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When I surface, the sun warms the layer at the top and I let it surround me as I float, taking in long deep breaths. An engine from a boat gets louder and I know it’s our ride, but I can’t make myself move. I’m finally at peace. The water is what I’ll miss the most.
“Are you going to float your way back,” Ari jokes from the boat, idling by. I guess he’s talking to me now. He waits for me while I swim to him. Helping me up, he tosses me a towel as I wring out my hair. We’re the only ones on the boat. I glance to the dock to where Halli and the other agent are standing.
“Wait, don’t go yet.” He eyes me with a lifted brow. “Where’s Dante?”
“He’s gone.”
My eyes widen in surprise. “What do you mean, gone?”
“There’re rumors that he’s the one who started the fires.”
My head shakes almost violently. “No. He wouldn’t do that. People have it wrong. It’s my dad who did it.”
He shrugs. “Someone witnessed him there and now he’s gone.”
“Probably because you guys forced him to leave by spreading lies,” I defend him, pacing the boat. “You don’t understand. My dad is a horrible man. He’s the one who did that.” I point to our destroyed land.
He runs his hands through his hair. “I don’t know what to tell you, Manu. I hate that he’s gone too, but…” His words trail off.
My dad’s lies weren’t supposed to destroy another life. I fall onto the seat, confused. Where would he go? If he didn’t do it, why would he leave?
Why am I trying to make sense of anything? Nothing is as it seems.
“Why are we here?” Halli asks.
I pull the glass door open to the only bank on the island. Halli and the FBI agent follow me. Nothing screams something is wrong like having people follow you everywhere. I wanted to avoid the stares, but with these two it’s inevitable.
I stop walking, and Halli bumps into me. Spinning, I glare at the two of them. “Can you guys wait outside? I’m closing out my bank account.”
Halli’s eyes scan the tiny dingy bank where only two people are working behind the desk. Other than that, the place is empty.
“Aspen, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Jason says. I guess we’re on a first name basis now.
“Well, I don’t recall inviting you here to begin with,” I snap back.
“It’s fine,” Halli says, pushing him back out the door. “We’ll be waiting out here for you.”
As the door closes, I hear him arguing with her. I roll my eyes as I walk to the counter. Ideas of how to ditch him come to mind.
“Aspen, it’s good to see you,” one teller says. “What can we help you with today?”
“I need to close my account.”
She does a courtesy nod and starts typing. After a quick check of my ID, even though she’s known me since I was a child, she prints out a check. “You just need to sign right here.” She pushes a paper to me and points where I need to sign to close out everything. When she hands me my check she says, “Wait here, I have one more thing for you.”
I watch her disappear into the back room. The other worker smiles at me and I return it, but wonder what else she needs to give me. The room is stuffy and warm as they only rely on a fan in the corner of the compact bank to circulate the air. Glancing down at my check, I gasp out loud and whip around.
“Um… there’s been a mistake.”
I’ve deposited every cent I’ve earned. And before I left, I knew exactly how much I had because I deposited the money that Ryker gave me.
This is not that amount.
Jacque comes out from the back, and I wave the check at her. “Something is wrong.” She takes the check and looks it over, but hands it back.
“What’s wrong with it, Aspen?”
My eyes bounce around the bank like some manic person. “That’s way too much money.”
