#25 BONUS


    I heard about Jace’s car ident two hourster–Wayne was the one to break the news.


    “Rea, Jace was in an ident,” he said, his voice tight with worry. “He’s in surgery… Can you


    come to the hospital?”


    My hand started shaking, and before I knew it, my phone slipped right out of my grip and crashed


    onto the


    floor.


    Wayne must’ve heard the thud. “Rea, are you okay? What happened?”


    Lena was in the kitchen, cooking, but at the sound, she rushed over, eyes wide with concern.


    Wayne’s voice came through again. “Rea, we’re not asking you toe for, like, a blood


    transfusion or anything. We just thought… maybe you’d want to see him. Because…”


    He hesitated. “Because when they put him in the ambnce, the only name he was calling out was


    yours.”


    Lena shot a look at the phone, then back at me, and picked it up without missing a beat. “Jace and


    Keira are over. She doesn’t need to hear this.”


    Silence from Wayne, and then Lena hung up. She sat down next to me, wrapping an arm around


    my shoulders. “Unreal,” she muttered. “After all they’ve put you through, they still think you’d just


    come running for him.”


    I mumbled, “It’s my fault, though… the things I said to him…”


    Lena had no idea what I’d said to Jace in the heat of ourst conversation, so she was a little


    confused.


    ‘She didn’t push. She just kept her hand on my shoulder, her voice soft. “Hey, don’t overthink it.


    This isn’t your fault, so don’t go ming yourself.”


    I didn’t go to the hospital, but the worry wouldn’t let up


    I hated the Johnstons. I hated Jace.


    But the idea of him actually dying?


    That scared me. If he was gone, I wouldn’t even have the right to hate him anymore.


    Ever since finding out the Johnstons were behind my parents‘ deaths, I’d felt lost, like my mind was


    spiraling with too much to process but no clue what to do.


    I wanted to visit my parents‘ graves, but I hadn’t been able to face it. Because it was my fault they


    were


    gone.


    ‘Rea, why don’t we visit Cloudscape Monastery?” Lena offered suddenly.


    It was a good idea. I hadn’t been up there since Jace and I broke up.


    *You can find a little peace, and I’ll make a wish while I’m at it,” she said, trying to brighten my


    mood.


    Luckily, she had the day off, and I was beyond grateful to have her with me.


    When we arrived at the mountain, we realized the recent rains had totally washed out the path.


    “Great. If we want to go up, it’ll take at least two hours hiking,” Lena said, sighing.


    The Johnstons had once funded the road up to the monastery, but now it was blocked. And still, I


    felt this weird pull to keep going.


    With the summer heat, we were sweating after just a few steps. Hiking all the way up? A whole new


    level.


    “Rea, I might have to break our best–friend code here. I don’t think I can make it,” Lena admitted,


    throwing a defeated look at the mountain.


    Then she turned toward the monastery’s peak, sped her hands in mock prayer, and called out,


    “To any higher powers listening. I’m sending my request from down here. I don’t need wealth, and I


    don’t need a perfect life–I just ask for less sickness and pain in the world, and for every newborn to


    come into this world safe and sound.”


    I stared at her, surprised by her wish.


    Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org.


    She noticed my expression andughed. “What’s that look for?


    “That’s your whole wish?” I asked. “Just that?”


    “Yep, that’s it. What, you thought I’d wish for something else?” she replied, grinning,


    I took a breath. “I thought… maybe you’d wish for something for yourself, or you and Nate.”


    Sheughed, bright and carefree. “Honestly? I’m pretty good right now. And as for Nate and me…


    I’m just letting things happen as they’r