by Jae
A light touch to the back of her hand finally pulled Rue from her panicked haze. “Hey.” Kelsey’s voice was soft like a lullaby. “Maybe you should pull over.”
“No,” Rue said a little too loudly. “We can’t afford to lose more time. Danny wasn’t on the bus. He got off in Newark, and no one has seen him since.”
“I’m sure he’s fine,” Kelsey said. It sounded as if she didn’t know what else to say.
Rue turned her head and met Kelsey’s gaze. The mahogany eyes had darkened to a walnut color. “Yeah.” Rue blew out a breath, trying to release her tension. She stared straight ahead through the windshield.
A road sign flashed ahead of them, telling her that the left lane was closed for roadway construction. Traffic slowed.
Rue smashed her fist against the steering wheel. “Damn.”
Chapter 18
Coldness beneath his cheek woke Danny. Groggily, he lifted his head.
A stranger, who had a piece of toilet paper stuck to his shoe, peeked into the stall. “Hey, boy. You okay?”
Ugh. I’m in the goddamn restroom. Danny nodded. He pushed himself up on his arms and then got to his feet with a little help from the stranger.
“…sure?”
Danny nodded again. His limbs felt strong, and the dizziness didn’t return.
When the man gave him one last glance and walked toward the sink, Danny quickly checked his possessions. His backpack was still strapped to his shoulders, and the cell phone weighed down his jacket.
He joined the man at the sink, turned on the faucet, and washed his hands and face, then slapped a handful of water onto his neck. Dripping water, he lifted his head and stared into the mirror.
Dazed hazel eyes looked back at him. His face was flushed, but otherwise, he looked as he always did. What did you expect, idiot?
He wiped water from his brow and rubbed his stomach, which had stopped roiling. Maybe it’s low blood sugar or something. He glanced at his watch to see if he had time to grab a sandwich or a burger.
Nine fifteen. He had been unconscious for more than half an hour.
Fuck! Danny pushed through the doors and ran, hoping against hope that the bus would still be there. He veered around people in Newark Penn Station and dashed past the information booth. His backpack beat a rhythmic staccato against his kidneys. He crashed through the doors and almost collided with a concrete block outside.
The spot beneath the Greyhound sign was empty. The bus was gone.
No, no, no! Danny stumbled to a stop and bent, hands on his knees, to gasp for breath. Damn. He slammed his fist against one thigh. What was he supposed to do now? Call Paula to come get him?
No. It was better if Paula thought he’d made it to her doorstep without a problem. No doubt she and Rue would lay into him about the dangers of a teenager traveling alone anyway.
What, then? Wait for the next bus? Take the train? Hitchhike? He shook his head. With his kind of luck, he’d end up with some old perv.
The flowery scent of perfume hit his nose. Danny whirled around.
A middle-aged woman, her hair as blond as Rue’s, stood before him, one hand raised as if about to tap him on the shoulder. Half a step behind her, a boy of maybe six or seven stared at Danny. The woman’s lips moved, and she tilted her head, indicating that she was asking a question, but he caught only the word “bus.”
Was she asking if he knew when the next bus left?
He tapped his ear and then shook his head. After his embarrassing nap in the restroom, he wasn’t about to make a fool of himself by using his voice with strangers. Most people had trouble understanding his speech anyway.
“You’re deaf?” the woman said.
Danny had seen those words on people’s lips a thousand times before, so they were easy to read. He nodded.
The woman painted a rectangular shape into the air and mimed driving a vehicle. By the way she jerked her hands back and forth, it was a vehicle without power steering.
The little boy laughed and clutched his sides.
Even Danny had to smile. He rummaged through the pockets of his cargo pants until he found the pad and pen he always carried for situations like this.
“Did you miss your bus?” the woman wrote on the pad.
Danny nodded.
The woman scribbled again. “Do you want me to call anyone for you? Your parents?”
That was the last thing Danny wanted. “No use,” he wrote on the pad, “they’re deaf too. I’ll text them.”
An embarrassed “oh” formed on the woman’s lips. “Where are you going?” was the next hastily scribbled question.
He showed her his bus ticket.
“That’s where we’re going too!” The woman looked at the boy next to her and hesitated. “I normally don’t do this, but do you want us to give you a ride?”
The offer was a hell of a lot better than waiting around for the next bus or train. But Danny hesitated. Could he trust the woman? He took the pen back and wrote, “If you’ve got a car, why are you standing around in front of the bus station?”
Instead of becoming angry at being questioned, the woman smiled. Her hands were steady when she reached for the pen. “So you don’t trust every random stranger. Good for you! We stopped because my son needed to pee, and he couldn’t possibly wait another minute.” She rolled her eyes.
Danny studied her. The woman looked harmless, maybe because of the blond locks framing her face. Or maybe it was the smell of cookies and crayons clinging to her. He took the pen and underlined “give you a ride” on the pad.
“Your parents know where you are, right?”
With his most earnest expression, Danny nodded.
“I’m Barbara Ridgeway,” the woman wrote, “and this is my son—”
The boy gripped his mother’s hand and, hopping up and down, begged her for something.
Mrs. Ridgeway relinquished the pen and watched with a proud grin as her son wrote his name, Daniel Ridgeway, on the pad.
Danny tapped the first name and then patted his own chest.
“Your name is Daniel too?” Barbara asked.
This time, Danny caught the words on her lips. He nodded.
Yeah, but that’s where the similarities end. After Danny got into the Ridgeways’ car, he turned back and forth between Mrs. Ridgeway and her son in the backseat and observed the easy, effortless way they communicated with each other. They kept up a constant stream of chatter as Mrs. Ridgeway started the car. He couldn’t help envying the little boy.
He had been about the same age as Daniel Ridgeway when Rue had adopted him. In the beginning, they had gotten along well, but their communication had never been so effortless. Danny had never been able to go on and on about his adventures at school. Most of the time, he didn’t see his deafness as a handicap, but now he wondered whether his relationship with Rue would be as screwed-up if he were hearing. Would he still be here, in a stranger’s car, running away to New York?
It was a question that would remain unanswered forever. Sighing, he leaned against the headrest. As they drove away from the rest stop, he caught a glance of the flashing lights of a police cruiser that pulled up in front of Newark Penn Station.
Chapter 19
At nine thirty, Rue pulled into a gas station and got them some snacks. Just as they were about to get back in the car, Rue’s cell phone rang.
Rue glanced at the display. “Paula! Finally!” She almost dropped the cell phone in her haste to lift it to her ear. “Have you heard from Danny?”
Three seconds of silence felt astonishingly loud to Kelsey.
“No,” Paula said. “I just got up, and when I turned on the cell phone—”
“Just got up?” Rue glanced at the horizon, where the sun had set over an hour ago. “Where are you?”
“In Bangkok. It’s eight something in the morning here.”
Rue sank against the Mercedes. “You’re in Bangkok?” She drew out the last word between gritted teeth.
“J
ust until Monday. I’m doing interviews for a documentary.”
Oh, no. Kelsey bit down on her bottom lip. Poor Danny. Even if he makes it to Paula’s, she won’t be there. If there’s a Murphy’s Law for runaway boys, it sure applies to Danny.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Rue asked. “Danny was supposed to visit you this weekend.”
“I sent you an e-mail about rescheduling his visit. Didn’t you get it?”
“No. I’ve been on the road all day. You should have called. Damn it, Danny counted on you being in New York.” Rue tapped her fist against her mouth as if she barely held herself back from shouting.
“Yeah, well, the assignment came up without prior notice, and I couldn’t pass up a job like this.”
“Couldn’t? Or didn’t want to?” Now Rue’s voice lowered to a resigned whisper.
“Look who’s talking. Work was always your first priority.”
Oh, Great Hunter! Kelsey massaged her temples and fought against the impulse to cover her ears. No wonder Danny ran away!
“At least I always called when I couldn’t make it home on time,” Rue said. Color streaked her cheekbones.
So Rue hadn’t just started working long hours after her relationship ended. Had her workaholic tendencies been the reason for the breakup?
“I would have called you today too,” Paula said. “I promise I’ll make it up to Danny later.”
“You said that so many times before. But this time, there might not be a later.” Rue was shouting now. Her fist drummed against the car door.
Paula paused. “There might not be a later? What’s that supposed to mean? Don’t be such a drama queen just because you can’t always have things your way.”
“You don’t understand. Goddammit, Paula! Danny is already on his way to see you.”
“What? Now? But why didn’t he call me first?”
“How the hell should I know?” Rue pressed her fist against her forehead and rubbed up and down while she breathed deeply. “Guess it was a spontaneous idea.” Her voice dropped to a helpless murmur.
“What aren’t you telling me? Come on, Rue. I can tell something’s going on. You’ve never been a good liar.”
“Unlike you, you mean.”
Paula sighed. “Rue, I’ve told you I didn’t—”
“Let’s not discuss this now,” Rue said with a glance at Kelsey. “Danny and I...we had a...situation, and now Danny’s run off to see you.”
“Situation? You mean you got into another fight? Christ, Rue.” Paula sighed. “I can take the next plane home and—”
“No, you don’t need to do that,” Rue said.
Kelsey pressed her lips together. She could be a Syak alpha. Garrick and Dad have the same damn pride, never wanting to appear weak by asking for help.
“The police will find him and I’ll pick him up long before you arrive,” Rue said.
“You called the police before you called me?” Hurt tinged Paula’s voice.
Rue’s shoulders stiffened. “I tried to reach you, but you turned your cell phone off.”
“I was probably on the plane or asleep. You could have tried to call again.”
“I did,” Rue said, her tone defensive. She took a deep breath. “It doesn’t matter now. Don’t worry, okay? We’ll find him.”
“We?” Paula asked.
“Long story,” Rue said with another sidelong glance at Kelsey. “If Danny calls you, let me know immediately.” Rue’s firm voice left no room for objections.
“He won’t—at least not before he arrives at my doorstep,” Paula said. “Not after the tongue-lashing you gave him the last time he visited me.”
Rue’s knuckles blanched as she tightened her hand around the cell phone. Her arm shook, and she looked as if she wanted to hurl the cell phone through the windshield. “He came to see you without asking me first, and you should know better than to go behind my back. You’re teaching him that it’s okay to run away from his problems. But you were always good at that, weren’t you?” Rue’s lip lifted in either bitterness or disdain—Kelsey wasn’t sure which it was. The mix of emotions wafting up from Rue was too complex for even her nose to identify.
“I thought you didn’t want to discuss this now?”
Rue lifted her left hand and rubbed her neck. “I don’t. I need to go.” Before Paula could say another word, Rue pressed the end button. She looked up and met Kelsey’s gaze. Her eyes had taken on a glacier blue color.
Under the intensity of that gaze, Kelsey looked away. “Is there a reason why you don’t want Paula to come home?” Not that she wanted her there either. The fewer humans got involved in this, the better.
A determined expression settled on Rue’s face. “This is my problem, not Paula’s.”
So much pride. Kelsey shook her head.
“Can you gas up the car?” Rue asked. “I need to call Paula’s boss and tell him not to let Danny leave if he shows up at the news station. And I want to try texting Danny again.”
“Of course.”
A few minutes later, they got back into the car, but Rue’s cell phone stayed quiet. Once again, Rue’s text message went unanswered.
Chapter 20
Danny stepped beneath a streetlamp and waved at Mrs. Ridgeway and her son, who had his nose pressed against the window. Instead of just dropping him off at a subway station, Barbara Ridgeway had insisted on driving him to Paula’s. He had barely been able to stop her from getting out of the car and coming up with him.
When the taillights of the Ridgeways’ car disappeared in the distance, Danny pressed the buzzer and leaned his weight against the door. He waited and then rang the bell again.
Nothing happened.
This shitty thing is working, isn’t it? He stepped back, tilted his head, and stared up the apartment building.
The first window of the second story was dark.
He clamped his hands around the straps of his backpack and chewed on his bottom lip. Damn. What now? What if she’s gone on some assignment? But he shoved the thought away. Last time they had exchanged e-mails, Paula hadn’t said anything about another assignment. They made plans for him to visit this weekend anyway, so visiting a few days early wasn’t a big deal.
Guess she’s still at work. At times, Paula was as bad as Rue. Work was always coming first. Danny hated that. Sometimes, he hated them. Why had they adopted him if they cared only for their careers?
Oh, stop whining like a baby and focus on finding Paula.
He considered texting her, but then decided not to. Just showing up without warning would leave her no time to call Rue. He kicked a pebble and watched it skid across the street until it bounced down the stairs leading to the subway.
All right. He trotted off toward the subway station. The stink of urine, burned rubber, and musty air made him wrinkle his nose, but at least at this hour, the subway was less crowded than when he’d last visited Paula. He breathed a sigh of relief. Strangers invading his personal space always made him twitchy. Not that he would ever admit it. He couldn’t have his friends thinking a city like New York scared him.
When the train pulled into the station, Danny caught a glance of its destination displayed on the front of the train. Shit! Instead of going downtown, the train was heading uptown. He’d gone through the wrong gate.
The people getting off the train jostled him, and their forced proximity made his skin itch.
He backed away and waited until the platform had cleared, then headed back and went through the correct turnstile.
A few minutes later, the train heading downtown pulled in. Danny settled onto one of the smelly seats and hugged his backpack to his chest.
His stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten all day. He unzipped his backpack and rummaged through it until he found a squished granola bar. His mouth already watering, he ripped open the wrapper and wolfed down the treat in two quick bites. Then he settled back and licked the last crumbs off his fingers, wishing there was more.
&nb
sp; But another search through his backpack revealed nothing edible. He dug through the front compartment, hoping to at least find a piece of chewing gum. Instead, he encountered his wallet. He opened it and pulled out a small, dog-eared photo.
In the picture, he wore a baseball glove and a bright grin. He could still smell the leather and feel the warm touches as Rue and Paula wrapped their arms around him. Their laughter vibrated through him as he and Rue ganged up on Paula, teasing her about her batting skills—or the lack thereof. What’s the advantage of having two lesbian moms if one of them can’t bat to save her life, he’d joked, and they had all laughed. Now every joke from him seemed to make Rue angry.
His throat constricted as he stared at the way they had smiled in the photo. The happy family out for a day at the park. He snorted and crumpled the photo in his fist. It had all been an illusion. Just one month after the picture was taken, Paula and Rue had split up, ripping his world apart without warning. Now his life was one big mess, and he felt as disoriented as if the ground had been whisked away from underneath his feet.
Turns out Rue’s as shitty at being a single mom as Paula is at batting. Not that Paula was any better. She had left him behind without thinking twice. But right now, anything was better than going home, especially after he had damaged one of Rue’s beloved cars.
Guilt scratched at the edges of his consciousness, but he forced it back. Now was not the time to be a big baby.
The subway train slid to a stop, and most passengers got off. Danny caught a glance of the station’s name. Shit! I need to get off here. Not being able to hear the conductor’s announcements over the speakers, he almost missed his stop. He shoved his wallet and the crumpled photo into the backpack and hurled himself through the doors just before they closed.
Another subway rider, a thin boy about Danny’s age, jumped onto the platform behind him. His minty chewing gum scent made Danny’s stomach growl again.
Phew. Danny sent the boy a relieved grin. We just made it. His heart pounded at the thought of missing his stop and getting lost in New York. He climbed the stairs.
