Tone Deaf(24)

“And you’re still sure you want her to come?”

“Totally and completely sure.”

He nods and lets his hand fall away. “Then just tell me how I can help.”





12


ALI


I’M PRETTY SURE my legs are going to fall off before I make it to Jace. Between the scalding hot sidewalk and the rub of my poorly fitted sneakers, my feet feel like they’ve been through a meat grinder. Three miles hadn’t sounded so bad the night before, when I made my final escape plans: take dad’s old car, drive it to a café downtown, and then walk a couple miles to the stadium. Easy peasy.

Plus, the café is right next to a bus stop, so when my dad eventually finds his missing car, he’ll hopefully be convinced I hopped a bus. I’m crossing my fingers he won’t search too hard for me, but I know it’s useless to be so optimistic. During his law enforcement career, he frequently helped find kids who ran from their homes. If he doesn’t launch a full-out search for me, it would look suspicious, and risk ruining his carefully maintained reputation.

Under the heat of the sun, walking those three miles felt like a marathon. Somehow, I made it to the stadium without my legs completely cramping up, and as best I can tell, no one followed me. But now all I want to do is curl up in a ball and never move again. I’m dizzy from walking, my stomach is still sore from throwing up my breakfast earlier, and I’m sure my face is all puffy from lack of sleep.

I’m a total mess. Jace is probably going to take back his offer when he sees me.

I take a shuddering breath, trying to quell the thought, and push on. I’ve already jumped the back gate leading into the stadium, like Jace instructed me to do last night. Did he have to be so vague? Come in the back way over the fence. I’ll be waiting. He didn’t even mention that the gate is like eight feet tall. Thank god for Avery and all those tree-climbing lessons she gave me when we were little.

I heave my duffle bag into a more comfortable position. My muscles ache in protest, and I glance down at my bag. Even though I can feel it tugging at my arms, I’m still terrified I’m going to lose it. It’s all I have; I didn’t want to bring more than one bag in case someone got suspicious and stopped me on my walk over here.

What I’d been able to fit in the duffle isn’t nearly enough to last me four months, but it will have to do. Besides, I have the money I’ve been saving for the past few years: eight hundred and twenty-eight dollars, and thirty-seven cents. Not much, but at least it’s something. Plus, I have Jace’s check stuffed in the bottom of the bag. I haven’t cashed it yet—he’s already doing enough for me at the moment. But it’s my backup plan in case Jace loses interest in helping me.

Just a few hundred yards to go. I can see a mass of RVs and trailers parked in the distance, heat shimmering around their tires, people scurrying around as they load up equipment. A drop of sweat falls into my eyes, and I adjust my grip on the bag so I can scrub it away.

Something nudges my shoulder. I yelp and whirl around, my heart pounding overtime, my fist clenching into a tight ball. Just as I’m about to start sprinting toward the RVs, my vision clears, and I see Jace.

He looks exhausted, like he got as much sleep as I did. But he’s standing beside me, a hesitant smile on his lips, and holding out a hand. For a moment, I think he wants me to take it, but then I realize he’s offering to carry the duffle bag. I shake my head and grip it tighter. I don’t need to be any more in his debt.

He rolls his eyes and tugs it out of my grip before tossing it onto his shoulder. Then he points to the RVs in the distance and signs, “Come on. We’re leaving earlier than I thought. We need to get back.”

I shuffle my feet a little and narrow my eyes. He didn’t have to just grab the duffle like that. “How am I going to get in your RV without anyone seeing?”

“Easy,” he replies. “My RV is on the edge of the group. The entrance is facing the back. No one will see you.”

“And the driver?” I ask.

“Arrow and I trade off, ” he signs. “We’re the only ones who drive. I don’t like other people in my home. So only Arrow will see you.”

My eyes grow wide, and I swallow hard, trying to gulp back my panic. He told Arrow about me?

Jace smiles apologetically. “All of the band knows about you. We don’t keep secrets. But it’s just the four of us who know. No one else will ever find out.”

I nod, but my stomach feels all tight again. I take a step away from Jace, hoping I don’t puke on his shoes.

He gestures to the RVs again. “Let’s go.”

I trail after him, trying not to scowl at the pavement beneath my feet. I’ve learned to hate walking on the stuff. It soaks up vibrations and leaves me clueless to approaching footsteps, which is exactly what I don’t want right now. Most of Tone Deaf’s crew is a safe distance away, hopping in and out of trailers and giving thumbs-ups as they do last-minute checks on vehicles. But these people are still strangers, and still a potential threat to my escape attempt, and my heart pounds frantically.

Surprisingly, getting into the RV is just as easy as Jace said it’d be. Jace holds open the door for me and I slip right in, no one the wiser. The RV is dark, with all the shades pulled down, and my stomach twists wildly as I step inside. Maybe this isn’t a good idea. Maybe I’m just getting myself into even more trouble. Maybe—