It's been five years since the sudden disappearance of Cora Cadigan's mother. Five years since the case was closed before it even began.
In the final summer before the end of high school, Cora knows it's her last opportunity to find the answers she...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"He's legal bitches!"
The salty air has a different feel to it. I wasn't sure what it was, but my heart clanks loudly as I watch the sun setting on the horizon. Another day gone.
Dory hoots, tackling Cameron. They thud against the sand, swearing at each other.
It was Cameron's birthday. Out of all our birthdays, his was the only one in the summer, which meant that our annual tradition was to light a bonfire on New River beach, roasting marshmallows. It was tradition as old as time, dating back to the first year we had ever been game enough to sneak out of our houses after dark.
"Happy birthday, Cammy," Tea grins, pulling him into a hug.
He picks Tea up off the ground, swinging her around. I give him a warning glare when he walks towards me, but regardless, my feet lift off the ground within seconds. He's holding both Tea and me, squishing us against each other.
"Hey boys, who would have thought I'd get both of them at once," he laughs.
"Pig," I retort. I slap him on the back, warning him that if he didn't put me down right now my knee would be accidentally finding his balls.
Teagan offers him the present we had all put in for, wrapped in newspaper. Cam sits down on the log opposite us, opening the paper slowly.
"You know I didn't expect anything, right? I know that for all of us the money could have been used elsewhere."
"Shut up, dick," Wesley snorts. "You think we wouldn't buy you something for your eighteenth?"
"And we aren't that poor," Ryan scoffs, downing his beer.
"I mean..." Dory cringes, "we kind of are."
"Shut up, Theodore," we all chorus. I can't help but laugh, watching as he begins to grumble to himself about being ganged up on again.
My eyes flicker to behind Dory's head, finding Rhys. He's sitting further down the beach. I'm not surprised when I find Lucas, Dale and Carter not far away either. A girl from school was talking to Rhys, leaning in close and giggling. I couldn't help but feel the slightest churn of my stomach.
