Page 83 of The Other Side of Together

“I always do.”

“Is Mei involved with everything Nick was doing? Like, was she ever part of it? Or her family?”

“No, she is not. Neither is her mama but…” Guo pauses on the other end, and I tense. “I cannot say the same for her baba.”

“Her dad’s involved? Like how involved? Some kind of fall guy? Or Nick’s henchman or something? What??”

“Or something.”

I grip the phone and stare into the dark living room. So Mei’s not involved but she’s so close to the action.

“Does Mei know?”

“No. And it must stay that way until things are confirmed.”

This phone can’t even handle a secret this heavy. My hand aches. My throat. My head that’s not sturdy enough to handle the realization that just plowed into it: even if I stay in San Francisco, I won’t be with Mei. Stuff’s going to happen to her family if her dad’s really involved. We definitely have to leave, and we have to hide because this could be bad. All of it.

“You okay, boy?”

I push up through the layers of debris my life just made. “Yeah. So…do you think your brother would be okay with me staying at his place? And how soon can he be ready for us?”

“He is ready now. I already told him you would be coming with Mei Li. She will be ready as soon as you get here.”

The call ends and I look at the phone, then dart into the kitchen and snag the lanyard with the motorcycle key on itand throw it over my head. Sprinting to my room, I pull my soccer bag from under my bed and empty it, shove clothes and hoodies inside along with an extra pair of Adidas. I snatch my wallet and Meemaw’s graduation money, tossing it inside along with my passport, just in case. We might have to run a lot farther than we would have before I saw Dad.

Headed for the door, I pause, backtrack, and yank open my top dresser drawer. I grab Buddha and a couple books I haven’t finished yet.

On my way past the kitchen, a note Dad left on the whiteboard on the fridge catches my eye. I missed it when I came home from prom since it was so dark but now, I see his message:Wake me up when you get home. Definitely didn’t have to wake him up, and I wonder what my life would be like right now if he’d fallen asleep instead of talking to Kenna. Or hung up with her two minutes earlier. I wouldn’t have known Dad’s been lying. Wouldn’t have run to Mei’s. Wouldn’t know about Mei’s situation or any of this. I might have missed her. Never seen her again. Maybe I should be grateful for Kenna.

I wipe off Dad’s message with the side of my hand and grab the dry erase marker.

“I left. My choice. I’ll check in later.”

I set the marker down and am out of The Clubhouse. Down the stairs, out the building, running through backstreets and dodging puddles in alleys. Every time I think of a shivering, bruised Mei in the shower, I run faster. Every time I think of the pictures on Dad’s phone, I stumble. Anyone could be following me. They could jump me and lights out. Then again, I’d almost prefer that to seeing Dad again and explaining why I’m doing the exact opposite of what he told me to do.

My legs are cramping by the time I make it to Lex’s house, sweat dripping in my eyes as I punch in his garage code, urge the door to move faster. Hope Lex really is with Dad.

When the door rises enough to duck under it, my eyes land on my bike and I straighten, stare at her. She’s more beautiful than she looked in the pictures. I circle her, run my hands over her. Matte black body, chrome everywhere else. And a seat perfect for me with Mei right behind me.

Smiling for the first time in hours, I shove my bag in the seat compartment and slide onto the motorcycle, rubbing the handlebars. I’m totally in love. She’s mine. And if I’m going by Ray Rules, I earned every last bolt.

I roll her out of the garage, punching the button to close the door, then slip the key in the ignition and ride toward freedom.

My hands ache from being clenched, gripping the handlebars like I can control my life if I just keep my grip tight enough. I squint against the heavy fog draped between buildings, my eyes stinging as I speed back toward Chinatown, taking corners way too fast, imagining Dad behind me any second.

Early morning buses rumble past and send ripples toward me, try to shake me off my bike. The whole world quakes beneath me. I accelerate, and a few minutes later, I turn so fast into the alley behind Guo’s shop that I have to put my foot on the ground to keep the bike upright. Swearing, I steady it, veer behind a dumpster, then cut the engine and jump off.

Throwing open Guo’s back door, I weave through the dark, around stacks of boxes, burst through the velvet curtain into Guo’s kitchenette where she and Mei sit at the table.

Their heads snap up, Mei’s hand on her chest before she closes her eyes and breathes my name. “You scared me.”

“We have to go. Now. My dad knows about us. And Nick. There’s…I’ll explain later.” My eyes meet hers. “I’m going to Seattle with you.”

Emotions sweep across Mei’s face, her eyes going from afraid to confused to hopeful to questioning while Guo watches silently.

“Marcus, no—you can’t—”

“I’m going with you and we gotta go now.”

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