Free Where You'll Find Me by Erin Fletcher Page B

the door.”
    “Right. And the window isn’t a potential exit. Trust me.” The one and only time I went with the alternate exit idea resulted in a twisted ankle and more scratches than I care to remember.
    “So, what am I going to do?”
    I shrug, toying with one of the hangers on the floor. “Wait until he takes a bathroom break and run like hell?”
    Nate raises his eyebrows. “Does your dad have a small bladder by any chance?”
    “Afraid not. I’d go make him a pot of coffee, but that would seem entirely too suspicious.”
    “Maybe you could go start a fire? Smoke him out of the house?”
    I wrinkle my nose. “Are you serious right now?”
    “Just a small fire. Start it in the bathroom. Lots of water around to put it out.”
    “First, if I was going to start a fire, it would be in Heather’s bedroom. Lots of big books to burn. Second, no.”
    He laughs quietly and leans back against the closet wall, pausing to remove a stray shoe that must have been wedged behind his back. “Only kidding. Guess I better get comfortable.”
    The TV is still on, so I get up and nudge it so it’s facing the closet. Even though I could sit on the bed, I curl up on the ground next to Nate instead, just outside the closet doors. We watch MTV and whisper back and forth for a while.
    “Hanley?” he asks at one point.
    “Yeah?”
    “I don’t know if this plan is going to work. Even when your dad does get up, I don’t know if that will be enough time for me to sneak out.”
    “Yeah.” The thought had crossed my mind as well.
    “As much as I’d like to hang out on your closet floor all day, I don’t want you to get caught. I don’t want to ruin this.”
    It’s only then that I realize that’s what I’m really afraid of. Not a lecture from my parents about a boy in the house. Not grounding. This thing with Nate has become a thing that I’m not ready to be without. “Me neither.”
    He looks up. “We just figure out a way to get your dad out of the house for a few minutes. Then I can sneak back out to the garage.”
    “But it’s so cold out there.”
    Nate shrugs. “It’s better than outside. The blankets you gave me are there. I’ll be fine.”
    “Maybe. But you can’t keep this up forever, right? What’s your plan?”
    The deer-in-the-headlights look is new. Nate is always so self-assured. But this question sucks the confidence right out of him. “I…” He fumbles with one of my hangers. “I don’t really know. I’m just trying to make it one day at a time.”
    Though it’s not really an answer, I get it. I’ve had the same plan for two years. I force a smile and tap the top of his shoe. “I’ll tell my dad I need something for school. Wait until you hear us leave, and then the garage is all yours.”
    He nods. “When you get back, you won’t even know I’m there.”
    He’s wrong. My dad won’t know, but I will. “Thanks for making me breakfast this morning,” I say, grabbing my jacket and cell phone.
    “You’re welcome. Consider it an even exchange for the shower, food, and warm house for a few hours.” He tugs on the leg of my jeans before adding, “And thanks for the company.” Even though it comes out as an afterthought, it still sounds like the most important thing he’s said.
    I can’t help but smile. “I’ll see you later?”
    “See you later.”
    Standing over him, I almost feel like I should make a move. Bend down and kiss him. Hug him. Something. But I’m far too sober to be brave enough for that, so I turn and walk out the door, catching one more whiff of cucumber melon as I leave.
    Downstairs, I convince my dad that I’m in dire need of index cards for a project due tomorrow. Somehow, he believes me. The entire car ride to and from the store is filled with lectures about being responsible and not putting things off until the last minute. It’s worth it because back in my house, Nate is escaping to safety, and whatever relationship we’re forging isn’t going to be