Page 99 of Troublemaker: The Big Picture Edition

“I’ll stay here in case he comes back, Em!” Franklin calls out.

The poor little guy. All this talk about doing what’s best for my students, but what about what’s best foroneof my students? My favorite student. There, I said it.

I’ve been living in fear of Atticus running away ever since I adopted him, but he never has. This is just as scary, maybe more so. It sounds like my heart is actually beating in my eardrums, and I’m pretty sure I could lift a truck if I had to. There are so many things I’ve been afraid of in my life, and they were all just imagined concepts. If Ryder ran away and got lost or…worse—I don’t even want to think about it. If I’m panicking this much, what about his poor parents? It isn’t until I’m two blocks from my house that I realize I don’t have my phone on me and I should be calling Alex. But it’s also at this moment that I have an idea of where Ryder might have gone.

I turn the corner and jog toward the library, turning my head and checking every front yard and doorstep of every house thatI pass. The library is on the corner of a pretty busy street, but he wouldn’t have to cross it to get there. I keep whispering his name as a prayer as I reach the entrance.

Please be here. If you’re here, I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll take out an ad on a billboard telling everyone that I love you and your dad if you need me to.

I step inside and call out, “Ryder?”

Yeah. I forgot that it’s a library. Sue me. This one has high ceilings, so my voice echoes. Everyone turns to look at me, but I don’t see the adorable little face that I’m desperately searching for.

“Miss Stiles?”

I follow the trembling voice to the edge of the children’s books section. Ryder’s standing there, holding a Dr. Seuss book, and I immediately burst into tears. I go to him, mouthing an apology to the ladies at the front desk.

“Ryder,” I whisper. I kneel down and hug him so tight, he probably can’t breathe.

“Did you bring Atticus?” he asks before I let go.

“No, he’s at home. I heard you were at my house and just started running around to look for you.”

A woman and her two children step around us to get into the aisle, so I take Ryder’s hand and lead him to a seating area. I sit down and pull him onto my lap. I wouldn’t normally do this, but I don’t want to let go of him.

“Ryder. You can’t run away like that. Your parents are so worried.”

He slow blinks at me, pouting. “You have another boyfriend?”

“No. No!” I whisper, louder than I probably should. “He used to be my boyfriend, before I moved to Los Angeles. He was not supposed to be at my house, and I told him to leave. I’m so sorry he said that to you. I promise it’s not true.”

Ryder lifts the book to his nose and sniffs the cover. “I guess it makes me feel better.”

I muss up his hair. “How did you find your way to my house?”

He inhales the pages of the book before answering. “Cheyenne found your address because her mom had your phone number. We looked it up on Google Maps on her mom’s computer, and she told me which way to go.”

“Well, that is very impressive, but you can’t do this again. Do you understand? You can’t go places without telling your parents, and you can’t go places without them. What if something had happened to you?”

He shrugs, his lower lip quivering. “Everything’s changing, and everyone’s busy. It’s my fault you can’t be with my dad, and I wish we could all just watch movies and eat pizza again.”

I kiss his cheek. “I have missed hanging out with you too. It’s not your fault at all, Ryder. It’smyfault. I should have thought about how it would affect you. And you need to understand that we all love you. Your parents and me. That’s never changed, and it’s not going to. Even when your mom has a new husband and you have a new brother or sister. Okay?”

He nods.

“And if you’re ever sad or angry or confused, you can just talk to us. Anytime. About any of it.” I hug him again and then look around. “You know what—I have to call your dad and tell him I found you.”

I take Ryder’s hand again and lead him to the front desk. Just as I’m about to ask a lady if I can use a phone, I hear Ryder say, “Hi, Dad.”

I spin around to find Alex Vega, looking more stressed out than I could ever imagine, his hair all messed up. But still hot.

“Ryder.” I hear him swear under his breath as he grabs him and picks him up. “Don’t ever do this again. Ever, ever.”

“How’d you find me?”

“I remembered what Emilia told you about going to the library when she was a kid.” He looks over at me. “I probably shouldn’t have left the house, but I just had a feeling you’d be here.”

The lady at the front desk puts her index finger to her lips and shushes us, smiling. I take the old Dr. Seuss book from Ryder and place it on the counter in front of her. Alex takes my hand and carries Ryder out the front doors.