Chapter 19 #2
He joined the line, and by the time he reached the front, he was soaked.
The driver grunted at him. “Where to?”
He hesitated. He only had one address—Emma’s apartment. The address she’d given to Lainey when she paid for her stay at the bed and breakfast. He rattled it off from a note in his phone.
The cab lunged into traffic, horns blaring. He grabbed the handle near the window, watching vehicles dart in and out of lanes like salmon headed to their spawning grounds. Except, unlike salmon, these drivers were angry. And maybe a little unhinged.
Every time his phone buzzed with an incoming alert, hope sparked to life. At least he had service now, but when he glanced at the screen, it was just one of his siblings checking in. Even Justin must’ve gotten word of this adventure because he’d sent a text:
Justin
Praying for you, man. Hope this goes well.
Luke gave the message a thumbs-up, then scrolled through the last three notifications.
Nothing from Emma.
Over an hour later, the cab eased to a stop in front of a tall, narrow house with flower boxes in the windows and six buzzers mounted by the door. The bricks looked ancient, and the steps had seen better days. Luke stared up at the building.
Wow. He felt out of place here. Everything felt too tall, too old, and moved too fast.
He paid the driver, grabbed his duffel from the trunk, and headed up the steps. He pressed every button until finally someone answered.
“Who is it?” asked a tired female voice through the grungy intercom speaker.
“I’m looking for Emma. Emma Carlisle.”
There was a pause. “Hang on.”
Then the door unlocked, and Luke stepped into a poorly lit foyer. The place smelled like pizza. Or maybe cats.
A woman with curly hair and a sleep line embedded on her cheek poked her head out of a door. “You’re the guy looking for Emma?”
“Yeah. I’m a friend. From Alaska.”
Her eyes grew wide. “Wow. That’s a long way.”
He forced a tight smile. “You have no idea.”
“I haven’t seen Emma. She was here briefly the other day, but then left again. You should talk to Brittney, her friend on the third floor. I happen to know she just left for the coffee place around the corner. The Wicked Bean. Can’t miss it. One block up, on your right.”
“Perfect. Thanks so much.”
He turned and hurried out of the house and down the steps. The rain had eased to a light drizzle. His duffel bag bounced against his shoulder as he strode down the sidewalk. The woman’s directions were spot on.
He found the coffee place, and after dodging a guy on a bike and a man jogging like he planned to win a 5K, Luke stepped through the doors.
The scent of espresso wrapped around him, and the croissants in the glass bakery case made his mouth water. When had he eaten last, anyway?
“Welcome in!” the barista called out.
He offered a tentative wave.
A woman sat at a tall two-top near the windows facing the street, staring at her phone. She looked up. “Are you by any chance Luke?”
He hesitated. “I am. But how did you know?”
“I’m Brittney, one of Emma’s housemates.” Brittney smiled. “She told me about you. And also Petra, the woman who buzzed you in at the house, texted me to let me know you were coming.” Brittney’s gaze slid from his parka to his soaked duffel. “Did you come all the way here from Alaska?”
“I had to,” he said. “She left Redemption, and I didn’t stop her when I should have. Now she won’t answer her phone. And I thought maybe she didn’t want to see me. But I had to come here and know for sure.”
“Wow. You really care about her, huh?”
“I do.”
She patted the stool beside her. “Have a seat. I’m afraid I have a bit of a downer to share.”
Oh no. His stomach clenched. “What?”
“She’s not here. Left two days ago. Said she was going to see her dad and then heading back to Alaska.”
He left his duffel on the floor beside his stool, then raked his fingers through his wet hair. “Unbelievable.”
“I’ll let you get the whole story from her,” Brittney said. “I don’t think she’d mind me telling you that she’s on her way to find you.”
He sat in stunned silence. The rumble of the milk frother, the whir of the coffee-bean grinder, and the hum of pop music from the overhead speakers swirled around him. This didn’t make sense.
“So she went back to Redemption.”
“She might be there by now, actually. I’m not sure how long she stayed in Oregon, but she didn’t want to wait.”
He blew out a laugh, a short, disbelieving sound. “And I flew all the way here. What a mess.”
Brittney grimaced. “You two are either the most romantic people I’ve ever met or the worst communicators on the planet.”
“Maybe some of both,” he said.
She pulled out her phone. “Want me to try her? Maybe she’s landed somewhere and has Wi-Fi.”
“No,” he said. “I think I’ve got my answer. Thanks though.”
She paused, then grabbed a brown paper napkin from the table. “Before you go, let me give you some directions to the airport. It’s easy to get there on the train.”
“All right.”
Brittney pulled a pen from her purse. “Okay, you’ll want to take the Orange Line from Green Street Station. It’s about a five-minute walk from here.”
Luke leaned in, trying to follow along, even though she’d already confused him with the green and orange-lines part.
“Get on the train heading inbound—toward Oak Grove.” She scribbled as she spoke. “Ride it to Downtown Crossing. Then transfer to the Red Line, just one stop to South Station.”
She underlined something and added a few arrows. “Once you’re at South Station, follow the signs for the Silver Line—SL1. That’s in the bus terminal upstairs. It goes straight to Logan, all terminals.”
She handed him the napkin, her brown eyes gleaming. “You’ll be at the airport in under an hour, depending on the transfers. It’s honestly your fastest option.”
Luke stared at the napkin, the ink still fresh and a little smudged. He paused as he saw the small, hurried scrawl at the very bottom.
P.S. She still loves you.
He folded it carefully and tucked it into his jacket pocket. “Nice to meet you, Brittney.” He smiled. “Thanks for everything.”
“Go get your girl, Alaska.”