Page 7 of New Year

I change direction and hurry to join my family.

“I’m so sorry,” Mom is saying. “How’s your family holding up?”

“We’re doing the best we can under the circumstances,” the man says in an accent that belongs closer to home than here. He finally releases my mother after an embrace that’s gone on far too long. “I’ve been meaning to get in touch with you since I heard you were down here. Kept getting caught up with work.”

“It’s okay,” Mom says. “We’ll catch up some other time.”

And then the guy is hugging Aunt Diana, which makes me feel a little better. “We’ll find her,” Diana says, patting his back.

“I know it,” he says. “I know we will.”

Then he steps back, and I see his face, and a wave ofdéjà voussweeps over me. Time seems to slow even before he raises a hand in a wave and says, “Give Theo my regards next time you talk.”

And then he’s walking away, his last words echoing in my head like footsteps on death row.

Who the fuck isTheo?My dad is Theodore Eden. The name is big and dignified and sounds like a president. Theo sounds like an emo guy who paints his nails to be edgy and wears Empyre because it’s cool, not because he’s part of the scene.

“Who was that?” I demand.

“That’s Tony,” Aunt Diana says. “He’s an old friend of your father’s. His daughter’s the one who’s gone missing.”

“Oh my god, I haven’t seen you in ages,” a loud voice squeals behind me, and then Daria’s engulfing me in a tight embrace and a cloud of perfume and her big energy. “I’ve been texting you all day! Why didn’t you answer? This is so crazy! Can you believe it? Come on, you can search with us. Bye, Mrs. Eden!”

She waves to Mom, links her arm through mine, and drags me away. “Why is your Mom hugging Mr. Dolce?” she hisses. “You’re lucky Lindsey’s not here. She’d disown you. Better hope Elaine doesn’t narc.”

Slowly, all the pieces that have been clashing discordantly in my head, trying to find how they fit, fall into place.

Chase’s words at the restaurant when we hung out that night.

“… Dolce guy… The one who’s trying to frame your dad for murder…”

The familiarity of the faces in the yearbook.

The Fab 4 hanging in the quad.

Preston’s animosity.

“I looked into your family…”

Theo. Dad.

Tony. Mr. Dolce.

My head is spinning, but my feet keep up with Daria as she drags me over to join Elaine, Todd, Brandon, Chase, Katy,Ashley and Jessica. Just about the whole group is here, minus Lindsey, and that sort of makes sense if we’re looking for her enemy’s daughter.

I take a minute to gather my thoughts while someone with a bullhorn explains that we’re going down both sides of the river in pairs, spaced out so we can see each other and scan all the ground. Plus, if I’m busy thinking about what I just learned, I won’t have to notice that Todd and Elaine are holding hands, or that Chase is looking at me like he’s waiting for something.

At least now I know why Preston hates me. My dad was friends with some shady guy who’s trying to destroy their family.

That just about fucking figures.

People start to gather up, and Lily comes tromping over in her rain boots and grabs my hand. “Can I come with you?”

I glance at Daria, dying to catch up with her and find out what I’ve missed over the break. There’s an even number of them. My heart starts to sink, but Daria links her arm through mine. “Sorry, kid, I’m stealing your sister,” she says. “You can have her back later.”

A rush of warmth fills my chest despite the cold, soggy day. For once, I’m not left out. I’m wanted. I’m part of the group.

“No fair!” Lily protests, stomping her foot and making a splash of mud splatter our feet.

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