As darkness falls, Kendall slips through the trees and runs.
She doesn’t see Jacián standing in the driveway, watching her go.
Doesn’t know it’s him driving by late that night when she stands in front of the upstairs window, crying for Nico to forgive her.
Alone again, so long. This time We wait. This time We know for sure. That heat, that heartbeat, that life — will be back.
I need you.
All night Kendall dreams about the desk and Nico. She sleeps in on Sunday but wakes with a start and wonders, what if. . wherever Nico is, he’s trying to send her a message? What if it’s not her imagination or her grief or her OCD, but it’s real?
She sits up, disoriented, bright sunshine streaming into her bedroom.
What if Nico’s really able, somehow, to connect with her? And all this time she’s been ignoring his calls for help?
By the time she hits the shower, she’s laughing it off again. “Fletcher,” she says, “get a fricking grip, will you?” As she dresses, she’s wondering if maybe she does need to see the shrink again. It’s not that she doesn’t like her doctor. She’s really been helpful through all the tough times. But it makes Kendall feel sort of like she’s backsliding. Which, just maybe, she is. “It probably wouldn’t hurt to see her once,” she mutters.
Alone in the house, Kendall nibbles at a muffin and wraps the present she bought for Marlena from the general store — a set of earrings with little topaz stones. And then, because she’s bored, she makes cookies, thinking it might be good to bring something to the party.
By two Kendall is flipping through channels on TV, watching televangelists, infomercials, and cartoons.
She goes out back to see if her mother and father are coming, but she sees no one except stupid
Brandon’s father, who is helping out on weekends with harvest. She heads back inside and waits some more.
She’s sure they forgot.
At two forty-five, the phone rings.
“Hello?”
“Where are you?” It’s Marlena with a pouty voice.
“I’m waiting for my douchey parents to get here so they can drive me. I think they forgot.” She hears music and laughing in the background.
“Why didn’t you call? Jacián will come get you. Jacián!” She yells into the phone. “Go pick up Kendall!”
“No, that’s okay—”
“He’s on the way. Just get here!”
Kendall hangs up and sighs. Writes a note to her parents. Grabs her coat, the gift, and the cookies and goes outside to wait on the front steps.
“Thanks,” Kendall says, getting into the truck. “Sorry.”
Jacián, clad in an apron and smelling like smoke, waves her off and speeds back toward Hector’s.
Kendall grips the armrest. “You trying to get a speeding ticket?”
Jacián shrugs. “Sheriff is at my house having margaritas and carne asada, and my poblanos are probably burning.”
“You cook, too?”
“No. I grill. I don’t know how to cook.” He flies up the driveway, parks next to a row of vehicles, and exits the truck almost before the engine quits. Runs for the smoke-filled backyard to an open fire pit with a big grate on it. He grabs a pair of tongs and starts flipping charred-looking things over.
Kendall watches him for a minute, then walks into the house and greets Marlena with a hug. Eli, Travis, and stupid Brandon are there, as well as some juniors and the group of sophomore girls that Marlena has become friends with. Everybody mingles loudly, all varieties of Latin music playing in the background. At least a quarter of Cryer’s Cross is here. Mrs. Obregon works the blender, making drinks for the adult guests, and Hector serves up sodas for the under-twenty-one crowd.
Kendall grabs a Dr Pepper and weaves through the people, observing. Lots of parents are here. Even
Nico’s parents. Kendall feels guilty that she hasn’t been by to see them lately. She walks over to say hello. They look terrible.
“Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Cruz,” she says.
“Hi, Kendall, sweetheart,” Mrs. Cruz says. She gives her a long hug. “Are your parents here?”
“No, not yet. I guess they had to finish up some stuff on the farm.” Kendall can’t help but stare at the bags under Mrs. Cruz’s eyes. “How are you doing?”
She smiles and shrugs, eyes glistening. “You can imagine, I’m sure.”
Kendall nods, and they stand there, awkwardly looking around the room, nothing else to say. “It was great of you to come.”
Mr. Cruz nods. He looks grayer than ever. “We needed to get out. It was nice to be invited.” He stares off. “I think I’ll go help Mr. Obregon with. . whatever he needs help with.”
“And I promised Carmelita I’d help with serving,” Mrs. Cruz says. “Good seeing you, Kendall.”
Kendall smiles a tight smile and nods. “Yeah, you too.”
From behind Kendall comes a voice. “That was awkward.”
Kendall turns and sees Eli Greenwood. She sighs with relief. “Yeah. . It’s so weird now. It’s like I don’t know what to say to them.”
“It’s the same with Tiffany’s parents.”
“Oh no. Are they here too?”
“No. They said they couldn’t make it.”
“This has to be a hard thing to attend. I’m surprised the Cruzes came. Seeing all of us here. .”
“Yeah, it’s weird.”
They take in the crowd for a moment before Kendall’s eyes stray to the backyard. She watches Jacián at the fire pit. He’s flipping a tortilla in a small cast-iron skillet now. “So, how’s the food?”
“It’s pretty awesome. You need to get some. Here, I’ll help you.” He grins. “Get another plate for myself while I’m at it.”
They load up their plates full of food and snake their way outside to the deck, where there’s room to eat and it’s not so noisy. Hector is outside now too, sitting with Eli’s grandfather. Marlena and the group of sophomore girls stand a dozen feet away, eating, gossiping. Several of them are watching Jacián lustily, and Kendall feels a ridiculous pang of jealousy. She shoves a soft taco into her mouth and glares.