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Brady sighs. “Fine. I guess that’s a good excuse, but from the way you were acting earlier I thought you’d be more—”

“Can we get going?” Seth stands away from the windowsill. “I don’t run as fast as you.”

Brady laughs as he shines the light on Mr. Cranky. “Changing the subject, huh? You must—”

“Will you quit it?” Seth holds up a hand to block the light. “We still have to check the factory, or we’ll never get Bea off our backs. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to get at least a little sleep tonight.”

“You’re not worried about her at all? It’s not exactly safe out here, and Bea said she didn’t have food.”

“Fiona can take care of herself.” Seth slips a backpack off his shoulders. “And that’s what this is for. We’ll leave half of it here and half of it at the factory. If she ran off this way at all, she’s bound to see both.”

Brady’s shoulders slump. “I guess that’s the best we can do.”

“Yup.” Seth unzips the bag, revealing several boxes of food, sports drinks, and even a blanket for the increasingly chilly night. “Let’s get going.”

Brady heads outside. “Do you want me to carry you?”

Seth scoffs. “I have some dignity, you know.”

Brady laughs, and then their footsteps fade into the distance. I stay put for a few minutes, though the food and drink call to me. I don’t want them to come back and see it gone. They probably don’t realize I’m here, but it doesn’t hurt to be extra cautious. When I can’t take it anymore, I rush to the window and look out. No flashlights. The other building’s outline barely shows against the sky. They called it a factory, but it must be a ruin just like this. I’ll have to check it out when I get the food they’re apparently leaving there.

With the coast clear, I dig into some protein bars. I stuff one in my mouth, and I about die when I notice the box of blueberry Pop-Tarts, too. Bea must have seen them in my cart and figured I liked them. I pause midbite. I don’t get it. I’ve never met people who’d risk themselves to help me escape, or who’d run around the desert all night leaving food just in case I was there.

I grab a drink, gulping it down as I think. They could be lying. Just because Bea said they weren’t working for a syndicate doesn’t mean it’s true.

Bea’s fearless eyes come back to me, then Brady’s worried voice, and even Seth saying I’m amazing for trying to escape. They … might care about me. A chill runs down my spine.

It’s day three, and Miles hasn’t come yet. He should have been here by now. As I stare out the window at the same tall cacti and mesa-lined horizon, I fear the worst. Graham found him. Graham knows there’s only one reason Miles would be in Madison, Arizona. He’s probably being tortured into giving them my location, except he never would.

If it were anyone else, I might be able to take it. But it’s Miles, and it’s my fault he’s in this mess. The thought of him being beaten for me is too much.

I glance at my supplies. I went to the factory the first day, though it’s so torn up you could hardly call it that. There’s scrap metal everywhere, like a bomb went off. All that’s left is half a building, gutted out. I stayed the night there, since I could see the stars through the holes in the remaining ceiling.

Brady and Seth left enough food to last a couple weeks, but I’ve already burned through most of the liquid. It’s too hot out here. Just opening my mouth dries it out. I’ll be dying for water before tomorrow night.

My legs ache as I pull myself up. There’s not much choice—I have to get in cellphone range and at least try to call Miles before this phone dies. If Graham answers, I’ll just hang up and get rid of it. I grab my things and head for my favorite boulder. The second I power it on, five frantic texts show up from Miles. Each one simply says
Where r u?
My hand shakes as I dial his number. It barely rings once before there’s a voice.

“Fiona?” Miles asks.

Unexpected tears well up. “Are you okay?”

He laughs, though I don’t think it’s very funny. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that? I went out there and couldn’t find a thing—I thought you’d be dead by now. Mom’s a mess.”

I want to protest that I gave him good directions—at least as good as I could under the circumstances—but that doesn’t matter once I realize the bigger issue. “Wait … Mom’s still there?”

“Yeah.” He doesn’t say anything after that, and I can’t seem to find words, either. Finally, he lets out a breath. “I’m not sure how to explain it, Fi.”

“Is Graham there?”

“He left. Two days ago.”

“What?” Too many questions run through my head, fighting for my mouth but failing to move it. Graham left
without
her?

“It’ll be easier to explain if you come back to the house. It’s safe, Fiona, for now. You know you can trust me.”

I want to say it’s some kind of trap, but Miles wouldn’t do that. “You swear?”

“On my baseball-card collection—the whole thing.” That’s a serious oath. Miles is a baseball fanatic, both the normal and gifted leagues. If he could, he’d watch it all day and talk your ear off about stats. He knows I don’t listen when he goes on his rants about batting average, but he does it anyway. He’s determined to make me a fan.

“Okay. I’ll see you soon.” I close the phone and lean against the rock. There has to be some kind of catch. Graham couldn’t have just left. Still, if he’s gone, then we have time to plan. I don’t know how much time, but it’s better than hiding out in the desert and doing nothing but reading my math book. I was that bored.

I suck in a breath to calm my nerves and then head for town at an easy jog. By the time I reach the house, I’m drenched in sweat and sick to my stomach. I can’t help thinking Graham’s in there, waiting to trap me and take me back to Dad’s casino. Now that he knows I tried to escape, I have this feeling we’ll never leave Dad’s watch again.

I almost turn back, but then Miles’s warm laugh carries through the open window. My knees nearly buckle at the sound, and before I know it I’ve turned the doorknob.

There he is with Mom on the couch, all easygoing in his baseball tee and cut-off shorts. His hair is wild and wavy as usual, sun-kissed from the summer but still brown. He smiles at me, his eyes almost meeting mine. Then the room blossoms with the scent of blueberries. He knows how much I love them.

Scent imitation is a pretty useless gift, but in our family I consider that lucky for Miles. Dad hardly notices him, just remembers his ability is worthless. He made sure Miles knew that, too. I could never quite tell if it actually hurt Miles, but he’s definitely no fan of Dad.

“I’d hug you, but I can smell you from here,” he says.

“Thanks a lot.” I shut the door, but stay where I am. “I’m surprised you’re still here.”

“I told you Graham wants to help us!” Mom’s glare feels like a laser. “How could you run off like that? We thought you were dead! You can’t just disappear on me!”

I scoff. “That’s kind of hard to avoid, don’t you think?”

“Don’t use that attitude with me, Fiona Claire. I am trying to get us out, and every time you run off you risk ev—”

Miles puts his hand on her knee. “Mom, not exactly helping.”

“I was just so … You shouldn’t have done that.” Her shoulders slump, and I stuff down the guilt. Let her be mad at me—I’m plenty mad at her for calling Graham. She deserves any worry I might have caused her.

I put my hands on my hips. “Is he waiting for me to show up?”

She purses her lips. “Graham is covering for us. He’s making up fake leads, sending your father on a goose chase so we can live here in peace.”

My jaw drops. “You’re kidding.” I look to Miles. “You can’t actually believe this.”

He shrugs. “I don’t know, Fi. He seemed genuine. He didn’t bring a team or even a phone. It’s … possible.”

“Possible?” This isn’t happening. My family cannot be this stupid. After years of lies and manipulation, how can they not see through this? People don’t change. Graham couldn’t have woken up one day and decided he was going to be a good person again. “I need a shower.”

“Hey, wait!” Miles calls, but I rush to my bathroom and lock the door.

I smell too awful to think clearly. So I pull off my clothes and let the warm water run over me until it gets cold, though it doesn’t get
that
cold. Desert water only feels cool. I watch the water bead on my skin, try to hold perfectly still so I can see pieces of my fingers and arms. It’s strangely beautiful, like dew on a spider web that reveals the shape.

My mind is surprisingly blank in comparison to the questions that pounded me before. I keep thinking about how thirsty I am, how much I want to sleep in my bed instead of on dusty plywood, how I should savor every day of freedom I have left.

When I shut the water off, Miles’s voice comes from the hall. “You better wear something I can see you in. No shorts or stupid dresses.”

“Fine.” For some reason his joking never offends me. He’s trying to tell me being invisible is no big deal, and it works with him. Mom could say the same thing and it’d piss me off. I dig out a pair of black jeans and a tight orange shirt, but then I feel like I’m dressing for Halloween. I slip the jeans off and grab some blue ones. Much better. Now I just have to accessorize… .

There’s a knock at my door. “Are you decent?” Miles says.

I laugh. I once asked him why he doesn’t barge in like everyone else does. He said it was awkward enough just thinking of me naked, and he’d prefer not to “see” it. “Yeah, come in.”

He shuts the door behind him, a small grin on his face.

“See enough of me?” I ask.

“Never enough.” He holds out his hands, and I rush into him. His arms come around me firmly, and for a second I feel safe. Miles’s hugs always remind me how nice it is to be touched. “I’d go with your blue glasses. I always liked those.”

I pull back, knowing he’s trying to lighten the mood. But I can’t let this one slide. “Why would Graham cover for us? He’s never done it before—he has to be up to something.”

Miles lets out a long sigh as he sinks onto my bed. “I don’t know right now, Fi, but I’m gonna try and find out.”

“Why did you believe him?”

He watches me put on my glasses, worry finally creasing his brow. “I only said that for Mom, since she believes it completely. I couldn’t kill her hope—she’s doing so much better than I’ve ever seen. She almost has a soul again.”

I bite my lip. Mom has been more …
something
, lately. I’m not sure if it’s better or not.

“She said he gave her the money to buy a place, told her to run when the time was right and call him when she felt like she had her head on straight. Or straighter, at least. He said he’s coming every weekend to check on you guys, make sure you’re ‘safe.’” Miles makes air quotes, his skepticism completely apparent now.

I lean on my dresser, weak at the thought of Graham coming back. “You’re kidding.”

“I wish. Don’t worry, though. I’ll switch my work schedule around so I have weekends off. I promise I’ll be here, too.”

“But—”

He holds up a hand. “I know you want to keep me safe, sis, and I appreciate it. But you let me go to school without feeling guilty, so it’s my turn to watch out for you. Whatever Graham’s motive, this is seriously the best chance you’ve ever had to escape.”

I know he’s right, but it’s still a huge risk. Miles will pay for this, one way or another. “Are you sure?”

He scratches his head. “Not really, but if we play along, maybe Graham will get careless.”

I sit next to him. “Then we can find out why he’s doing this.”

“Precisely.”

After my stay in the desert, parking in front of the school is surreal. I didn’t think I’d make it back, and I’m surprised by how nice it is to be here. As I walk though the halls, people stare like usual, but it doesn’t bother me as much. They don’t matter. I have to find Bea and tell her I’m okay.

“Fiona!” Before I turn around, Bea slams into my back, nearly knocking me over.

“Hi?”

“She might have been a little worried about you.” Brady comes into view, as gorgeous as ever in a green T-shirt. He pulls at Bea’s arms, grazing my skin in the process. “Trixy, let the girl breathe.”

She lets go. “I was starting to think we’d never see you again, and after all that work just to get you to talk to me.”

I turn the dial on my locker. “I’m guessing you guys were behind the food. It was a lifesaver, thanks.”

“No problem,” Brady says. “I run in the desert all the time.”

I sigh. “So I figure you guys know I’m not with my dad?”

He nods.

“I know it’s a lot to ask, but you have to keep quiet about it. If the wrong people found out …”

Bea smiles a Trixy grin, her eyes lighting up. Brady laughs as he puts one heavy hand on my shoulder, coming close to whisper. “Don’t worry about that. We have it all taken care of.”

I get fluttery all over being so close to him. “What?”

Bea shrugs. “We might have implied you were visiting your beloved father.”

“We might have also implied that he’ll visit if he hears about anyone being mean to you. That put the fear in everyone, so I think you’ll be fine.” Brady’s smile dazzles me almost as much as his words.

I can’t find a description for this feeling in my chest. The food was amazing enough, but putting together a cover for me? “I can’t believe you guys would—”

“Believe it, chica.” Bea punches my shoulder. “Don’t think this got you out of movie night, either.”

“Oh yeah, Friday’s tomorrow, huh?” I’d forgotten with all the Graham drama. “Sure.”

“I’ll pick you up, if you want,” Brady says as the bell rings.

“Okay. That’d be great.” I’m glad neither of them can see how hard I blush. That’s another great thing about being invisible: I can crush all I want and no one will ever notice. “I guess I’d better get to home ec.”

“See you at lunch?” Bea asks.

I pause, the truth harder to say than I thought it’d be. But they’ve more than earned it by now. “Um, I email my brother Miles at lunch. It’s the only time I have.”

Brady nods. “Got it. We’ll see you in class, then.”

“Yeah.” I practically skip to the home ec room. My limbs feel lighter. I can’t push back the smile. I’m … happy. No, more than that. It feels like the leash around my neck is gone. It feels like I can breathe for one second without having to worry about Graham or Dad or the next horrible job.