Page 17 of Renegade

When we passed by a small jewelry store after getting my dress, Josué ushered us inside. He led me over to one of the glass cases and pointed to a small silver necklace with charms on it. He’d asked,“What do you think of this?”before having the jeweler take it out for me to try on.“Call it an early graduation gift.”

I’d tried arguing that he’d already bought me a dress, but he wasn’t having it. The sterling silver chain held a couple of small turquoise beads. Josué added a cursive L charm and a small silver butterfly. “We can add more later.”

I’d hugged him so tightly that my arms went numb.

I took another bite of my soft taco and slid the beads up and down on the chain, illuminating the charms in the dining room light. It was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me.

Once we finished eating, we got my mom settled in on the couch before retiring to our rooms. I changed and washed my face before pulling Josué’s laptop out from under the bed.

I eagerly waited for it to boot up, tapping my foot impatiently against the comforter until the background and various icons appeared.

I hurriedly typed in the search bar andAmerican Lonely Heartspopped up. It wasn’t a great name, but I’d done my research and it had the highest match rates around. I’d created a profile for Josué a few nights ago, but hadn’t found the time to log in and check for new messages.

Five New Messages!

I grinned stupidly before clicking the link.

Subject: You and Me

“Hey there, Handsome. I like a strong man. Wanna meet up?”

I clicked the attachment and a large penis filled the screen. I gasped and minimized it again as quickly as possible.

Well, that guy was definitely not in the running.

Jesus, that was going to give me nightmares.

The next three were some variation of the first email, luckily without attachments. It seemed like all these guys wanted was to get laid. Josué needed more than that.

I’d just about given up hope when the title of the fifth email caught my eye.

Subject: I can’t believe I’m doing this

“Hey, I’m sure you’ve gotten hundreds of messages like this. For reasons I still can’t quite fathom, I’ve found myself treading into the murky waters of online dating. I’m not looking for a casual hook-up and from your profile, it sounds like you’re not either. I live in Texas and am hoping to find someone I connect with—no matter which state they might be in. If you’re interested in talking more, email me back.

Isaac

I pulled up his profile and damn near swooned. The guy was perfect—he volunteered with theBoy’s and Girl’s Club, ran marathons, and could play the guitar. My eyes kept drifting closed from fatigue, but the smile was superglued on.

“Lauren, get up.”

I grumbled and opened one eye against the bright morning sun. “Josué, it’s Sunday. Let me sleep in.”

He ran a hand through his wild hair and shook his head. “LoLo, we got problems.”

I sat up and blinked away the last remnants of sleep. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

He took my hand and pulled me to my feet, sending the laptop crashing to the floor. He didn’t let go as he dragged me out of my room and into the living room.

I stared blankly at him until he began pointing around the room. “It’s all gone, Mija.”

The crystal figurine that rested on the side table was gone, as were the vintage records from the entertainment center. I tried to catalog everything, but my brain was swimming in confusion.

“Did someone break in?” I asked, just as her image popped into my head. “Monica.”

He nodded sadly. “I guess she took everything once we fell asleep. Front door was wide open when I got up.”

I paced the carpet, trying to figure out where she would’ve gone. “She stole from you—oh my god, I’m so sorry! I can try to find her and get your stuff back—”

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