Something crinkles under my left hand, and I squint one eye open. And all my insides disappear. My fingers close around the now wrinkled picture. It’s Lake and me. From last night. My arms are wrapped around him, his around me. Our lips are together, and I swear there’s fire ignited in my belly just looking at the two of us. But even more present, is the terror. Because there’s a big, red X drawn over Lake. My hands shake and I flip it over. Sloppy handwriting in the same red marker fills the back of it. Careful who you find yourself in the company of. Wouldn’t want anyone to come between us. --Call the cops, and bad things will happen to him.-- A shaky breath works its way out of my chest. My hands tremble so much the picture falls to the ground. Just two weeks after Cal left on his last tour, I helped out at a 4H show. I’d been working with this girl McKayla’s horse, and she wanted me to come to her show. So I went. It was a long, hot day.
