Page 97 of Searching for Nova

“What is it?” I say, slumping down in the chair across from my dad.

He sets down the newspaper he was reading. “Easton.” He gives me that same tight smile my mom just gave me.

“Yeah?

My dad leans back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest. “How was your evening?”

“Fine. We went to the party, then went back to Jace’s place.”

My mom comes over and stands next to my dad. “Nothing happened? At the party?”

“What do you mean?” I ask, getting the feeling they know something I don’t.

“The neighbors complained about the party last night,” my dad says, “and the police showed up.”

I shrug. “It must’ve happened after I left.”

My mom and dad look at each other, then back at me.

“We got an alert on the security app,” my dad says. “One of the neighbors posted it so the parents could go get their kid before they were hauled down to the police station.”

“So you went over there?” I ask, my pulse speeding up.

My dad nods. “I did. And you weren’t there.”

“I left early.”

My mom’s brows rise. “Without Jace?”

“What’s going on here? Just tell me.”

“Jace was leaving the party when your father showed up,” my mom says. “Your father gave him a ride home, and when they got there, the house was empty.”

“I didn’t go there after I left the party. I went to get food.”

“And then what?”

“That’s it.”

My dad sighs. “Easton, we know you’re not telling us the truth.”

“What do you think is the truth?”

“That you were with a girl,” my mom says.

“What girl? I’m not dating anyone.”

“I waited at Jace’s house when I took him home,” my dad says. “I was worried when I saw you weren’t there. I tried calling you, but you didn’t answer. I was going to call the police until Jace told me you were spending the night with a girl.”

I roll my eyes. “You’re believing Jace? He was wasted last night.”

“Then where were you?” my mom asks in an angry tone.

I don’t answer. I don’t know what to say. They wouldn’t like the truth. My mom would freak if she knew I was in the part of town where Nova lives, an area known for murders, robberies, and drug deals.

“If you’re not going to tell us,” my dad says, “we’ll call every one of your friends’ parents to see if you were there. We’ll get to the bottom of this one way or another.”

“Why?” I shove up from my chair. “What difference does it make? I’m here. I’m safe. Nothing happened.”

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