Page 70 of The Other Side
“We’re on our own.” I laughed, surprised that it had taken all weekend for Chance to ask about it.
“Ramen noodles all week it is.” He gave a sour laugh.
“I have food from the kitchen,” I admitted. “I’ll keep us fed.” Lenny had made sure I was stocked for the week before he had left on Friday.
“Thank you, Violet.” He ruffled my hair lightly, letting his hand linger on my head a moment too long, but I didn’t think I minded as much anymore. I was becoming more comfortable with him by the day.
“He has a source!” I accidentally shouted in earnest the next day. While going through the remainder of Daniel’s chat logs with his other friends, he had mentioned to Bryce Osbourne, the student editor of the paper, that he had found someone who was willing to talk to him, off the record. Daniel had told Bryce he was following a scandal so big it was going to give him “the pick of Ivy League schools without having to rely on family favors to get in.”
I scrambled to show Chance everything and explain while he read.
The problem was that Daniel hadn’t given any more details than that.
But then Chance found the reason why.
“He’s got a drive—you were right.” Chance pointed to a line I had missed in the chat thread.
Bryce was concerned about Daniel’s safety, if this story was as big as he was making it out to be, and Daniel assured him that he was doing everything by the book and had everything backed up where nobody would find it.
“So how are we supposed to find it?” I slumped next to Chance.
“We’ll think of something, but the point is, it’s out there.” I could sense a renewed energy in Chance that cold and rainy Monday. It didn’t matter that, as it stood, we didn’t have much, just the hope that there was something else out there for us to find, something that could give us a decent lead on what had happened to Daniel. That was all Chance needed—some luck and a little bit of hope.
As I stole glances of Chance while he continued to work through Daniel’s emails, I let my mind wander, wondering what it would be like to be with him.
What would it be like to let Chance in and see me for who I was and what I had really been through? What would he think of all the remaining secrets I kept locked inside so closely guarded that I hadn’t spoken of them after Harry had thrown them in my face to make himself feel better about dumping me?
Would I be capable of breaking down those walls, even for just a moment? Could I have enough courage to try?
I still wasn’t sure, but the more I was around Chance, the harder it was to keep him at arm’s length, and the more impossible it became to pretend that I didn’t want to chip away at every last defense to see what it would be like to be loved by someone who cared as fiercely as he did.
