Page 112 of Burn With Me

“I know, but they mean well. It’s okay to get fresh air if you’re overwhelmed.” He pauses as he looks at me, and I start to fiddle with my shirt. “I got a call from the sheriff, and he said someone showed up at the station for you. A young girl, maybe about ten. I’m going to take you there so you can see if you know this girl. She has a birth certificate and says she took the bus here.”

I freeze.

What . . . How . . .

“What does she look like? We need to go right now!” I push past him, fighting to get air into my lungs as I walk toward the parking lot.

Why does my chest hurt?

There’s no way.

The only person who knows where I am is Aspen. I pay for a PO box so I can update her on where I am because my goal is to get her out of there along with the baby sister I left behind.

I look behind me when I don’t see Noah next to me. He’s on his phone.

“Noah! We have to go. Why are you walking so slowly?”

He looks up at me and says, “I’m just telling everyone we are heading out so they don’t worry.”

I should have thought of that.

“Thanks.”

“Anything for you, you know that, right?” he asks, unlocking his truck when he’s next to me so he can open my door.

I just look down at my hands. I do know that, but I just don’t know what to do with it. He puts his hands on my waist and kisses the top of my head.

“I’ll help you figure this out, Luna. I promise.”

Tears sting my eyes as he shuts the door. With shaking hands, I reach around to grab the seat belt. The click fills the silence of the cab.

Whoever is at the police station will change my life.

After he climbs in on his side, he drives us to the station.

I climb out before he turns the car off and rush to the door. Pulling it open, I see a girl with blond hair that matches mine, and the air is knocked out of me when she turns around.

“Jess?” I say and drop to my knees.

“You are Luna?” she says.

All I can do is nod.

Noah walks up behind me and says, “Let’s take this to the back room, yeah? We can figure it all out together.”

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