Bea made it to the aisle and stomped down the bleacher steps, not waiting around to find out how Jeremy and her dad would resolve their little spat, or whatever it was. Why couldn’t they just get along? Why did her dad always have to take digs at Jeremy like that?

Behind the bleachers stood a small concession stand and a large shed where they stored equipment. As she passed the shed on her way to the school, she noticed a couple standing in the shadows behind it, talking.

Was that Amber and Axel? Bea didn’t see Hunter. Amber had been almost thirty minutes late picking him up earlier today, but Bea hadn’t been able to bring herself to be upset about it after the whole couch incident.

She paused for a second, wanting to call out and say hi to her friend but not wanting to intrude. Their voices grew louder, and Bea took a step back. No way did she want to get in the middle of an argument. But then Axel grabbed Amber’s arm, and Amber yelped in pain.

“Let go!” Amber cried.

For a second, Bea froze. The dark shadows cast by the shed turned into the treelined sidewalk Bea always took back to her dorm room in Atlanta. She’d been with her roommate all evening. Only for the last couple of blocks was she alone.

A man had appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her arm. “Let go!” she had cried. He’d clapped a hand over her mouth and tried to pull her deeper into the trees, but her one panicked protest had been enough to draw the attention of a small group of people a block ahead of her. A guy in a Georgia Tech sweatshirt had started running in her direction with no hesitation, his arm raised, and he shouted—

“Hey!” Bea’s hands formed into fists as adrenaline coursed through her veins. “Leave her alone.”

Just what Jeremy had said that night. Oh, God, if he hadn’t been there . . .

“Bea.” Amber pulled free of Axel’s grip and crossed her arms. “We’re just talking.”

“Beatrice Jensen? Is that you?” Axel turned to Amber. “This is the friend you’ve been hanging out with?”

Bea moved a couple of steps closer and glared at him. “What are you doing?”

“Having a private conversation.”

“Get out of here, Bea.” Amber’s face was impossible to read in the shadows. “I don’t need your help.”

Bea wasn’t so sure. She wanted to march right over to her friend and grab her hand. Tell her she didn’t need to take any crap from this guy. Ask her where her son was. But she held her tongue and unclenched her fists. Had her own memories caused her to overreact? Axel didn’t look threatening anymore, only annoyed.

“Fine.” Bea took a few steps back. “But I’ll talk to you later, okay?”