I didn’t examine it.Didn’t name it.
I just rode.
The clubhouse came into view quicker than I expected.The familiar outline settled something deep in my chest.I slowed as we rolled into the lot, gravel crunching beneath the tires.
For a brief moment, everything went quiet.
I killed the engine and twisted around on the seat, my hand coming back automatically to steady her.
“You’re home, Clove,” I said.
She lifted her head, her hair a tangled mess, dirt streaked across her cheek.She smiled at me anyway.Small, tired, but real.
“Thanks to you,” she said softly.“And Jude.”
The moment shattered.
The clubhouse door flew open and people poured out.Voices overlapping, footsteps pounding.Freak and Carnie reached her first.Hands on her shoulders and arms wrapping around her as they hauled her gently off the bike.
Carnie sobbed openly, clutching her like she might disappear again.Freak held her just as tight, his face buried in her hair, his whole body rigid with relief.
Basil hovered close, pretending not to be emotional, but I saw the way his shoulders sagged like he’d been holding his breath for days.He said something to her that made her huff out a weak laugh, and that did something sharp to my chest.
She was alive.
Safe.
That was what mattered.
Wrecker stepped up beside me, his voice low so only I could hear.“You think you should’ve told me you took off?”
I glanced at him.“Something told me to look for her again.”A beat.“So I did.”
Wrecker studied my face, then nodded once.“I’m glad you found her,” he said.“But don’t ever do something like that again.”
“I did what any of you guys would’ve done for your ol’ ladies,” I shot back without thinking.
His eyebrow lifted slowly.“Something happened on that ride home none of us know about?”
“What?”I frowned.“No.I’m just saying it’s Clove.And we all… I just—” I trailed off, realizing I sounded like an idiot.
Wrecker shook his head and dragged a hand through his beard.“Jesus Christ.”
Before he could say anything else, a van came barreling into the lot, tires squealing as it jerked to a stop.Mac jumped out with the camera crew right behind her, lenses already lifting, voices buzzing.
Dad stepped up beside me, his gaze sharp.“Took them longer than I thought it would.”
Wrecker nodded.“Yeah.Now we gotta figure out how we’re gonna spin this so it doesn’t seem like what it really is.”
Dad turned to me.“Something you wanna tell me?”
Wrecker glanced over knowingly.
I scrubbed a hand through my hair.“I—uh—well…”
“You’re a fucking psychic,” Dad cut in.“How the hell did you know where to find Clove?”
Relief hit me so hard I nearly laughed.Thank God that’s what he meant.“Just a hunch,” I said honestly.“Figured they had to be holding her somewhere near the pipeline.Old camper back in the woods.”