But is that nervousness really about Brecken?

I don’t know. It could be this trip in general. The weather. The wreck. My mother at home spinning herself into knots. The creepy guy in the hat.

“How could I misplace a five-hundred-page book?” Josh asks absently. I frown, looking around my seat, though I know it can’t be up here. Josh has been in the back the whole ride, and I’ve seen phone books smaller than the thing he was reading.

Brecken wrenches open the back door while Josh is still looking for his book. Kayla startles at the blast of air and the sudden cabin light.

“Cold,” Kayla complains groggily, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Scoot over,” Brecken says, “I’m joining you.” He looks at Josh. “Did you lose something?”

Josh sighs. “Yeah. One of my books. I don’t get it. It was right here.”

“Maybe it’s with Harper’s wallet,” Kayla mumbles, not bothering to open her eyes.

“Not funny,” Harper says, sliding into the driver’s seat. “Can I charge my phone?” she asks, looking at the cord.

“Yeah, I think I still have decent battery left,” I say.

“Great. Mine’s dead.” She plugs hers in. “Can you pull up the map on your phone until my battery charges a little?”

“Oh, sure!” I reach into my coat pocket, but it’s not in there. I check my other pocket and then my jeans, and then I laugh.

“What is it?” Harper asks.

“Now I’m the one missing something.”

Harper frowns. “You lost your wallet?”

“Maybe she lost a book,” Brecken says, a thin, mocking edge to his tone.

“Just my phone,” I say. “I’m sure it’s in my bag or something.”

“It’s probably back here,” Josh says.

He hands me my bag and starts looking, and I check through each compartment, unzipping zippers I haven’t touched in weeks. Nothing. I double back through my bag and then my coat pockets and then check all around my seat. Panic pushes through me, hot and electric. I was sure I put it in my pocket on the hill. I remember Josh showing me the traffic.

“Josh?” I ask, turning to the back seat.

“I’m looking,” he says. “It might have gone flying during the wreck.”

He’s right, so I check under my seat and between the console and everything else. I close my eyes, trying to remember the last place I saw it. When Josh handed it to me? No. When we got off the highway. I tried to check for traffic, but I had no signal. Did I set it on the seat by Kayla? Oh God, did I leave it at the station?

“Does anyone remember me having it after the gas station?” I ask.

“I can’t be sure, but I think you were carrying it when you walked back to the car,” Brecken says. “Check the chips and water bag.”