Paper Hearts

  I turned to Boomer. He was the only one of us who had a car, an ancient pickup with a muffler louder than he was.

  “Sorry, Fel,” he said, his face dropping when he realized what I was thinking. “I wish I could drive you, but I don’t think my truck can make that kind of trip. We’d be on the side of the highway calling for a tow in three hours flat.”

  Damn, I hadn’t thought of that. Older than Michael James, Boomer’s ride needed constant attention. He was always popping the hood and whispering words of encouragement as he fiddled with the engine when it wouldn’t start.

  “You could take a bus,” Asha suggested.

  “I suppose,” I said, flipping my light switch. “But how much do you think that will cost?”

  “Twenty, maybe thirty bucks?”

  More than I could afford, but there was no way around it. I had to find Rose.

  “Okay, can you turn on my computer and pull up a schedule? Find out what time the next bus leaves while I pack a bag.”

  There was a skeptical look on Boomer’s face as he leaned against the doorjamb, arms crossed over his chest. “Do you think your mom is going to let you take off like this?”

  I pulled a small duffel out from under my bed and brushed a layer of dust off the top. I hadn’t used it since the move. “Never in a million years, which is why I’m not going to tell her.”

  • • •

  “Felicity, this is beyond stupid,” Asha said, putting a hand on her hip.

  Boomer nodded. “She’s right, which says a lot because we never agree on anything.”

  I sighed as I shoved my toiletry bag into the duffel and zipped it. “We already went over this. It’s really sweet you’re both worried about me, but I can’t let you guys waste so much money.”

  The bus ticket turned out to be more than thirty dollars—it was double. I cried a little on the inside when I pulled out my emergencies-only credit card to buy one. What made the purchase more painful was that there were buses to San Francisco for as cheap as ten dollars, but apparently Friday trips sold out quickly, and all that was available was a fancy coach. There were cheaper options tomorrow, but I needed to leave today. I had to get back for my shift at the Electric Waffle on Sunday. Or before my mom came home and realized I was gone.

  The point was, I couldn’t let Asha and Boomer come with me, even though I wanted them to. Money-wise, they weren’t any better off than me. The thought of them dropping sixty dollars on what might be a wild-goose chase made my stomach tighten.

  “Helping you is not a waste of money,” Asha argued.

  And Boomer quickly added, “Besides, I’m not worried about spending a few bucks. I’m worried about you.” He positioned himself in front of me, a looming mountain, and placed both his hands on my shoulders. “What happens if you get to this address and Rose isn’t there anymore? It will be night by the time you arrive. Where will you stay? You’re not old enough to rent a hotel room, and you don’t know anybody who lives in the city. You shouldn’t go alone. You haven’t thought this through.”

  I offered Boomer the most convincing smile I could muster. “I’ll be fine. I’m going to San Francisco, not the moon. If Rose isn’t there, I’ll go back to the station and wait for my bus home. Seriously, you guys are making a bigger deal out of this than necessary. I can take care of myself.”

  “You know that’s not what I meant,” he said. “I just don’t think you should go alone.”

  I grabbed his arm in a reassuring way. “I’ll have my phone on me the whole time. If something happens, I’ll call you right away.”

  His lips pressed into a small white line, and he let go of me. “A lot of help that will do,” he grumbled. “I don’t like this.”

  “Come on,” I said, sighing. My voice was soft, apologetic even. While I felt guilty for being the source of their concern, it wasn’t enough to change my mind. “If we don’t leave soon, I’ll be late for the bus.”

  As gently as possible, I pulled away from Boomer and slung the duffel over my shoulder. Then I grabbed my messenger bag, tucked Rose’s letters inside, and strode out of the room before either of my friends could start arguing again. When the door closed with a sharp bang, I knew they were grudgingly following behind me.

  After doing a quick lap of the house to make sure all the lights were off and the windows and doors were locked, I was ready to leave. Although his truck couldn’t make the six-plus-hour drive up north, Boomer could manage the trip to the bus station. It was only a few miles away.

  “Thanks again for all your help, guys,” I said, yanking open the front door. “I really appreciate—”

  I never finished. Whatever I planned on saying was whisked from my mind at the sight of Alec. He was standing on the porch, hand poised to knock. His lips curved into a timid half smile as he let his arm fall back down to his side.

  “Hey, Felicity,” he said, and that was all it took to steal the air from my lungs.

  I couldn’t place it, but there was something different about him. It took me a moment of staring to realize it was his outfit. I’d never seen him dress so casually before, but he still looked sexy in a heart-stopping way. He could wear a mascot costume, I thought, and he’d still make girls swoon. Today, he was dressed in a pair of plain khaki shorts, Top-Siders, and a blue V-neck shirt. It fit him perfectly, like it was designed specifically with his chest in mind, and the color turned his eyes a seafoam green.

  “Oh,” I breathed, and the little air still left inside me hissed passed my lips. “Alec, hi.” How was it possible that I had forgotten Alec was picking me up? That we were supposed to be going on a maybe date?

  His smile retracted as he took in the surprise that must have been clear on my face. “Is something wrong?” he asked as his gaze darted to the duffel at my side.

  I didn’t get a chance to reply, because Asha nearly slammed into my back. She made a choking, squawk-like sound and started whacking me on the shoulder.

  “Felicity, Felicity, Felicity,” she whispered even though Alec was standing close enough to hear. “It’s him.”

  The secondhand embarrassment was too real to bear. I squeezed my eyes shut and slowly dragged a hand down my face as I waited for it to subside. After taking a calming breath, I opened my eyes to do introductions.

  “Alec, this is my friend Asha.” I stepped aside so I wasn’t blocking the doorway and glanced at her. She had a hand pressed to her chest, and her entire face had taken on a ruddy complexion. I begged her with my eyes to behave. “Asha, I’m one hundred percent sure you don’t need an introduction to know who this is.”

  “No, nope. Definitely not. Hi, I’m Asha…and you already know that because Felicity just introduced me. Crap. I’m totally rambling now, aren’t I?”

  Boomer, who was standing behind her with his arms crossed over his chest, snorted. “Was that rhetorical, because I’d be happy to answer for you. Yes, you sound like a dumbass.”

  Asha momentarily shifted her attention from Alec and whipped around to deliver a well-aimed glare at Boomer.

  I quickly jumped in before they bickered. “And this is my other good friend, Boomer,” I said. “Boomer, Alec.”

  Boomer did one of those brusque chin nods as a way of acknowledging Alec before saying to me, “We need to leave soon. I’m going to start the car.” Then he blew past us as if the house were on fire, dragging Asha behind him.

  “But I didn’t get a chance to talk to him,” Asha complained as they stepped off the porch.

  Alec, who’d been silent this entire time, finally spoke. “You’re going somewhere.” There was no question in his tone, only disappointment.

  “Yeah,” I answered, my throat tight. “Something happened with my sister, and to be honest, it completely slipped my mind that you were coming.” Saying those words out loud were difficult, but he deserved to hear the truth.

  For one
who’d been forgotten, Alec took my confession in stride. “You mean Rose? Did you find her?”

  His concern was as surprising as it was comforting, and a small smile lifted the corners of my lips. “Not exactly,” I answered. “When I was getting ready this morning, I found a collection of letters hidden in my mom’s room. They were from Rose. She’s been writing to me since she ran away.”

  “So these letters…” Alec said as a frown crossed his face. “Your mom kept them from you?” He shook his head as if that was the most despicable thing he’d ever heard.

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Is that where you’re going then? To talk to her?”

  “No, I’m tracking down Rose. At least, I hope to. Her last letter was sent from San Francisco, so I’m taking a bus there today to see if I can find her.”

  Alec’s face remained passive as ever, but he swallowed hard. “I see.”

  “I’m so sorry, Alec.” I wrapped my arms around myself and stared down at my feet. “I was looking forward to going to the party with you, but this is really important—”

  “Felicity,” he said, holding up a hand to stop me. “It’s okay. If she were my sister, I’d do the same thing.”

  “So…you’re not mad?”

  “No,” he said. “This is something you need to do.”

  The tension in my shoulders dwindled. I was glad he thought so. The truth was, I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about Rose until I had some answers, but at the same time…there was a heavy feeling inside my chest. Part of me knew that by going after my sister, I would miss out on something that had the potential to be amazing. Something like him.

  “Um, Felicity?” Asha said, running up the front walk. She cast a quick glance in Alec’s direction before saying, “I hate to interrupt, but we have a problem.” She pointed over to Boomer.

  The hood of his truck was propped up, and the toolbox he always kept in the back was open on the driveway next to him. He was rummaging through it, presumably trying to find a tool to help stop the smoke billowing out of the engine. Whatever was wrong, it didn’t look good.

  Shit, shit, shit! This can’t be happening.

  I stepped off the porch and dashed over to Boomer. “What happened?”

  He looked up from his work. There was already grease smudged across his forehead. “This truck is ancient. That’s what happened.”

  “Can you fix it?” I bit my lip and prayed for the answer to be yes.

  “Just because I’m good with mechanical stuff doesn’t make me a magician, Fel.”

  “But I can’t be late for the bus.”

  Sighing, Boomer used his shirt to clean the grease off his hands. “And I’m supposed to drive Kevin to T-ball practice tonight. Doesn’t look like either of those things is going to happen.”

  “Wait,” Alec said, stepping forward. “You’re not going with Felicity?”

  The sound of his voice made me turn in surprise. Amid my concern for Boomer’s truck, I’d completely forgotten about him. Again. What was wrong with me?

  “I want to,” Boomer replied and crossed his arms, “but she won’t let us.”

  Alec turned his intense gaze back to me. “Why would you go by yourself? That’s not safe.”

  “Thank you,” Boomer said, sighing in exasperation. And for the first time, he looked at Alec with what appeared to be acceptance, as if he recognized they were on the same side. “That’s another point for Team Common Sense.”

  “Not you too.” I groaned, ignoring Boomer. “We’re talking about San Francisco here, not the murder capital of the world. Besides, I can’t go anywhere if the truck doesn’t start.”

  Nobody said anything, a silent acknowledgment of the hopelessness of the situation, and Asha pulled me into a side hug. I checked my watch and swallowed hard. There was no way I would make the bus on time, which meant I wasn’t going to find my sister.

  Alec studied me. I must have looked majorly pathetic because his eyes softened and he cleared his throat. “Of course you’re going,” he said, stepping forward. “I’ll drive you.”

  I’d completely forgotten he’d driven here until now. I glanced at the car, a Cadillac ATS, parked on the street in front of the house. Obviously it was Alec’s. It was new-car shiny and much too expensive to belong to anyone who lived in my neighborhood.

  “Really?”

  He nodded.

  “Thank you so much, Alec. You’re seriously a lifesaver.” I turned to Asha and said, “Did you write down the address for the station?”

  “No, you misunderstood.” Alec waved Asha off when she started digging through her purse. “I’m not taking you to the bus. I’ll drive you to San Francisco.” He straightened his shoulders as he said this, as if he knew I’d argue and was prepared to stand his ground.

  “Oh. Um, that’s super nice of you, but I already bought a ticket and—”

  “You’re not going alone,” he said, unrelenting. I opened my mouth to respond, but Alec crossed his arms over his chest, and it was impossible not to notice how the sleeves of his shirt crept up over his biceps. “I have a car, and now that you’re not going, there’s a party I want to avoid.”

  “But won’t your dad be pissed if you miss it?” I asked. I didn’t want Mr. Williams to dislike me.

  Whoa. Slow down, Felicity.

  I was getting way ahead of myself. I’d have to stop turning down Alec’s company if I ever wanted to make it to the meet-the-parent stage. Not that I focused on that sort of thing. My mind was on Rose, one hundred percent.

  He hesitated for a moment but said, “All the more reason to not attend.”

  Before I could come up with another excuse, Asha grabbed me by the arm and said to the boys, “Can you give us a moment?” Then she pulled me out of earshot. “Did someone hit you over the head? There’s a fine-ass boy offering to take you on a road trip, and you can’t say no fast enough. What is wrong with you?”

  “I want to go with him,” I said, glancing at Alec. He still had his arms crossed. God, why does stern look so good on him? “Trust me, I do. But I already paid for my ticket, Asha. I can’t waste it.”

  “Who cares? It’s only sixty bucks, Felicity. For once, can you stop thinking about money and have some fun?”

  Her words stung. Did Asha really think all I thought about was how much I had in the bank? She made me sound like my mom.

  “Fine,” I muttered. “I’ll let him drive me, but you’re wrong. I don’t just think about money.” I marched back over to the boys and announced, “Alec, I hope you’re a good driver, because I get carsick easily.” Although I’d already experienced Alec’s driving, I couldn’t say I remembered much about it. I was too distracted by him and his car to be nauseous.

  Alec scoffed and pulled his keys out of his pocket. “I’m a great driver.” He spun the key chain around his finger. “We can head out whenever you’re ready.”

  “All right, just let me say bye.” I turned toward my friends and found them huddled together a few feet away, speaking in hushed tones. “What’s going on?”

  Boomer glanced up, and I knew from his expression that the two were up to something. Asha turned around to face me with a fierce gaze and set jaw.

  “We’ve made a decision.” There was her I-mean-business voice again.

  I raised an eyebrow. “About what?”

  “You wouldn’t let us come along before because you didn’t want us spending money on tickets,” she said. “But since Alec is driving, that isn’t an issue anymore, is it? We’re coming along, whether you like it or not.”

  “That is,” Boomer added quickly, “if Alec lets us.” He glanced down at Asha. “It is his car after all.”

  But Asha didn’t back down. As much as she loved Alec and the Heartbreakers, she wasn’t going to let his presence weaken her resolve. She looked at him and raised her chin, as if s
he was daring him to say no. Everything about her posture screamed “She’s our best friend, not yours.”

  Alec seemed to understand this, because he nodded in agreement. Whether he was disappointed or not by the company was impossible to tell.

  Asha’s tough demeanor faded in an instant and was replaced by her normal warm smile. “Good. I’m glad that’s all sorted out. Should we get going? This is going to be a long drive.” She headed toward the street before anyone could respond, like she was afraid Alec would change his mind and she needed to hurry us along so he wouldn’t have that opportunity. We all stared after her, none of us moving, until Alec shook his head in amusement and followed.

  “Hey,” I whispered when we reached the car. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

  Alec popped the trunk and held out his hand for my duffel. As I passed it to him, I glanced inside. A guitar case was shoved in the back, and next to it laid a heavy-duty rucksack like the kind used to backpack across Europe. This seemed normal enough, but I frowned at the pair of strange metal objects that looked like sandals with spikes on the bottom. There was also a pickax.

  He slammed the trunk closed before I could place either of the two items.

  “Absolutely.” He held back a smile as if he thought something was funny. “Now will you stop asking me that and just get in the car?”

  Chapter 8

  Asha bolted down the front walk of her house, barely glancing back at Riya, who stood in the doorway with crossed arms and a disapproving frown.

  “Hey, Alec,” she said when she slid back into the car and slammed the door shut. “I never got to tell you, but I totally adore your guys’ music. ‘Astrophil’ was my favorite song on the new album!”

  Alec checked the rearview mirror as he backed out of her driveway. “Thank you,” he said with a nod.

  A satisfied grin spread on Asha’s face as she buckled her seat belt and stuffed an overnight tote between her feet. Alec had offered to swing by her and Boomer’s houses before leaving LA so they could pack small bags for the trip.