Despite everything, even now, as I tried to pull my father to his feet, I felt sort of sorry for her. Ridley could have any guy on the planet, and yet all I could see was how alone she was. She wasn’t nearly as strong as Lena was, not inside.
Lena.
Lena, are you okay?
I’m fine. What’s wrong?
I looked at my father. He couldn’t keep his eyes open, and he was having trouble standing.
Nothing. Are you with Larkin?
Yes, we’re headed back to Ravenwood. Is your dad okay?
He’s fine. I’ll explain when I get there.
I slid my arm under my dad’s shoulder, while Link grabbed his other side.
Stay with Larkin, and get back inside with your family. You’re not safe alone.
Before we could even take a step, Ridley sauntered by us, back through the open balcony doors, those ten-mile legs stepping across the threshold. “Sorry, boys. I gotta jet, maybe head back to New York for a while, lay low. It’s cool.” She shrugged.
Even though she was a monster, Link couldn’t help but watch her go. “Hey, Rid?”
She stopped and turned to look at him, almost ruefully. Like she couldn’t help what she was any more than a shark could help being a shark, but if she could…
“Yeah, Shrinky Dink?”
“You’re not all bad.”
She looked right at him and almost smiled. “You know what they say. Maybe I’m just drawn that way.”
2.11
Family Reunion
Once my dad was safely in the hands of the reenactment medics, I couldn’t get back to the party fast enough. I pushed past the girls from Jackson, who had ditched jackets, and were looking skanky in their tank tops and baby tees, gyrating to the music of the Holy Rollers. Minus Link who, to his credit, was right on my heels. It was loud. Live band loud. Live ammo loud. So loud that I almost didn’t hear Larkin’s voice calling me.
“Ethan, over here!” Larkin was standing in the trees just past the reflective yellow rope that separated the Safe Zone from the You-Could-Get-Your-Butt-Shot-Off-If-You-Cross-This-Line Zone. What was he doing in the woods, past the Safe Zone? Why wasn’t he back at the house? I waved to him and he motioned me over, disappearing behind the rise. Usually jumping that rope would’ve been a tough choice, but not today. I had no choice but to follow him. Link was right behind me, stumbling, but still somehow keeping up with me, just the way it used to be.
“Hey, Ethan.”
“Yeah?”
“About Rid, I should’ve listened.”
“It’s okay, man. You couldn’t help it. I should’ve told you everything.”
“Don’t sweat it. I wouldn’t have believed you.”
The sound of gunfire echoed over our heads. We both ducked, instinctively.
“Hope those are blanks,” Link said nervously. “Wouldn’t it be crazy if my own dad shot me out here?”
“With my luck lately, it wouldn’t surprise me if he shot us both.”
We reached the top of the rise. I could see the thicket of brush, the oaks, and the smoke of the artillery field beyond us.
“We’re over here!” Larkin called, from the other side of the thicket. By the “we,” I could only assume he meant him and Lena, so I ran faster. Like Lena’s life depended on it, because for all I knew maybe it did.