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When 17-year-old Arbor Hayes' best friend turns up alive after a mysterious six-month disappearance, she must piece together the fragments of her story to make sense of what happened. But as clues e...
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Medical staff dressed in white lab coats and scrubs flood the room, with Jordan's parents bringing up the rear. Her mom and dad remind me of zombies with their bulging eyes and awkward gestures, as if their tendons no longer connect to their bones.
Is this what Jordan's accident has done to them? Left them in this monstrous state?
A wave of guilt crashes into me.
If I'd been awake to answer Jordan's texts, maybe none of this would have happened. She wouldn't have left my house at the exact moment when she did. Her Jeep wouldn't have lurched over the guardrail, wouldn't have rolled down the embankment, leaving her body a mangled mess.
Everyone's glaring at me now, pointing fingers in my direction. Before I can say why I'm here, tears flood my eyes and roll down my cheeks, the explanation trapped in my throat.
"Arbor, is that you?" Jordan's mother steps through the crowd. There's a crinkle in her forehead, a frown on her lips. "What are you doing here?"
I hiccup back a sob and nod toward the tea roses. "I brought flowers," I finally choke out. The words are feeble in my ears, drowned out by the rushing of blood in my head.
"She's a friend of Jordan's. They play soccer together," Mrs. Pacey announces over her shoulder. "There's no need to call security, but would you mind giving us a minute to talk?"
A collective sigh fills the room. One by one they leave, even Mr. Pacey, their expressions relaxing.
As soon as we're alone, a cry catches in my throat. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I thought Jordan was okay. My boyfriend said she's—"
But she's not.
Mrs. Pacey steps closer, tries to smile, but the corners of her mouth tremble instead. "I know it looks scary, but the doctors have her sedated to keep her comfortable. Otherwise, she'd never keep that tube in her mouth."
My eyes drift back to the bed, to the steady whoosh of the machine next to it. "Why does she need it?"
"It's helping her breath, but they'll remove it in a day or two." When her hand rests on my arm, it feels like she's saying goodbye. That it's time for me to leave before I've accomplished anything. "We appreciate you coming to see her, and I know Jordan would be grateful, too. But right now, the hospital only allows immediate family members to visit. I hope you understand."
I nod, wrap my arms around myself to keep from falling apart.
But when my feet inch towards the door, she stops me. "Did Jordan come to see you that night?" Her green eyes shine through the exhaustion. "We saw her texts. Whatever she wanted to tell you sounded pretty important."
My lips part, but all that comes out is a rush of air.
"We're just wondering if something upset her. If she wasn't paying attention to the road like she should have been. I always tell her to stay focused on those damn curves. They're too dangerous for young drivers."
