Chapter 3

Caprice POV

“Let me see it, let me see it, let me see it,” Elena said, bouncing on her pink bedspread.

I handed over the letter.

She read it. Her eyes got wide. Then she squealed. “Caprice! This is amazing!”

“I know.”

“I can't believe it took her this long to find you.”

“I'm still trying to get my head around it.” I took the letter back. “What do you think I should do?”

“Is that a real question?”

“I don't want to be disappointed. What if she has the wrong person?”

“How many Caprice Sorrentinos do you think there are? Same birth date, in the foster system? Zero. You're the only one.”

“Right.”

She threw a pillow at me. “Come on. Be excited!”

“I am.”

“You look terrified.”

“I'm both.”

“Good. That's normal.” She grinned. “Think about it. You might have cousins. Aunts. A whole family tree.”

“Stop. You're making me hope.”

“That's the point!”

“What if they're all weird?”

“Everyone's family is weird. Mine puts plastic on the couch.”

“Your mom loves you.”

“My mom loves the couch more.” She waved it off. “Okay. Now. You promised me everything. What happened last night?”

I slid the letter into my back pocket. “He tried to rape me, Elena.”

“Oh my God.” She grabbed my hand. “Are you okay? We have to report him. Call the cops.”

“And tell them what? I barely saw his face. They'd get a vague description and nothing else. I'm fine. He didn't hurt me. He just freaked me out.”

“That's not nothing.”

“I know.”

“Did he say anything? Before him, you know?”

“Just creepy stuff. Nothing that made sense.”

“Like what?”

“Like I wasn't what he expected.” I forced a shrug. “He was probably drunk.”

“Probably.”

“I don't want to talk about it anymore.”

“Okay. Okay.” She squeezed my hand. “I'm here.”

There was more. The silver eyes. The voice that made my body stop listening. What are you? I didn't say it. Saying it out loud would make it real, and my chest tightened at the memory. Why did that question scare me so much?

“I just think we should be more careful,” I said. “I got lucky. It could have turned out a lot worse.”

“Agreed. From now on, we will stick together at parties.”

“Deal.”

“Want to get out of here?”

“God, yes.”

We spent the day at the beach.

“See?” Elena said, stretching out on her towel. “No creeps. Just sun.”

“Don't jinx it.”

“I'm not. I'm manifesting.”

“You're talking to yourself.”

“I'm talking to the universe.” She peeked at me over her sunglasses. “You're doing that thing again.”

“What thing?”

“Looking over your shoulder.”

“I'm not.”

“You've done it four times. I counted.”

I laughed, because she was right. “Okay. Maybe a little.”

“He's not here, Caprice. And if he shows up, I'll kick him in the face.”

“With what leg?”

“Either one. I'm very flexible.”

“That's not the flex you think it is.”

The sun almost helped me forget. It was hard to believe predators existed on a day like that.

***********

I got home after ten. Antonio was waiting on the couch.

“Sit,” he said. “I have good news.”

“You're smiling. That's scary.”

“I smile.”

“At work. In court. Never at home.”

“Sit down, Caprice.”

I sat. My heart squeezed. “Good?”

“I looked into your grandmother. Her name is Isabella Sorrentino. She's Luca Sorrentino's mother.” He paused. “He died a long time ago. She lives in Estacada, Oregon, near Portland. She was a nurse most of her life.”

My father. Gone. I'd figured he was dead or in prison, since he never came for me. Hearing it still made my stomach drop.

“So she's real?” I asked. “Like, really real?”

“You have the same last name. Your father isn't on your birth certificate, so I can't be a hundred percent sure. But I saw his driver's license photo.” He shook his head. “You look exactly like him.”

I swallowed. “Can I go see her?”

“Of course you can. But listen to me first.” He leaned forward. “I don't want you owing her anything, in case something goes wrong. So I bought you a ticket.” He pulled a printout from his jacket. “You leave the first week of August.”

I threw my arms around him. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

“Don't lose it.”

“I won't.”

“Put it somewhere safe.”

“In my room. In my backpack. Under my pillow if you want.”

“Under the pillow is fine.” He grinned.

“And I'm paying you back.”

“No, you won't. It's a graduation present.” He raised a hand. “I know that's hard for you. Just say thank you and accept it.”

“Thank you.”

“Good.”

Upstairs, Max popped his head in my door.

“Are you leaving forever?”

“Max. No.”

“But you're going.”

“For a visit. I'll be back.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

“Okay.” He scuffed his sock on the carpet. “Bring me something.”

“From Oregon?”

“A rock.”

“A rock?”

“A cool one.”

“Okay. A cool rock.”

He left. I smiled at the empty doorway, and then my stomach swirled with excitement and fear. I texted Elena.

I'm going to Oregon!!!

WHAT. WHEN.

First week of August.

I'M PACKING FOR YOU.

You don't even know what Oregon looks like.

Trees. Rain. Flannel. Done.

What if she doesn't like me?

Then she's wrong. Go to sleep.

We were still texting at two in the morning.

**********

“Remember,” Antonio said at the airport. “When you're ready to come home, call the airline and set a date. If you need to come home sooner, you call me. Day or night.”

“Okay.”

“And check in every Sunday. A text to me or Vanessa. That's it.”

I rolled my eyes. “I'm an adult, you know.”

“Humor me until college.”

“Fine.”

“And Caprice?” He cleared his throat. “If anything feels wrong, even a little, you walk out. You don't owe anybody anything.”

“Antonio. She's my grandmother.”

“She's a stranger who's your grandmother. There's a difference.”

“You always say that.”

“Because I'm always right.” He smiled. “Go. Be brave.”

Vanessa hugged me hard. “Promise me you'll call when you land.”

“I'll text.”

“Call.”

“Fine. I'll call.”

“And wear the sweater.”

“It's August!”

“It's Oregon. Wear the sweater.”

The night before, Elena had come over to pack with me.

“No,” she'd said, holding up my ripped jeans. “Absolutely not.”

“What's wrong with them?”

“Your grandmother will think you fell off a motorcycle.”

“She's not that old-fashioned.”

“You don't know that.” She dug through her bag. “Take these. Two dresses. Very conservative. Very Sunday church.”

“I don't go to church.”

“She doesn't know that. Be a good granddaughter.”

“I hate you.”

“You love me.”

She was on vacation with her family now, so I got her goodbye by text. Good luck!!! Don't fall for any hot Oregonians.

I sent back a rude emoji.

The flight felt endless. One short stop in Denver, then on to Portland. Somewhere between the two I dozed off.

I was in the dream again. The dark room. Dirty brown carpet. Shouting from downstairs.

“Clumsy bitch! She deserves the belt!”

I ran down the hall. In the living room a little girl was crying. Everything exploded red.

I jolted awake in my seat.

“Bad dream?” the man beside me asked.

“Something like that.”

“Flying does that to me too.”

“Yeah.” I wiped my forehead. “Flying.”

Same dream as always. But what did it mean?

“We'll be landing in Portland in twenty minutes,” a voice announced.

My body thought it was ten at night. The clock said seven, and the sun was blazing. Seventy-nine degrees, the flight attendant said.

I grabbed my carry-on and shuffled out with everyone else. Isabella had promised someone would meet me at the gate. She hadn't said how I'd know them.

I scanned the crowd. A cardboard sign first. SORRENTINO. Then I looked up. A broad chest. A square jaw. Gray eyes, wavy blond hair.

Whoever he was waiting for, it couldn't be me. A grandmother couldn't possibly be connected to a guy like that.

He saw me and walked over. Early twenties, maybe.

“Caprice Sorrentino?”

My heart fluttered. “Yeah. That's me.”

He smiled and held out his hand. “Jaxon McIver.” His grip was warm and strong. I blushed and hoped he didn't notice.

“Welcome to Oregon, Caprice,” he said. “Whatever Isabella tells you tonight, don't run.”