cool, Willow. If you don’t answer this in thirty minutes, I’m going to have to text Loren. It’s my roommate duty

Maya: Just called him

Not to mention the missed calls and texts from my brother, Lily, Daisy, Rose, and even Ryke and Connor. Maybe my backpack muffled them or most happened while I was asleep.

“Oh no,” I mutter.

“What?” Garrison straightens up and stands just as I do.

“I have to go.” Lo has called metentimes and left seven texts, which range from slightly worried, asking about where I am, to full-on panicked, saying that he’s five minutes away from calling the cops to find me.

And then this text:

Loren:If someone’s taken Willow’s phone—if you’ve hurt her, I’m going to wring your goddamn neck and shove your dick inside your body, you little shitty motherfucker. You’ll be peeing out of your asshole.

“I can drive you to your apartment.” Garrison grabs his hoodie.

“No that’s okay.” I sling my backpack on my shoulder. “I need to pick up my car from Lo’s house, so I’ll just drive myself home. I can walk to Lo’s.” Before he offers to walk with me, I add, “If Lo sees that I was with you, I think he might pop a blood vessel. I’ve never seen him this angry.” I show the text to Garrison.

He reads it quickly. “I’ve seen that side of him already. I’m not scared.”

“You’re on good footing with him though and that took a while.” I don’t want to ruin his relationship with Lo either.

“Yeah, but you shouldn’t lie to your cousin about where you’ve been. Not because of me. I don’t have to walk with you, but just don’t lie to him.”

“Are you sure?” I ask before I leave. He wants me to be honest with Loren Hale. “If I tell Lo the truth about where I’ve been…”He may hate you.

“I’m sure.”

13BACK THEN – October

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

WILLOW MOORE

Age 17

On my walk towards Lo’s house, I text him and Maya, apologizing profusely and reassuring that I’m one-hundred percent okay. I also mention that I’m almost to his house, and as soon as my feet hit the front porch steps, the door bursts open.

Lo wears nothing but drawstring pants, the night air chilly, but maybe his anger heats him. His cheekbones cut sharp, and he has his cellphone cupped to his ear.

“She’s here,” he says to the person on the other line. “I don’t know why yet. Just get your ass back home, bro.”Must be Ryke Meadows.“I’ll tell her. Okay,okay. Bye.” He hangs up, and I stand uneasily on the porch—only an arm’s length away from my half-brother.

Lo clutches his cell tight. “Ryke and Daisy have been driving around looking for you.” He lets out a tense breath. “My brother said to tell you that he’s ‘fucking glad you’re okay’ and ‘Daisy loves you.’”

My lips upturn at Daisy’s comment to me. When I’m with all of them—Lo and Lily, Rose and Connor, Ryke and Daisy—I thought for sure, I’d gravitate towards someone like Lily. Comic book geek, resident introvert, and a lover of pop culture.

But when we’re all together, Daisy keeps me the most company. She metaphorically opened her arms to me, and I walked straight into them. Life is unpredictable that way. Because I would’ve neverpredicted befriending Daisy Calloway of all the Calloway sisters.

We’re the closest in age, but it’s more than that. She never pressures me to fill the silence, and when I do talk, she always listens. Even if it’s about superheroes and comic books that she’s never heard of before.

Just three days ago, Daisy invited me to pick apples with her at an orchard.

She climbed an apple tree in the spur of the moment, and she gave me a tug and boost to the lowest tree limb. Something I never thought I’d do. She’s adventurous and spontaneous, but she likes the quiet more than most people would even believe.

We sat up there and just listened to the wind.