Renn: Why? Did you forget your charger there?

Renn: J/k. WTF?

Dad: I second your brother’s (less than eloquent) question.

Ever: I need to do something.

Donna: Could you please be a little less cryptic?

Ever: I need to win Joe back.

Donna: We are proud of you! (and slightly worried . . . )

Dad: Let us know when you land.

Renn: Young love is such a drag. No wonder I want nothing to do with it.

It’s early morning by the time I land at Logan International Airport. Weak rays of sunshine pierce through the clouds, making them look like fluffy pincushions. I feel like I haven’t slept in years. My muscles hurt. My heart beats dully. Still, I’ve never been as ready to do something in my life.

I make my way to the taxi lane. Somewhere over the last twenty-four hours, I’ve lost my duffel bag, and I don’t even care. I have my wallet with me, and that’s all I need. Once I slide inside, I give the woman Joe’s address. It’s five in the morning, and I think I just might catch him before he goes to work if the driver goes over the speed limit.

“Salem, huh? That’s some ride,” she says.

“I’ll double your pay if you floor it,” I tell her from the back seat, yet again channeling my inner Bill Gates. I’m feeling ballsy with my bank account today.

The middle-aged lady eyes me curiously across her shoulder. “Tell you what. How ’bout I don’t get us both killed, and you take a long, deep breath?”

“That’s fair,” I mumble. Meg Ryan would’ve charmed her into agreeing, but whatever.

Traffic from the airport is painfully slow. Then we get into Salem, and there is construction work on the main road. I get to Joe’s apartment building half an hour later than I hoped to. I hit the buzzer, but no one answers. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to see me anyway. Unfortunately for him, he doesn’t have a choice.

I pull out my phone and call Gemma, well aware that it is way too early for social calls. She answers on the fourth ring but sounds wide awake.

“Hi, Ever, is everything okay?”

She sounds completely unaware of my drama with Joe. Figures. He isn’t big on sharing.

“Yes. I mean, no. I don’t know yet.” I shake my head. “I was hoping to reach Joe, but I’m trying him at his apartment and he’s not answering.”

“Well, he’s most likely at work by this hour. He starts very early,” Gemma says reasonably. “Why don’t you try him there?”

“Okay. Yeah. I should.” There’s an awkward pause before I ask, “Where does he work on the docks, exactly?”