Phoenix: Book One of The Stardust Series by Autumn Reed, Julia Clarke

best of
intentions. Since he wasn’t sure what happened back at your house, he was
concerned for your safety and knew that you would be fine here.”
    The sound of Ethan’s
chair scraping against the wood floor signaled the end of the conversation.
Ethan took my plate, gently brushing my forearm as he did so. Turning toward
the sink, he quickly whispered in my ear, his warm breath tickling my skin.
“We’re the good guys, I promise.”
    I felt a flutter in my
stomach, and my face flushed while thoughts swirled in my mind like clothes in
a washing machine. Every word from Ethan was reassuring, and yet, he had
repeatedly avoided telling me why he and his friends were so eager to help me.
I sighed, distracted by Ethan’s alluring touch and promises of good intentions.
I still felt confused and wasn’t sure what to do next.
    The rest of the day was
spent idly. Ethan was around but mostly left me to my own devices. At one point
when he was outside, I rifled through the only paperwork I could find in the
house, none of which named an Ethan or Chase. I discovered the address of the
cabin was in Markleeville and felt a tiny glimmer of relief. Although I wasn’t
very familiar with the small town of Markleeville or the landscape surrounding
it, I knew it was only about a half an hour from Coleville. At least I wasn’t
as far away from home as I’d feared.
    After lunch, I spent
time outside on the deck reading and surveying my surroundings. Now that I knew
my general location, I felt confident that I could find my way into town. But
what then? I had a little money in my bag, but not enough to live off of for
long. I wanted to ask Ethan more questions but doubted he would give me the
answers I was looking for.
    What would Dad tell me
to do in this situation? I had no doubt he would advise me not to trust the
random guy who wouldn’t tell me why he was helping me and was obviously hiding
things. Dad had already told me not to go to the police. The only logical
conclusion was that I should run and make it on my own until I could find him.
I sighed, resigned to sticking it out the rest of the day and then escaping
after dark. I glanced down at my wrapped ankle, fervently hoping it could handle
the long walk through the woods.
     
    *  *  *
     
    It had been a long day,
and I felt no closer to finding my dad than I had this morning. Ethan suggested
that we turn in since it was getting late. He insisted I take the bed again,
stating that he was fine on the pull-out sofa bed. His kindness and generosity
overwhelmed me; I was even feeling a little guilty about my plan to slip out
during the night. And yet, how could I trust him when he seemed so
determined to hide his motives from me?
    As I limped toward the
bedroom, I heard the front door open behind me. Startled by the unexpected
intrusion, I jumped. Glancing quickly at Ethan, I noticed that his eyes had
darted toward the door. Turning slowly, I felt my jaw drop; the intruder was
the blue-eyed stranger from the library.

 
    Brick Wall
     
    I stared at the
ceiling, forcing myself to stay awake. I thought through everything I knew
about my dad, the fire, and the boys, seeking answers, seeking inspiration for
what to do.
    Having convinced myself
that I would likely never see the blue-eyed stranger from the library again,
Chase’s reappearance at the cabin was the last thing I expected. I played our
latest conversation over again and again searching for clues, trying to figure
out what was really going on.
    Initially surprised and
excited in spite of myself, I asked, “What are you doing here?”
    I saw the corner of his
lip twitch upward. “Haley, right? I’m Chase.”
    “How did you know my
name?” I blurted out, not intending to say it aloud.
    He shoved both hands in
his pockets. “I overhead the librarian call you by your name.” I couldn’t argue
with that explanation. The librarian was one of the few people who actually
knew my name and had most likely used it in front