“Exactly,” Ryan nodded, thankful for my explanation. “I came to ask you to dinner. We have some talking to do.”

“O…Okay,” I said, surprised.

“Jared’s not going to like that,” Beth lilted.

“Where do I pick you up? Jared’s place?”

“It sort of burned down,” I said, shifting.

Ryan didn’t flinch. “Okay, so where, then?”

“We’re at Cynthia’s for now.”

Ryan’s eyes were always the windows to his thoughts. That was one thing that his experiences hadn’t taken away from him. He was planning something.

“Seven o’clock?” he asked.

“How about I meet you there?”

“Where?”

“I don’t know. Wherever you’re wanting to eat.”

“I haven’t decided, yet. I’ll just pick you up.”

I sighed in frustration. “See you at seven, then.”

Ryan walked away like a robot accepting a command. He offered no smile, or any other expression, too preoccupied with his next move.

“That was weird,” Beth said, pulling on the handle. “Open up, already, it’s freaking freezing!”

“Oh, it’s not that bad,” I said, rolling my eyes and clicking the keyless entry.

Throughout the day, I waited for Jared’s call. He hadn’t come home that morning, passing on the message via Bex that he and Kim were in Woonsocket, just south of the Massachusetts line. Bex assured me that it was to speak with the priests of St. Anne’s, and he wouldn’t be engaging the enemy.

At lunch, I called Bex. “Why hasn’t he called?”

“He’ll call,” Bex said, bored.

“Why did Kim go if they’re just going to a church?”

“It’s just a guess, but maybe she knows the contact their questioning.”

I blew my bangs from my face, frustrated. “You two are being very secretive these days.”

Bex sighed. “Go be a co-ed, Nina. I’ll talk to you later when you call to ask if Jared’s called again.”

I looked to Beth. “That little…he hung up on me.”

“He’s a teenager. You remember being a teenager?”

“Vaguely.”

“He’s got all these feelings, and emotions…and didn’t you say he was home-schooled?”

“Yeah, but he’s only thirteen. He’s barely a teenager.”

Beth stared at me. “You’re joking, right?”

“No, why?”

“There is no way that kid is thirteen! He’s a mammoth! He looks at least sixteen!”

“Nope. It runs in the family.”

“You’re going to give birth to a toddler. Think about that,” Beth said, giggling to herself.

“We’re not…,” I trailed off. I waited, hoping Beth wouldn’t take it further. Any such hopes were lost when her eyes widened.

“You’re not what? Going to have kids?”

I shrugged, trying to play it off. “We haven’t really talked about it, but it’s not something either of us would die to experience. I’m an only child. Babies…kids…really aren’t my thing.”