don’t want Paul babysitting me. And no, we’re not going to search the hot springs. You have enough people looking. I think he’s somewhere else.”
Mom swept from the room. Probably to go cry. She never cried in front of them. Hazel wanted to feel sorry for her, but she was still angry they weren’t exploring other options.
“At least we’re on the same page,” Aspen said.
“Yeah. Where do you think he is?”
“No idea. But he’s not dead.”
“I talked to Mr. Daniels, and he said you’d already been there.”
Aspen looked down and fiddled with empty cereal bowl. She was keeping a secret from Hazel.
“Yeah. He didn’t give us much.”
“You know something. I can tell when you are hiding something.”
Aspen looked up and met her eyes. “He’s not dead.”
“So where is he then?”
Aspen sighed. “Don’t know. But I want to head to Florida and ask some questions.”
Hazel narrowed her eyes. “What makes you think Florida?”
“Because that’s where Skye’s from.”
“You said he wasn’t with Skye.” Hazel wasn’t sure what was going on.
“Oh, he’s not. At least I don’t think so. But Skye might know where he went. She was closer to him than any of us at the moment he disappeared. I guess there’s the possibility that he ran off with her, but probably not.”
Hazel sat down. She didn’t think anything would surprise her at this point. Rowan was always a nerdy kid who never even talked to girls. To think that he ran off with one was more unbelievable than getting eaten by a dragon.
“Let me guess, you tried to tell Mom and Dad, and they didn’t believe you,” Hazel said.
“Uh, no. I didn’t tell them.”
“Why not? This could change everything.” Hazel grew more confused by the second.
“It’s complicated. I’m only telling you because I need you on my side, but you can’t tell them either.”
Hazel sighed. “Aspen, I know in your head you’ve worked out why we can’t tell them and that we’ll just find him on our own, but this is serious. We need to tell our parents and alert the authorities.”
“We can’t.”
“Why?” Bringing in the FBI was the best chance they had at finding him. They had resources that she and Aspen wouldn’t have.
“Because of Sid’s family. I told you it was complicated.”
“What does any of this have to do with Sid’s family?”
Aspen looked at the stairs. “Mom might come back down at any minute. Let’s go for a drive.”
Hazel tried to sort out her thoughts as they went outside. She stopped short when she saw Aspen unlock the doors of an Escalade.
“That’s not your car.”
“Mine’s still in the shop. Sid’s sick of my car breaking down, and he’s buying me a new one. In the meantime, I’m driving this thing. Come on.”
Hazel tried to wrap her head around Aspen having a boyfriend who was going to buy her a new car. This one was all decked out. Aspen leaned over and switched on the heated seats.
“Nice, huh?”
“Yeah. Now talk. I wanna know more about Skye.”
Aspen backed out of the driveway and headed into town. She laughed. “Skye’s Sid’s ex-girlfriend and the one that he was supposed to be with. I threw a damper into all their plans.”
Hazel frowned. “I think you need to back up a little.”
“There are things I can’t tell you. Things you’ll learn eventually but for now should be kept secret, so if there are holes in my story, that’s why.”
“Nope. You can’t do that. You need to tell me everything if we are going to find Rowan.”
“Sis, it’s not my secret to share. If you want to know the things I’m leaving out, you need to ask Val. I imagine he’ll tell you. But I’ll tell you everything I can.”
“What’s Val got do with any of this?” So much for staying away from him. If he had answers, she’d have to talk to him. Unless she could convince Aspen to give her the answers first.
“I told you, he’s Sid’s cousin. And this whole mess is because of
Mom swept from the room. Probably to go cry. She never cried in front of them. Hazel wanted to feel sorry for her, but she was still angry they weren’t exploring other options.
“At least we’re on the same page,” Aspen said.
“Yeah. Where do you think he is?”
“No idea. But he’s not dead.”
“I talked to Mr. Daniels, and he said you’d already been there.”
Aspen looked down and fiddled with empty cereal bowl. She was keeping a secret from Hazel.
“Yeah. He didn’t give us much.”
“You know something. I can tell when you are hiding something.”
Aspen looked up and met her eyes. “He’s not dead.”
“So where is he then?”
Aspen sighed. “Don’t know. But I want to head to Florida and ask some questions.”
Hazel narrowed her eyes. “What makes you think Florida?”
“Because that’s where Skye’s from.”
“You said he wasn’t with Skye.” Hazel wasn’t sure what was going on.
“Oh, he’s not. At least I don’t think so. But Skye might know where he went. She was closer to him than any of us at the moment he disappeared. I guess there’s the possibility that he ran off with her, but probably not.”
Hazel sat down. She didn’t think anything would surprise her at this point. Rowan was always a nerdy kid who never even talked to girls. To think that he ran off with one was more unbelievable than getting eaten by a dragon.
“Let me guess, you tried to tell Mom and Dad, and they didn’t believe you,” Hazel said.
“Uh, no. I didn’t tell them.”
“Why not? This could change everything.” Hazel grew more confused by the second.
“It’s complicated. I’m only telling you because I need you on my side, but you can’t tell them either.”
Hazel sighed. “Aspen, I know in your head you’ve worked out why we can’t tell them and that we’ll just find him on our own, but this is serious. We need to tell our parents and alert the authorities.”
“We can’t.”
“Why?” Bringing in the FBI was the best chance they had at finding him. They had resources that she and Aspen wouldn’t have.
“Because of Sid’s family. I told you it was complicated.”
“What does any of this have to do with Sid’s family?”
Aspen looked at the stairs. “Mom might come back down at any minute. Let’s go for a drive.”
Hazel tried to sort out her thoughts as they went outside. She stopped short when she saw Aspen unlock the doors of an Escalade.
“That’s not your car.”
“Mine’s still in the shop. Sid’s sick of my car breaking down, and he’s buying me a new one. In the meantime, I’m driving this thing. Come on.”
Hazel tried to wrap her head around Aspen having a boyfriend who was going to buy her a new car. This one was all decked out. Aspen leaned over and switched on the heated seats.
“Nice, huh?”
“Yeah. Now talk. I wanna know more about Skye.”
Aspen backed out of the driveway and headed into town. She laughed. “Skye’s Sid’s ex-girlfriend and the one that he was supposed to be with. I threw a damper into all their plans.”
Hazel frowned. “I think you need to back up a little.”
“There are things I can’t tell you. Things you’ll learn eventually but for now should be kept secret, so if there are holes in my story, that’s why.”
“Nope. You can’t do that. You need to tell me everything if we are going to find Rowan.”
“Sis, it’s not my secret to share. If you want to know the things I’m leaving out, you need to ask Val. I imagine he’ll tell you. But I’ll tell you everything I can.”
“What’s Val got do with any of this?” So much for staying away from him. If he had answers, she’d have to talk to him. Unless she could convince Aspen to give her the answers first.
“I told you, he’s Sid’s cousin. And this whole mess is because of
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