See Jane Run

Chapter Four

FOUR

Riley took a deep, steadying breath and turned her back on the university. “Sorry, that was just—” Riley paused then spun around again, blinking, confused. “JD?” She took a few steps, her feet echoing loudly on the tiled floors, reverberating through the high ceilings. “JD?”

“Hey.” He appeared behind Riley, and she clutched her chest, startled.

“I thought I lost you.”

JD quirked an eyebrow, cocking his head. “I was headed for my train.”

Riley nodded dumbly then JD pointed over her shoulder. “Your train is that way.”

“We’re on different trains?”

“Of course. We’re going different places. And this is my train here. Have a nice trip—”

“Don’t call me cupcake,” Riley barked, holding up a hand.

JD turned, his hands on the straps of his backpack. Riley thought she heard him say “feisty” under his breath.

“OK.” Riley turned and scanned the arches that led to the train platforms. Annoying as he was, she kind of wished she and JD were taking the same train. “See ya.” She glanced down at her ticket again then up at the platforms. Not a single number on the platforms matched a single number on her ticket. She bit her lip, her nerves starting to thrum just under her skin.

“Granite Cay. Now boarding for Granite Cay. Train number 63 on platform 6. Now boarding…” The polite overhead voice faded off as Riley rushed to the platform, disappearing into the throng of people crowding onto the car.

Once she was seated, Riley pulled out her Kindle in a feeble attempt to quiet her mind. She felt like a rebel, a spy. She felt like she was doing something naughty and dangerous, and the thunk of her heart felt good.

Riley Spencer: bad girl. Free.

She smiled to herself and halfheartedly watched the rest of the people file onto the train—a mother yanking her school-aged daughter by the arm, a slew of businessmen each more gray tweed than the next, and the man Riley had run into in the vestibule. He walked past her, offering not a smile but a pleasant enough expression, and Riley felt heat bloom in her cheeks. She hoped he’d move on to the next train car but she didn’t dare crane her head to look.

When the train lurched to a slow start, there were still people clogging the aisle ways, and Riley hugged her backpack to her chest while people plopped into every vacant seat. The man from the vestibule wandered back and sat in the seat across the aisle from her, looking straight ahead.

A tight fist of panic squeezed her heart.

Is he keeping tabs on me? Following me? Does he know my parents? Do my parents know I’m sneaking around?