One Was Lost(20)

“Um, am I missing something?” I ask, stunned at the sudden outburst.

“She didn’t do anything to you,” Emily tells him.

“I can see the look on her face!” Jude says. “It’s patronizing.”

My cheeks go hot. “I wasn’t patronizing you! I was missing my dad!”

“Stop being a tool sack,” Lucas tells him. “Believe it or not, we mere mortals do think about other things.”

Jude crosses his arms and scoots back against the tree. The sun is closer to the top of the branches now. I frown, and Lucas follows my line of vision.

“It’s getting dark,” I say, thinking of last night’s events and all those stupid stories. Ghosts running men off cliffs. Dead girl parts being dragged off, eaten, by bears. “What should we do?”

“We keep watch in shifts,” Jude says. “If whoever this guy is comes back, we should be ready to run.”

Lucas shakes his head. “Screw that. I say we run now. We take the water and one of the tents—”

“Take them where?” I scoff. “I doubt any of us are up for a hiking trip. Jude was half-dead an hour ago. And what, we just leave Mr. Walker to fend for himself?”

“At night?” Emily looks scandalized at the idea.

Lucas cocks his head. “Would you rather snuggle up beside him and maybe wake up with nine fingers?”

“I’m starting to think leaving won’t help,” Jude says. “Especially if it’s too dark to see.”

I feel my brow quirk. “Why the change of heart?”

His eyes lock onto mine. “I had some time to think about it. Look at our wrists. This isn’t random. Whoever did this isn’t going to just wander off and hope we stay put—they’re watching us. How else would they have known to leave the water while we were away from the camp?”

“For God’s sake, Jude,” Lucas says. “Do you want us to just sit here and wait for the lunatic to show up again? We have no idea who this is.”

That’s it. I stand up, a little edgy. “I agree. And two hours ago, you were all set to follow Lucas into the great beyond. Now you’re acting like we might as well stay put and not even bother trying? Tell me again why we should all be sure you aren’t the guy behind this.”

Jude’s eyes are cold slits. “Because I don’t think you’re a darling.”

Can’t argue with that.

“Enough,” Lucas says. “First off, nobody here could have crossed that river, and second, let’s stop pretending Sera got the lucky word in this mess.”

A chill runs up my arms. Jude looks at his shoes, so I turn to Lucas.

“What are you talking about?”

“Nothing,” Lucas says.

I whirl on him. “It’s not nothing. What are you talking about with the lucky word?”

Lucas points at everyone but me. “The rest of our words are problems, Sera. We’re dismissed or defective. Whatever you want to call it.”

“I don’t—”

“Deceptive, Damaged, Dangerous.” He shakes his longish hair out of his eyes. “The three of us were found lacking, but you weren’t. Your word makes it sound like you’re chosen. Or special.”

“It’s true,” Emily says, but she doesn’t look at me. She looks right past us, her eyes so cloudy, I can’t tell if she’s seeing anything at all.

“These could be random,” I say. “Think about it. Everyone’s damaged, right? Everyone lies now and then.”

“So someone just happened upon us and spent God knows how long destroying our crap and inking these words onto our wrists?” Jude asks, obviously not buying it. “No. The words fit. This isn’t random.”

“Why not?” I ask because I don’t want to be chosen or special. I still want to believe it’s nonsense. “Because you have a secret? Who doesn’t?”

His face shutters. “Don’t start with me.”

“Don’t bite my head off! I’m just asking.”

Lucas rolls his eyes. “Ignore him. He obviously wants the damn primetime interview about it. Like anyone gives two craps.”

“For people who don’t care, you’re all pretty obsessed with figuring me out,” Jude says.

“We’re not obsessed,” Emily says. Her focus is sharp now, slicing away at the attitude Jude’s wearing like a second skin.

“Please,” Jude says. “People watch me constantly. They’ve always watched.”

Lucas throws up his hands. “What people?”

“Don’t be obtuse.” Jude bumps his chin. “A black kid with two white dads and you think people don’t ask questions? Everybody has always wondered about me. I couldn’t pick between a pink or blue crayon in preschool without someone making a tick mark in a book somewhere.”

I furrow my brow. “What book?”

Lucas scoffs. “What does any of that have to do with whether or not you’re gay? You do realize you go to an art magnet school, right? Nobody cares, Jude!” Then he leans in, eyes going wide. “Unless you care. If we’re still wondering, you’re still interesting, right?”

Jude’s gaze could leave frostbite in its wake. His voice is deadly low when he speaks. “I don’t give a shit what you find interesting.”