Page 175 of Finding Us

“Yeah, how’d you know that?”

Shit! I take off running again. “Was there anyone in the car?”

“Just a guy. He was on his phone.”

“What did he look like?”

“I don’t know. Dark hair. Maybe late twenties.”

It’s the same guy who was on our street the other day. I know it is.

“Jade, are you running?”

“No, I’m walking. I can’t run and talk.”

“Don’t hang up. Just hold on to your phone while you run. Start running right now.”

“What’s going on, Garret?”

“That guy in the white car is the same guy I saw the other day. The one I thought might be planning to rob us.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes, and he could be dangerous. So run. Run as fast as you can.”

She doesn’t respond, but I hear the swishing of her shorts as she runs with the phone in her hand.

I wonder if that guy saw her. She was right there next to him. If he wanted to hurt her, he had his chance. So if hedidsee her, maybe he has no interest in her. Maybe he’s just a burglar and he’s casing the entire area. These beach houses are very expensive and most are owned by people who only live here in the summer. A lot of the houses are vacant now that summer’s over, so it’s the perfect time for a criminal to try to rob one or more of them.

“Garret?” I hear her voice again.

“Jade, are you okay?”

“I’m around some people now. There’s a family with some kids. So I’ll hang up and call you when I’m closer.”

“No! Don’t hang up.”

“Garret, you’re scaring me.”

“I’m sorry. I’d just feel better if you didn’t hang up.”

We both keep running. I don’t know how she can run so far on this sand. I’m in great shape but I’m freaking dying here and I’ve only gone a mile, if that. My legs are burning so damn bad I want to stop, but I can’t. I have to get to her. Every few seconds I bring the phone back to my ear and listen for her swishing shorts.

I finally see her off in the distance. When I reach her, I hug her tightly against me. “Do NOT go that far ever again. Promise me, Jade.”

I feel her nod against my chest. “I won’t. I promise.”

I take a moment to catch my breath. “I’m sorry I left you like that. I need to stop doing that whenever we have a fight.”

“I ran away, too, so it’s not like you’re the only one.”

“I’m gonna work on it. I swear. You may have to tie me down the first few times but eventually I’ll stay there on my own.” I pull back and hold her face in my hands. “I love you. And I don’t care about the money. It’s not worth fighting over. We’ll talk it out and we’ll come up with something we both agree on.”

She nods, then looks at me, her face tired and sweaty. “Can we go home now?”

“Yes.” I hug her again because I need to feel her and make sure she’s okay. Because for just that brief moment, when she was miles away and I couldn’t hear her voice on the phone, a part of me thought something had happened to her. Something bad. And I’d blame myself for that.

Jade’s part of my world now. She’s so far in it she’ll never get out. And it’s not always a good world to be in.

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