Resilient by Patricia Vanasse

Author:Patricia Vanasse
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Teen Fiction/Romance
ISBN: 9780986037351
Publisher: Pants On Fire Press
Published: 2013-08-24T04:00:00+00:00

21 Adam

I drive Livia and her uncle to the store to get some horse food and vitamins, but we end up staying longer—her uncle wants to look around at all the tack and feed that I guess you can’t buy in New York City. Livia walks up to the dog toys aisle and I follow her. She wants to get Bento some toys and it gives us something to do while waiting for her uncle. After she gathers a bagful, we head to the cashier, where I see her uncle paying for the food and vitamins.

“Do you think this bone is too small for Bento?” Livia asks, pulling a shrink-wrapped pork shank out of her bag. I turn, but my eyes slide past her and out the window. Standing next to my Jeep in the parking lot, his head covered with the black hoodie he’s wearing, is Stevens.

“Adam? Adam!” Livia turns me around to look at her.

“What?”

“Are you even listening to me?”

“I think he’ll like anything.”

I turn to see if Stevens is still there, and not only is he, but he’s talking to Livia’s uncle, who has exited the store and keeps glancing back our way in distress.

“Does my uncle know that guy?” asks Livia. She looks worried and starts out of the building.

“Livia, wait up!” I call out. She turns to look at me. “You haven’t paid yet!”

“Oh!” To my relief, she walks back inside to the cashier. I take one look outside and Stevens is gone. Livia’s uncle is leaning against my truck, his hand pressed to his temple.

After Bento’s toys are paid for, we make our way outside. “Uncle? Who was that?” Livia asks as we approach him.

“Oh, I don’t know who he is. He was just asking me for directions.” Livia stares at her uncle with doubt. “Have any of you seen him around before?”

I contemplate telling him the truth, but for some reason I don’t feel like I should. “No, must be a tourist.” I open the Jeep’s door. As I get in, I see a note on my seat. It’s from Stevens; he must have slid it through my cracked-open window. I put it in my pocket before Livia or her uncle notices it.

I keep replaying the scene from just a minute ago in my head, and I could swear Livia’s uncle was having an argument with Stevens. Livia must feel the same way, because she stares out the window on the way back and ignores her uncle’s small talk.

When we get to Livia’s house, I tell her I have to go home and study. I need some time alone to think, and I can’t concentrate around her.

“Will I see you later?” she asks.

“How about we go watch the sunset at Fort Casey?”

“Sounds great!”

She kisses me goodbye.

* * *

I’ve been at the lake since I left Livia’s house, debating whether I should look for Stevens. The note he left in the Jeep has an address where I can find him. I have to talk to him and see what he knows about me.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.