But in the meantime, I wouldn’t want anything to happen to this lovely little town just because of some centuries-old prejudice that has very little to do with its descendants now. And it’s more Galen’s place to tell Grom than mine. So if he didn’t go home and tell, I’ve got no reason to.

“It’s not a big deal. Just stupid stuff. He’s probably on his way back now anyway.” I try to sound casual. But Mom is the bloodhound of secrets.

“Galen doesn’t fight over stupid stuff, sweetie. He’d hand you the world if he could. Now tell me what’s going on with you.”

Okay, now I really regret calling Mom. I want to tell her—as tactfully as possible—that it’s none of her business. The thing is, I called her. I opened the conversation, and now I can’t find a way to close it. Even if I wanted to tell Mom about Neptune, just to have someone to talk about it with, I couldn’t dump it on her—she’d feel obligated to tell Grom. I feel guilty about what I say next. “Galen’s just been different lately, you know? Ever since Rachel. He has these mood swings.” I squeeze my eyes shut. Oh God, I just betrayed Galen in the worst possible way. It’s one thing to be hanging out with Reed while I’m waiting to hear back from Galen; it’s another to cover my own butt by taking advantage of his grief.

I want to drop the phone and cry.

Mom’s silence is impossible to read. Then, “I’ll give you that. Rachel’s death was hard on us all. But Galen fought so hard for this road trip, Emma. Are you sure you’re telling me everything?”

Nope. “Yep.”

Another thread of silence, and I almost fool myself into thinking it’s just a natural phone delay, the pause between her words leaving her mouth and her words hitting my ears. But I know better. When Mom is quiet, she has all sorts of things percolating in her head.

Crappity crap crap crap.

“Well, someone is waiting on me,” I say quickly. “I’ve gotta go.”

“Who is waiting, Emma? Where are you?”

“We stopped in this little town in Tennessee—I don’t remember the name—but anyway, since Galen left I’ve made a few friends here. Just trying to get the most out of a vacation turned sour, you know?”

“What town? Have you lost your mind?” Mom half shouts. “You don’t know these people, and Galen isn’t there to protect you. I’m coming to get you. Call down to the front desk and get the address. Me and my GPS will be there shortly. Galen can sort out what he needs to sort out on his own time.”

“Wow, overreaction much?”

Another pause. “Emma, I’m worried about you. Even if you’re grown, you’re still my baby.”

Ew. We’ve had this talk before. “Look, I get it. You’re worried. But I’m just doing what we came here to do. Strike out on our own and all that. I’m fine. You can hear me, right? You can hear that I’m fine?”

Mom sighs. She’s fighting her instincts and I know it. What kills me is, her instincts are usually right. “Just tell me where you are at least.”

“Promise you’re not saying that as you start the car.”

“I promise.”

“I’m in a little town called Neptune.” I hold my breath, waiting for a motherly explosion. It doesn’t come. Apparently, Grandfather really didn’t tell anyone but me about this place. A little more confident, I say, “And I’m loving it. So don’t worry.”

Another long, obligatory pause from the mother, but still no freak-out. “Okay, Emma. Just be careful while you’re having fun. Stay alert.” I expect her to tell me not to accept candy from strangers and to always say please and thank you and to avoid big white vans in parking lots.

“Will do. Gotta go, okay?”

“Okay. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

She lets me hang up first. She always lets me hang up first.

I throw the phone on the bed and head toward the door.

Reed is probably having a conniption; I’ve noticed that when he’s ready to do something, he’s ready to do it right freaking now. Everyone has secrets. I wonder if Reed’s is that he’s secretly OCD.

I take the stairs to save time, and I hit the lobby as Reed is pushing the elevator button to go up. “You meeting someone here?” I call to him.

He smiles before he even sees me. “Yeah, but don’t tell my friend Emma. She’s starting to have feelings for me, and I don’t want to ruin it with her.”

Alrighty then. “Are you some sort of man-whore?”

“Do you want me to be?”

“Nope. It would be nice if you were a little less creepy though.”

He winces dramatically as I punch his arm. “Ouch. On both accounts.”

I’m about to tell him something ridiculously clever when a third party joins our reverie. “Oh, hello there, Reed.”

We both turn to see Mr. Kennedy walking toward us, arms full of different kinds of plants, white lab coat smudged with ten kinds of dirt and double that amount embedded in his worn-out tennis shoes, which don’t match each other, much less the rest of the outfit. Not that I think a pair of wedges would save him or anything.

I’d actually forgotten all about him. Even though he’s staying here at Sylvia’s, I haven’t seen him since that first day we arrived in Neptune. That day, he looked somewhat normal.

Today, he looks … frazzled. A close-up reveals that his hair is so grimy you can hardly tell the actual color. Probably brown, but light brown? Dark brown? Mousy brown? Who knows. Thick glasses magnify the fact that he also has brown eyes, and that the left one wanders.