Crushing by Elena Dillon Read Free Book Online Page A

my regular Sunday argument with Jeremiah about when we were going kayaking. Napping was a requirement for my Sunday afternoon. Now we were trying to decide if I was going to nap before kayaking or after. I always argued for before because I would feel refreshed after a nap and be ready to go. Jeremiah always argued that I could nap after and lounge the rest of the day. Since Jackson, the peacekeeper, wasn’t here, the argument went on longer than usual.
    “I told Dom to come over now, so we have to go now,” Jeremiah said.
    “I can just text him and tell him later. No big deal!” I was getting cranky, since I had been out late and up early, and I’d had another nightmare. At least I hadn’t screamed this time.
    I knew I would more than likely have to give in to Jeremiah’s demands, but I wasn’t feeling very gracious. My dad walked in, and his expression was grim.
    “Did you hear about Lindsay Patterson?”
    Jeremiah looked up. “Why? She okay?” he asked.
    “She’s gone missing.”
    What? No way. Not Lindsay. I was nauseated all of a sudden.
    “Maybe she just ran off with her boyfriend or something,” Jeremiah pointed out.
    “They found her purse, keys, and cell phone in her car out on the highway.”
    “She doesn’t even have a boyfriend,” I said, feeling dazed. This could not be happening.
    My dad looked so serious. I was about to ask how long she had been missing, when Dom walked in looking upset.
    “Did you hear about Lindsay?” he asked without preamble.
    “I just got off the phone with your dad,” my dad told him.
    He sat down at the table next to my brother.
    “When did she go missing?” I asked.
    “Friday night,” Dom mumbled with his head in his hands.
    “When did they find her car? Maybe she went out with friends and forgot her purse.” I knew I was grasping. My brain could not comprehend what was going on right now.
    “Early this morning,” my dad said.
    No seventeen-year-old girl would leave her purse and cell phone on purpose for almost two days. Not unless she physically couldn’t get to it. This was bad. The missing girls had never been anyone we knew. They had always been girls who had a not-so-great home life. A little on the edge. Which is why they thought some of them might be runaways. But this was a lot closer to home. I really liked Lindsay. She was a sweet girl. She was beautiful and funny, and everyone loved her.
    Did this mean the disappearances were starting again? I looked down, and the hair on my arms was standing up.
    My dad cleared his throat and looked right at me. I had a feeling this was not going to be good.
    “Well, I am pretty sure this is obvious, but I am telling you straight out, Rory—you are not going anywhere alone.”
    “Explain ‘anywhere alone’?” I was going to try to get this clarified before going off the deep end. No need to start a full-blown argument unnecessarily.
    “Just what I said. Nowhere. Alone. Not to school, not to the store, not to the beach, golf course, or shopping. Nowhere. Got me?”
    Wait. A. Second.
    “So are you saying I can’t leave the house alone ever?”
    “Until they find Lindsay or catch the person who did this.” He nodded. “That is exactly what I am saying. Your mother or I will drive you to school and pick you up. If you want to go anywhere, you will need to be with someone. Preferably with me, your mother, or your brothers. Or of course, Dominic.” He nodded in Dom’s direction.
    Oh my gosh, he had gone completely off his rocker.
    “You are not driving me to school. I have my own car. I’m willing to take someone with me if I go to the store and maybe not walk on the beach alone. That I get, but I don’t see how driving to school is a problem.” He couldn’t be serious. “You’re overreacting—even for you!”
    “I’ll take you to school, Ror. No big deal,” Dom offered.
    Of course he would. Ugh. It wasn’t Dom’s fault, but he was so not helping. I wished he would stop sucking up to my