CHAPTER THIRTY TWO


"Why would Joe call me?" I asked, incredulous.


Cora sucked in her breath, ready for a battle, and hissed for all to hear,
"You know why!"


"No, Cora." I said firmly, clearly. "I really don't. Why don't you tell
me?"


Taryn stood up. "Jace?" She asked, quiet.


Another girl, who wore long brown hair and wire-rimmed glasses also stood
with the same engagement cake and another engagement ring, "What's going on
here?"


"Nothing." Taryn cut out.


"Molly." A seemingly-boy who was probably an adult spoke up and held a hand
to his fiance's arm in a soothing fashion. He wore a rebellion geek's look to
the nines with spiky gelled hair, a skull tattoed on his fingers, and similar
wire-rimmed glasses as Molly. All the while he wore plaid suspenders the held up
his baggy diamond-studded jeans.


"No." Molly exclaimed and turned to Jake. "Jake, who are these people?"


Her fiance, who must've been Adam/Adams/Props sucked in his breath and stood
from his own perch in the living room, "Honey. Um…"


"Jace?" Taryn asked again. She stepped forward and switched her gaze to me.
"What the hell are you doing with her?"


"Maya." Cora called out, nearly hysterical and alone in her world. She was
oblivious to the similar reaction in the next room as she stepped forward and
asked again, "Did Joe call you? Because that is not fair! I didn't do anything
to him. You can ask Brandon. He'll back me up."


The hand that I had raised halted abruptly and I asked sharply, "What? What
about Brandon?"


Jace turned towards my confrontation as he heard my strident tones. "Who are
you?" He asked Cora.


Jake stepped around and slung an arm over Cora's shoulders. He said proudly,
"This is my fiance, Cora."


Cora glared between me and Jace and asked harshly, "Who are you? You do know
that guys who get with her—it never ends well."


"Cora." I barked out.


"What? I'm just saying." She back-pedaled. "Brandon loved you and look where
it got him."


"Where did it get him?" I asked and stepped closer. "Because I asked him to
look out for you, to be nice to you, and now I'm hearing that he didn't end
well." I stepped closer. "I'm a little curious about that and I'm
really curious why Munsinger should've called me about this."


"Nothing. Forget it. Here, have some cake." And she shoved her plastic plate
with white frosting and vanilla flavored pretty pink cake into my hands.
Complete with a pink plastic fork and a white napkin with little daisies
imprinted onto it. "Honey," Cora turned and kissed Jake on the cheek, "I need to
go freshen up. I'll be right back."


And off to the upstairs she skipped.


I shoved the plate in Jake's hands and followed behind.


Cora tried to slam the bedroom door shut, but I caught it deftly with my toe
and pushed inside.


"Oh, seriously." Cora muttered and turned to grab a different sweater.


"What's going on, Cora?" I asked, steadfastly.


"Apparently I'm going to get interrogated and given the 'I'm Holier Than
Thou' speech from you again."


"I never gave you that speech."


"You implied it." She said hotly.


"When?"


"Everytime you looked at me."


"You deserved it!" I cried out. "You used us, you used everyone."


"That is not true." She bent to pick up a bag and placed it on the bed.


"It is true!" I grabbed the bag and whisked it away. "And you're not
running."


Startled, Cora cursed and stumbled backwards a few steps. She fell against
the wall, horrified, and gazed at me, dazed. "I don't know what I was just
doing. It was reflex…or something."


"You're engaged or is that a con?"


Cora was the professional at forgetting her roots. She had been hiding from
her latest bankroll lover the last time I found her at my home and she was
engaged—again.


"It's not a con." She whispered, her hands shook slightly as she reached for
the bag.


I chucked the bag out the window and asked again, "What's going on?"


"Maya!" She shrieked and rushed to the window. "You are so frustrating
sometimes!"


"Tell me what's going on and I'll get the bag." I said calmly. "I'm not
moving, Cora."


She was nearing her breaking point, which told me it was bad. It was really
bad and I saw the choices floating around in her head. Anyone else, anyone who
hadn't walked the same path beside her for so long wouldn't stand a chance.


Cora was one of the best at sucking everything a person had, but I was
different. I was one of 'us' while Cora was still trying to forget which group
she belonged to: us or them.


No matter how many times I hated to admit it, there was a part animal inside
all of us. Everyone had that, the survival instinct, but living how we lived
with no parents, an open home with a rotating door to the streets, and enough
drug dealers feeling at home on our couches, all of us had honed that animal to
fighting perfection.


This was the time when Cora needed to decide how badly she wanted to hide. If
she went after me, she knew I'd be ready. And she was in a corner. She either
fought and ran or she succumbed and hung her head in confession.


"What'd you do?" I pressed, still seeing the war rage inside of her.


"It's nothing…not really." She finally surrendered and slumped on the
bed.


"Start talking or I'm calling Munsinger."


Cora laughed and murmured, "I forgot that you call him that. He's Joe to
everyone else."


"Cora." I rasped sharply, "Start talking or I'll do my own talking to your
fiance."


"Okay. Firstly, Jake and I had a fight the last time I saw you. I wasn't
doing what you thought I was doing. I was just…I needed some alone time for
awhile and I thought about you guys. I was there for comfort, okay? Nothing
more."


"Is that why you had a party the next day and trashed my home?" I asked.


Her eyes widened and she sucked in her breath, "How did you…?"


"I didn't, but I know now." I said flatly. "I don't care about that. Just
tell me about Munsinger now."


"Okay, but you can't get mad. You have to promise me—"


"I'll promise that I won't kill you." I said evenly.


Cora stared at me, determining how far she could push the line, and she
accepted her fate when she whispered, "I did something stupid."


"When don't you?"


"Hey!" She cried out, indignantly.


"Fine. Just go."


Hope flared in her eyes and I stomped on it when I clarified, "Keep
explaining, not go as in go."


"Oh." The hope left her depleted. "Okay, so…Zara died, right? She was from
the same block and everyone came for her funeral, which is surprising, you know
since we're not all…"


"Into that bonding stuff." I finished for her and leaned against the
window.


"Yeah, well…you weren't there and I remembered that you were leaving and…I
asked Cherry about it and she started crying. Like, really crying, crying hard
enough for Joe to come all the way from the front of the church to where we were
standing. Anyways, those two started arguing and Gray was right there and…I was
stupid. I messed up."


"What. Did. You. Do?" I clipped out, nearing the end of my patience.


"I might've went to see your brother."


"Tell me that I'm hallucinating. I have to be hearing things because I just
heard you say that you went to see my brother." I said faintly.


"It gets worse…" Cora pursed her lips and cleared her throat.
"Much…worse…"


I didn't want to hear it anymore.


"We were at a funeral. Joe and Cherry were yelling and Gray was standing
there, he just looked so terrified and um…I might've thought…"


Oh god.


"We never know when we're going and since Krein is in prison, who knows how
long he's going to live. I just thought…"


"You did not." I whispered.


"I took Gray to see his dad. I just thought that they're family, he
shouldn't—"


I tore away from the window and walked stiffly out the door. Cora followed me
down the stairs and asked anxiously, "Where are you going? You're not going to
rat on me, are you? I mean…I messed up, I know I did, but…what's with all the
cloak and dagger stuff? He is his father. I thought I was doing a good
deed—"


At the bottom of the stairs, I turned sharply and warned through gritted
teeth, "You will shut up. Now. And you will stay away from me until I calm down
enough so that I don't hurt you."


Cora gasped, clued into my rage that was storming, and stepped back.


"I need air and I need you out of my face." I snarled and turned my back. I
pushed through the front door and stopped short at the sight of Tray. He was
lounging on the porch with Carter, Mandy, and Molly.


Tray smiled a predator's smile and pointed to the lawn, "You dropped your
bag."


"That's my bag." Molly spoke up, flushed, and looked at her lap.


"It figures…" I mumbled as I went to pick up the bag. "Here. Sorry." I handed
it to Molly. "Congratulations on your engagement. I don't know you."


"Yeah." She blushed again and shoved the bag underneath her chair.


Mandy was quiet, sitting on the corner with Carter to protect her as he
swallowed and watched the street.


No one was looking at me except Tray. Tray wasn't watching anything except me
and he looked the picture of relaxation with a stalker's intent: cold, ruthless,
and too cunning. Except he wasn't crazy like a lot of stalkers. He was the scary
version. He knew exactly what he was doing, he knew the good and bad, and he did
it anyway. This was the side that would stare down a druglord and live to tell
about it.


Of course, there was a lot more to the story, but still—it took guts. I saw
that in Tray now.


He smiled again and said smoothly, "I have a bone to pick with you."


Cons don't normally stick around after they do the con. The targets have
realized what happened and it's not healthy for a con, but…strange circumstances
and all…here I was.


"I took your phone. Big deal." I dropped onto a chair on the other side of
the porch. It wasn't even a good con.


"You used us." Tray said shortly. "You used my best friend. You used Taryn.
You used Mandy's hopes. And you used me. Chance told me everything."


That's doubtful.


"Really?" I asked.


Tray started to stand up, but Taryn pushed through the door. She never saw me
as she turned her back and proclaimed, "We're going. Now."


"Taryn—" Tray started.


"We're going!" She was already to the car and slammed the door shut.


Carter and Mandy stood and followed, quietly.


Tray followed behind at a more sedate pace. He said, "You just escaped with
your skin intact. If she'd seen you, just now…." He let the sentence hang in the
air as he strolled down to the car and took the driver's side.


As the car left, Taryn finally looked up and gaped as she saw me standing
there, to where her back had turned.


Molly cleared her throat and stood up. The chair scraped against the old
wooden boards.


"Hi." She blushed again and ducked her head.


She was friends with Taryn Matthews?


She started to go inside, but turned around and exclaimed abruptly, "I'm
sorry. I'm not normally like this. I haven't, like, since high school, but I
know who you are and…" She blushed again, cursed underneath her breath, and
scurried back inside.


I followed her inside and found her in the kitchen, "Look, it's pretty
doubtful that we'll stay or if we do, if it'll be long."


"A lot of stuff is going on that doesn't make sense. Taryn's all upset and
well—it doesn't take much to make her mad, but I've never seen her like this
before and it has to do with that other guy, the guy that you're with, and you
know Cora somehow and I met you once."


It had all been said in a rush, but I blinked, "What?"


"Yeah, um…you waitressed, right? At Stevie's, it was on Highway 8, out by
Barrow Lake."


"Yeah. I did."


"Yeah. I used to go there a lot. Just me, I mean…they had really good
burgers."


"That…that was a long time ago."


"I know." She sighed, self-conscious, and hunched her shoulders as she turned
to wash the dishes.


Cora cleared her throat from the doorway that joined the kitchen with the
dining room. I stood in the opposite doorway.


Molly turned around, saw the caution that read from Cora to me, and went back
to washing the dishes.


"It's not time yet." I cut out.


Cora disappeared.


I started to dry the dishes and it took Molly a few more glances before she
cleared her throat, worked up her courage, and mumbled, "I remembered you
because you…you reminded me of me back then."


"How so?"


"Kinda lost and kinda not sure where you're supposed to be, but you were
really sure that you'd stand still and make everyone think that you were
supposed to be there."


I smiled, "That's how I looked back then?"


"Yeah. Or…that's how I thought you looked, but I didn't really know you.
There was always that other girl that you sat and had coffee with." Molly
chuckled, "I always thought that was funny too. You had coffee, like you were
adults, but…how old were you? You must've been, like, twelve, or something?"


"I was." I said softly, somberly as I remembered those days. I'd been
devastated, but I was how Molly said. I was determined to stand firm, act the
part, and eventually—somehow—it came true.


I stood where I was supposed to stand.


"Anyway, I remembered you. I liked you." Molly nervously giggled and squeaked
as she realized what she'd done. "I haven't done that too since high
school."
"You did that last night." Props remarked as he walked into the
kitchen with Jace behind him.


Molly blushed and muttered underneath her breath to her fiance as he threw an
arm over her shoulders, "You weren't supposed to say anything."


Props laughed, squeezed his fiance's shoulders, and extended a hand, "Hi. I'm
Adam or Props or Tech-Guy as Taryn and Tray used to call me in high school."


"Maya." I shook his hand.


"Jace is in the back hallway. He's waiting for you."


"Oh." I looked back and saw a firm handshake between him and Jake. It looked
like a goodbye. "Okay."


"Drive safe." Props said warmly and curved an arm around Molly's
shoulders.


"Hey—" Molly stopped me as I took a step backwards. She rushed to the
refrigerator and pulled out a few dishes. She scooped them all into one and
hurriedly covered it in saran wrap. "I know, it's not very…neat, but…it's the
best I can do on such short notice."


"What's this for?"


"I like to give my guests something when they leave."


"Preferably food." Props chuckled. "She loves to cook and she loves to give
it away."


"Yeah." Molly hunched her shoulders, embarrassed. "Come again, I mean, not
don't come again, but maybe on a different day or…you know what I mean."


"I do." I grinned, enjoying her. "Thank you."


"Don't heat them up together. I mean, separate them onto plates. Do you need
plates? I can give you some."


"No. We'll be fine. Promise." I smiled again, genuinely, "Thanks."


Molly waved while Props' congenial smile wiped clean to an intense frown when
he knew his fiance couldn't see.


Jace waited for me. As I walked through the foyer, I saw Cora lurking in the
living room. She rushed forward and exclaimed, hurriedly, "He didn't get hurt,
Maya. I swear, I never realized—he didn't get hurt. I just…I thought he might
want to see his father. That's all."


I whirled back around and warned in low tones, "You decided what you wanted
and that's what you did. It wasn't about Gray. It wasn't about Cherry or Zara's
funeral. It wasn't even about Krein. You wanted to feel worth something. You
wanted to feel attention like you knew you'd get if you took Gray to see his
father. Well, you got it. I hope it was worth it, because no one's going to want
anything to do with you now. Not anymore."


"Maya, don't—"


"You never wanted to be included with us. You always wanted to forget who you
were. Congratulations, Cora, because you just got your wish. You don't have
anyone else to go back to."


I stepped onto the porch.


"I have Brandon." Cora called after me. She attempted a smug smile.


I didn't feel any enjoyment when I turned back and said softly, "I asked him
to look out for you. That's the only reason why he showed interest. Because I
asked him to."


Her smirk vanished.


"Maya." Jace called out by the car.


"I'm coming." I held Cora's gaze as I walked backwards and turned my
back.


Jace got into the driver's side, pounded twice on the roof, and pulled out of
the driveway as he nodded in farewell to Jake, who stood on the porch, now
alone.


It was an ominous car ride as Jace took us across the city. He'd seen Taryn.
I'd learned about another friend's betrayal. And neither of us were talking
about it.


I asked, after awhile, "Where are we going?"


"There's a few safehouses that we can use."


"No. I know a place." I just didn't know if he'd be there or not. And I
didn't know if I wanted him to be there or not.


"Where to?"


I reached inside my bag and searched through the front pocket. I'd slipped
Munsinger's new address into my backpocket long ago, but I'd transferred that to
where I wouldn't lose it. After a curse, I pulled it out and read it outloud to
Jace.


Jace asked, tensely, "Is Marcus going to have a watch on him?"


"Maybe." I replied, dully. "But it'll be minimal. I think we can handle
it."


Jace nodded and reached to turn the radio on.


Belatedly, I realized that with all our time in the car, we rarely listened
to the radio. I'd almost forgotten it was there.