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Contents (126)
  1. The Meeting Point
  2. Olivia Lara
  3. Contents
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. Six
  10. Seven
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. Twelve
  16. Thirteen
  17. A YEAR LATER
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. June 2
  21. Sixteen
  22. Seventeen
  23. Eighteen
  24. Nineteen
  25. Twenty
  26. Twenty-One
  27. Twenty-Two
  28. Twenty-Three
  29. June 3
  30. Twenty-Four
  31. Twenty-Five
  32. June 4
  33. Twenty-Six
  34. Twenty-Seven
  35. Twenty-Eight
  36. Help Wanted: Seasonal employment, June–August
  37. Twenty-Nine
  38. Thirty
  39. Thirty-One
  40. June 5
  41. Thirty-Two
  42. Thirty-Three
  43. June 6
  44. Thirty-Four
  45. Thirty-Five
  46. June 7
  47. Thirty-Six
  48. Thirty-Seven
  49. Thirty-Eight
  50. Thirty-Nine
  51. June 8
  52. Forty
  53. Forty-One
  54. June 9
  55. Forty-Two
  56. Forty-Three
  57. Forty-Four
  58. Forty-Five
  59. Forty-Six
  60. Forty-Seven
  61. Forty-Eight
  62. Forty-Nine
  63. Fifty
  64. Fifty-One
  65. June After Midnight: By Ethan Delphy
  66. Chapter 15
  67. Fifty-Two
  68. June After Midnight
  69. Chapter 20
  70. Fifty-Three
  71. June After Midnight
  72. Chapter 21
  73. June After Midnight
  74. Chapter 22
  75. Fifty-Four
  76. June After Midnight
  77. Chapter 28
  78. Fifty-Five
  79. June After Midnight
  80. Chapter 29
  81. June After Midnight
  82. Chapter 30
  83. Fifty-Six
  84. Fifty-Seven
  85. June 11
  86. Fifty-Eight
  87. Fifty-Nine
  88. Sixty
  89. Sixty-One
  90. Sixty-Two
  91. June 12
  92. Sixty-Three
  93. Sixty-Four
  94. Sixty-Five
  95. June 13
  96. Sixty-Six
  97. Sixty-Seven
  98. Sixty-Eight
  99. Sixty-Nine
  100. June 14
  101. Seventy
  102. Seventy-One
  103. Seventy-Two
  104. Seventy-Three
  105. Seventy-Four
  106. June 15
  107. Seventy-Five
  108. Seventy-Six
  109. Seventy-Seven
  110. Seventy-Eight
  111. Seventy-Nine
  112. Eighty
  113. Eighty-One
  114. June 16
  115. Eighty-Two
  116. Eighty-Three
  117. Eighty-Four
  118. Eighty-Five
  119. June After Midnight
  120. Chapter 28 (Draft 1 Version)
  121. Eighty-Six
  122. Eighty-Seven
  123. Eighty-Eight
  124. Acknowledgments
  125. About the Author
  126. Also by Olivia Lara

I don’t know what to write back. I’d like to answer ‘ditto’ but he never asks, so I don’t. Instead, I give him a new number: 31.

What’s your biggest fear? he asks.

How much time do you have? I answer almost instantly.

As much as you do, he replies.

Not achieving my dreams, being forgotten, not being a good person, making mistakes, not being good enough, not being enough, ending up alone. The unknown, I text.

We’re fear-twins, which is funny. I seriously doubt you’ll end up alone and no one can measure your worth but yourself. Don’t compare to others. As for the unknown, nothing worth achieving has been achieved by staying in your comfort zone. You’re taking a step now. Heading into the unknown. Alone, he texts.

Not really alone. Did I thank you yet? I wouldn’t have left the airport if it wasn’t for you.

No need to thank me. I’m sure you would’ve done the same. Number 32.

Would I? The second time I’m asking myself this question in a few short hours, and it’s something that hasn’t crossed my mind before today. Maybe because I knew I wouldn’t like the answer: I wouldn’t have done the same. But I’d like to think that will change.

How would you describe yourself in 3 words, all starting with the same letter?

Moody. Mindful. Maximus.

Good ones. Like Maximus from The Gladiator?

He sends a grinning emoji. Sorry, I meant Maximum. I hate autocorrect.

Actually, I like that. Maximus. It suits you. I pride myself on being good at coming up with names for people. So, since I don’t know your real name, can I call you Max?

Do you want to know my name? he texts, and I swallow nervously.

Do I? I do… Why not? What’s the harm in that? I can’t call him ‘Mr. Driver’. And putting a name to what I already know about him will help me create a better picture of him.

You know what? Max it is. We said no personal stuff, so I want to stay true to our rules. Wouldn’t want to ruin our game, he texts before I get the chance to reply.

Too bad. I really wanted to know. But I guess Max will do. For now.

Next stop is Carmel, I text.

Maybe we’ll continue this later then. If you want to.

I smile from ear to ear. I hoped he’d say that. Where did the last two hours even go?

Seven

The moment I get off the bus, I know this place is unlike any other I’ve ever been to.

It reminds me of those made-up towns in movies that are fully constructed in a studio. The houses look like they’ve been drawn by an artist with too much imagination and a weakness for fairy tales. They’re tiny and quirky and each of them has a plaque on the front with a name: The Sailboat, Souvenirs, Seventh Heaven, Sans Souci, Casablanca, Sea Horse. This is amazing.