Tuesday, October 31
Halloween.
We arrive in Miami at five o’clock on Tuesday night.
I’m a little sad today. Not because I’m in Miami, that part is great. I’m just missing my friends from East Raven today. It’s Halloween, and today we would’ve gotten to dress up in fun costumes, we probably would’ve had lots of candy and maybe had a party, too. Instead, I spent ten hours in a car.
I feel like I’ve spent more of my waking time in a car than I have doing anything else lately. I’m kind of sick of it. But also glad that since we’re back in Miami, we won’t have to be traveling as much.
Tonight, we are eating dinner on the beach. I think we are all sick of being stuck in cars and hotel rooms, so we just want to enjoy the beauty of nature and not be inside. I’m thankful for this.
We are staying at the same hotel as before, even the same room. I think they just continued to pay for our room, even though we weren’t here. I’m glad, because I really like the rooms we have.
“Are you okay?” Sander asks me, as we walk to the restaurant on the beach.
“Yeah,” I answer. “Just missing East Raven a little bit tonight.”
“Ah,” he says. “Yeah, it’s Halloween.”
“It was cool that we got to go to that corn maze in Wisconsin,” I say. “That was cool. But we haven’t really gotten to do any cool Halloween stuff, other than that.”
“You want to go to a haunted house or something?” he asks.
I laugh. “No, thank you.”
I don’t do haunted houses. It’s completely irrational, but I just have this fear somebody is going to murder me and everybody that goes through the haunted house will just think my dead body is a prop piece. And nobody will think twice when they hear me screaming, because it’s a haunted house. Therefore, I don’t do haunted houses.
“I think you get to talk to your dad tonight,” Sander says. “A video call. He’s in New York doing something with the U.N. If he’s done in time tonight, you’ll get to chat.”
I haven’t talked to any of my family since the day after the bomb. I got to talk to Charlie on the phone, only for five minutes, and then had to throw my phone out of the car. That was rough, so the thought of getting to talk to my dad instantly cheers me up. I miss him and my mom a lot.
“That’s awesome,” I say, hoping that he finishes work in time, as selfish as that sounds. He’s literally doing things to help change the world for the better and I’m hoping he gets off work in time to talk to him. Still, I miss him. He might be a congressman, but he’s also my dad.
On the walk to the restaurant, I pass a few people wearing Halloween costumes. I assume a lot of people are probably going to clubs and bars—it is Miami, after all. People come here to party and have a good time. Even if I was old enough, I don’t think that would be my scene. Honestly, I’d rather be out trick-or-treating with the kids. Free candy? Please and thank you.
The restaurant isn’t that crowded tonight. It’s a Tuesday night, so I figure most people have to work or are taking their kids out to trick-or-treat. I’m glad it’s not crowded. We sit outside on the deck with the perfect view of the ocean.
I will never tire of this view.
The sun has mostly set and the moon is rising over the water. It’s beautiful. And huge. The moon is full tonight and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more beautiful in my life.
“How are things going?” I ask, once the waitress takes our order. “With the whole catching the bad guy thing.”
Jaxon and Hunter both laugh at my question, but I’m not sure how else to phrase it. I’m not even sure what they can tell me, but since it does involve me, I don’t see why they can’t.
“It’s going,” Sander says. “We’re getting closer to answers every single day. I just don’t want to make promises to you that we can’t keep. Like, I don’t want to say it’ll be over in a week, when it could be a month or a year. We just don’t know. It seems like every time we get closer to an answer, it just reveals many more questions. So, we could know tomorrow or it could be a year from now.”
“It won’t be a year,” Hunter says, sitting up higher as he says it. “We’re Spy School and we are the best. I say a month... tops.”
I grin at Hunter, just because I do like his mindset. But I believe Sander when he says he just doesn’t know. If they could give me a definite answer, he would.
“I’m ready to have my life back, but a year with you guys wouldn’t be so bad,” I say, mostly to Sander. But, if I’m being honest, a year with Sander isn’t nearly long enough.
I wonder what my dad would think, if he knew how I felt about Sander. Would he say that I’m too young? Probably. But Nora wouldn’t. She would just smile and tell me that when you know, you know. She was in love at my age, though her first love didn’t work out. She separated from her high school boyfriend sometime during college so she could study abroad. Still, she says she doesn’t regret her time with that guy and that she learned a lot.
Sander could be my forever. He really could. I don’t know what the future holds. But I do know that right now, I like being with Sander and I’m completely in love with him, even though I haven’t exactly told him the extent of my feelings. I think he knows, though.
“I think you’d get sick of us if you had to hang out with us for a whole year,” Hunter says.
Jax laughs. “I don’t think she means us. I think she meant just Sander.”
My face grows warm.
Yeah, I did mean just Sander. Not that I don’t like Hunter and Jaxon. I do. They’re great. They’re just... not Sander.
“Well, it certainly was a lot quieter before they came along,” Sander says.
I laugh. “Just Hunter. He’s the loud one.”
“Wow, I feel so attacked,” Hunter says. “And here I thought you liked me.”
I just smile.
Things with these guys are certainly never boring.
Well... I take that back. Road trips with them are getting kind of boring. But everything else? So not boring.
Later that night, around ten o’clock, Sander lets me know that my dad is about to call. He hands me his MacBook and then leaves the bedroom, wanting to give me some privacy, for which I am glad.
I miss my dad so much and I’m glad I get to talk to him tonight, even if only for a few minutes.
The computer starts ringing, so I answer the video call. It loads for a few seconds before my dad’s pixelated face loads the screen. He’s got his arm stretched out, so I can tell he’s on a phone. He looks like he’s in a hotel room and he looks... stressed.
“Hey,” I say, trying not to worry too much. Of course, he’s stressed. His job is what is causing all of these issues. Which I can deal with. What I can’t deal with is him quitting his job because of this.
I can’t let this terrorist bully him into resigning. I just can’t.
“Phoenix, it is so good to see your face,” he says. “How are you? How have you been?”
“I’m good,” I answer. “I’m in Miami. I have been for a just over a week, minus a few days we had to go to Wisconsin.”
“I heard about Wisconsin,” Dad says. “Your friend didn’t die, right?”
“Correct,” I say. “I thought he did. But when Sander found out that Brooks was alive, they took me to see him.”
“That’s good,” he says. “How are your bodyguards treating you?”
I grin. “They’re good. They’ve actually been training me a lot. I run now. Crazy, right? But I can run about eight miles before I want to stop.”
“You? Running?” he sounds surprised.
I’m not exactly an athletic person, aside from soccer and surf club. He knows I hate running.
“I’ve actually grown to like it,” I say.
“That’s good,” he says. “Nora has made me start walking with her a few nights a week.”
“How is Nora?” I ask.
“She’s doing good. She and the baby are healthy,” Dad says.
“Have you talked to Mom?”
“Not in a while,” he says.
My mom and dad don’t exactly have a lot to talk about these days, other than me. Without me, I know they would’ve stopped talking after their divorce so long ago. But I was hoping he had talked to her since all this stuff is going down right now.
“If you happen to talk to her, just let her know I’m doing good and that I miss her,” I say.
“I will,” he says.
“How are you?” I ask, changing the subject. I feel like talking about his ex-wife is probably awkward for him, even though she’s my mom. “You look kind of stressed out.”
“I am stressed out,” he says.
“Because of what’s going on?”
“That’s a lot,” he says. “But there is also this woman I work with who is making things difficult for me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“She just refuses to see my point,” he says. “I try to keep an open mind and talk to people about why they believe the way they do, but she refuses to even listen to me and she trash talks me a lot. I try not to let it get to me, but it does. She’s well known and people believe her.”
“Don’t be discouraged,” I say. “Just keep being true to yourself. Don’t talk bad about her just to get even. Eventually, people will see the truth. I know it.”
Dad smiles. “When did you get so smart?”
I shrug.
“By the way, happy late birthday,” he says. “I hate that I couldn’t talk to you on your birthday. I can’t believe you’re seventeen now. You’re about to be an adult.”
“You finally get me raised then you decide to start over again,” I say.
“That was all Nora,” he says. “I was happy with just you. But maybe this kid won’t be so bad, if she turns out half as good as you.”
“That’s sweet, but I know this kid will be your favorite child,” I say.
Dad just laughs, shaking his head at me.
I know it’s not true, but it’s still fun to tease him.
“You’re welcome to come and help change diapers any time you want,” Dad says.
I laugh. “And deprive you the joy? No thanks. But I will come and cuddle her often and will spoil her with presents and candy.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” he says.
“Me, too.”
I really, truly am.
“Tell me honestly, are those bodyguards of yours treating you right?” he asks. “They’re not forcing you to train too hard?”
“They’ve been amazing,” I say. “And I’ve learned a lot. They push me, but never too much. I feel stronger since I’ve met them. And it’s Sander’s training that helped me escape from my kidnappers.”
Well... not escape. I took one guard down while Sander took down the rest. But still, I feel good about myself. I like being stronger.
“Okay,” Dad says. “I just wish I could bring you here.”
“Me, too. But being in Miami isn’t so bad,” I say. “I’ve gotten to watch some amazing sun rises.”
“You always did love the beach,” he says.
It’s true.
I love the water. So, being here in Miami isn’t exactly hard for me.
“I should get off here. I’ve got to be up to catch a plane in three hours,” Dad says.
“Okay,” I say, trying not to sound disappointed. “I miss you.”
“I miss you, too, but I’ll see you soon,” he says. “I love you.”
“Love you.”
The screen goes black and my heart sinks just a little bit.
I can’t wait to see my parents again. I miss them so much.