Page 49 of My Return to the Walter Boys
My head snapped up. The same two girls I’d caught gossiping about Cole in the library—Savannah and her blond volleyball friend—were standing directly in front of me in line.
“Wow, real classy,” the nameless girl said with a snicker.
Not wanting to get caught eavesdropping, I buried my face in my notes but kept listening.
“Yeah, that whole family is a hot mess,” Savannah replied, and I couldn’t stop my shoulders from tensing. “Have you heard the rumor about Isaac?” she continued. “People are saying he’s behind the fire alarm incident and got arrested yesterday!”
I bit my tongue to keep from snapping at the girl. How the hell did she evenknowthat? None of the Walters would spread gossip about one of their own, and Katherine and George hadn’t told us if Isaac was being charged with anything.
The blond giggled. “Am I a terrible person for finding that attractive? All he needs is a stint in juvie and some daddy issues, and he’ll be the hottest Walter of the bunch.”
“Hotter than Cole Walter?” Savannah scoffed. “Honestly, Megan. You’re delusional. Did you see him Saturday night? That boy is the definition of fine.”
Aha! So that was what her name was. The line shuffled forward as I added Megan to my mental catalogue of Valley View students.
“Yeah, you’re right.” She sighed wistfully. “His girlfriend is so lucky.”
“I don’t think they’re dating,” Savannah said, her tone conspiratorial. “I heard he’s hooking up with the manager of the Gas Exchange. Apparently, he’s there all the time.”
Before her words could sink in and wreak havoc, Megan responded and saved me from spiraling. “Yeah, because heworksthere. I’m telling you; he’s dating Jackie. Teagan heard from Heather, and those two have been friends since she moved to Colorado.”
“Even if you’re right, don’t you think that’s weird? I mean, theylivetogether.”
Her comment made my cheeks burn. Not wanting to hear any more of the conversation, I peeked over the top of my notebooks to gauge how close I was to the front of the line. Thankfully, there was only one person in front of the gossip twins—a little old lady with a handbag so bulky I was impressed she didn’t tip over.
“Who cares?” Megan said. “They’re not related.”
“Sure, but the Walters took her in because she has nowhere else to go. Doesn’t that seem a bit messy, dating someone who’s part of your new quasi family?”
“Next!” the barista behind the cash register called.
As the girls stepped forward to order, I couldn’t stop Savannah’s words from echoing in my head. I wanted to dismiss the statement outright. The little I knew about the two was far from flattering, so Iwas disinclined to take anything they said to heart. But no matter how I rationalized, there was a part of me that wondered if she was right.
***
“Is this an abduction?”
It was Tuesday after school, and I was standing next to the truck, waiting for Alex to arrive and unlock the doors. Thirty seconds earlier, a familiar black car had whipped into the empty space next to me. Cole proceeded to roll down the window and tell me to get in without so much as a hello.
His response was, as usual, vague and lacking any important information. “No, it’s a mission.”
“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. “And what would that involve, exactly?”
My question was met with a standard Cole smirk. “That’s a secret.”
Of course it was. I knew when to pick my battles, and Cole on the verge of an adventure wasn’t one of those times, so I released a sigh and walked around the Buick without further inquiry.
“Hey, Jackie!” someone shouted as I opened the passenger door. “Where are you going?”
I glanced up and saw Alex crossing the parking lot with Nathan and Lee trailing behind him. Isaac was, presumably, at home. In addition to a buttload of community service and a hefty fine, he’d earned himself a weeklong school suspension for the fire alarm stunt.
“Who knows?” I said, lifting my shoulder in a half shrug. Did theanswer even matter? My lips twitched with a hint of a smile when I realized that no, it didn’t. I would get in the car and go with Cole no matter his explanation. “See you guys later.”
“Tell Mom we’ll be back in time for dinner,” Cole added as I climbed in. He fiddled with a dial on the dash, and once warm air was blasting from my vents, he backed out of the spot and expertly navigated the post-school traffic.
We drove for ten minutes before pulling up to a nondescript, brick building with a cryptic sign that read simply THE RIFT.
“Well, that’s not ominous at all,” I said, eyeing what appeared to be a storefront as Cole put the car in park. That there were no indicators clarifying what type of store it was struck me as a poor business strategy.
