Page 45 of Zero Chance

“My friend’s house,” I said.“I was at my friend Xander’s house with some people.”

The officer nodded his acceptance before tipping his head toward the house.“You might want to call your parents.Let ’em know you’re okay.”Then, turning toward Parker and Hope, he asked to see some identification.

Mortified, I hurried to the front door, past another officer who’d been shining his lights in the windows to check the place out.

“Waverly?”he asked me.

I nodded.“Yes, sir.Sorry for the trouble.”

“Just glad you’re okay,” he answered and moved back toward the other officer.

My fingers fumbled with my keys, and I glanced up at the little camera in the rafters at the corner of the porch, knowing my mother must be watching me right that moment.

I offered her a small wince in apology and finally got the door open.

As soon as I raced inside, I flipped the lights on and raced up the stairs, snagging my phone from my bed once I hit my room.

I had forty-two messages.

Forty-two.

“What in the world?”I muttered in confusion.I usually hadnonew messages.

Some were from Xander, asking where I was and demanding to know if I was okay.But the lion’s share was from my mother, with a few from Dad and even one from Mrs.Bergamen.

Knowing I should reply to Mom first, I opened the phone app, only for it to start ringing.

I winced at the picture of my mom that appeared, and I took one deep breath to brace myself before accepting the call.

“I don’t even know where to begin,” she boomed.

“I’m sorry,” I started immediately.“I didn’t?—”

She hissed, interrupting me.“First of all, just tell me you’re okay.”

“Of course,” I said.“I’m?—”

“Then what the hell, Waverly?”

“I’m sorry,” I gushed as I hurried back down the stairs.“I forgot my phone at home when I left the house.”

Pushing my way outside, I found both officers questioning Hope and Parker as if they’d done something illegal.

“But I never saw youleave, and your car hasn’t moved all night.”

Pausing at the edge of the porch on the first step, I squinted in confusion.“I didn’t drive.I walked.And I have no idea why you didn’t see me leave.”I glanced up at the camera in the corner.“I went out through the front door.”

“Why didn’t you take your car?What’s wrong with the MINI Cooper?”

“Nothing.I just—I didn’t want to worry about parking when I got there.”

She snorted.“Well, why didn’t I see you leave?I thought you were still at home.You didn’t answer your phone?—”

“Can you see me on the camera now?”I asked, waving at it.

“No.I—dammit.”She stopped talking to me, and I heard muffled voices in the background.Finally, she came back with a weary sigh.“Your dad said he turned that camera off yesterday because the wind kept moving the porch chairs and setting it off.He forgot to turn it back on.”

So that explained why she’d thought I’d never left the house.

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