Page 6 of Kiss Me if You Can
That was a mistake.
I grab the passenger door handle, only to find it locked, and tension fills my body as I glance back at the drugstore, though it’s not like I expect the girl to come after me. Idoexpect her to call the police, and that means I only have a few minutes before this place is crawling with cops and feds.
I meet Isla’s eyes again, begging her to let me into the car, but she doesn’t move. I don’t blame her. Guess it’s time for me to start running and hope I can find a good place to hide.
Setting the bag of supplies on the hood of the car, I nod once at Isla and then turn to figure out my best route. I should probably head behind the store and avoid the streets as much as I can, though now I’m regretting these sweatpants because they’re not exactly lowkey. All the FBI will have to do is tell the public to look for the weirdo wearing blue women’s sweatpants, and I’ll be found in minutes.
“Hey.”
I turn, surprised to see the passenger window rolled down and Isla leaning over to get a better look at me.
“Get in.”
She doesn’t have to tell me twice. I tug the door open and slip inside, grabbing the supplies. “Drive,” I tell her. “I don’t care where.”
Part of me expects her to peel out of the parking lot and zoom away, but she’s smart enough to know that will only draw attention to us. She keeps herself at a normal speed, using her blinker as she turns onto the road and heads south.
We’re both quiet for a minute. I’m listening for police sirens, and I’m pretty sure Isla is second-guessing herself because she keeps glancing at me. Plus, she’s giving off a lot of different vibes right now, like she can’t decide what to think about all of this. I’m waiting for the moment she pulls over to the curb and kicks me out.
“I don’t know where to go,” she says after a while. “I’ve never been to Sun City before.”
I noticed her Colorado plates, but I wasn’t about to ask for more information about her. The less we know about each other, the less danger she’ll be in. She’s already going to be in a lot of trouble if we get caught, though I will do my best to play it off as a kidnapping, not aiding and abetting.
“We need to find somewhere quiet,” I say, wishing I had any sort of plan. It’s not like I’ve ever been on the run from the government. Not like this, anyway. “Maybe a different park?”
“As long as it doesn’t have any ravines,” Isla mumbles under her breath. “Shouldn’t you not go somewhere public? Your face is kind of all over the news.”
I point at her phone. “May I?” I need to know what I’m up against.
“Knock yourself out.”
By the time Isla pulls into the lot of a fairly crowded park that is mostly made up of baseball diamonds, I’ve learned quite a lot about my predicament. Only one news station—Sun City’s most popular station, Channel 6—has labeled me a cyber terrorist, while the rest of the stories only say the police are looking for me and I might be dangerous. I have a feeling someone tipped off Channel 6, and it wouldn’t surprise me to learn Hadley is behind that one. He would have done his research, and if he realized the FBI were at the park with me, it would make sense for him to retaliate.
Still, I don’t appreciate the reminder of my past, no matter how accurate.
“Does this work?” Isla asks. “I thought maybe we could sit on the bleachers and blend in with the people watching the game.”
The more people that are around, the more likely I am to be recognized, but hopefully most of the people here are parents and too busy watching the Little League game to be looking up breaking news on their phones.
I nod and hand her back her phone, though I’m sorely tempted to keep it and disable anything that could be tracked. I don’t think she would appreciate losing her best resource if she finally decides she shouldn’t trust me.
“Is it true?” she asks, looking down at her phone.
That’s a loaded question, one I don’t know how to answer without risking her running away. “I’m not a bad person,” I say instead. It’s a lame response, but it’s the only one I’ve got right now. “I thought you were going to leave me at CVS.”
“So did I.”
“Why didn’t you?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. I guess I had a feeling about you.”
It shouldn’t, but her response makes me smile. I’m all about gut feelings and intuition, but there aren’t many people who trust their own hearts anymore. It’s nice to find a kindred spirit, even if it’s just temporary.
I pick up the bag of supplies. “Ready?”
She studies me for a moment, and then she smiles. In this moment, everything about her is warm and welcoming, and I hope she doesn’t find a reason for that to change. There’s something about Isla that makes me want to keep her around, and I have a feeling I’m not going to get through the day without her.
Chapter Four
