Burned

32 THE BOYFRIEND PROBLEM

Even though the Eco Cruise company had chartered flights for the kids to take back to Philadelphia, there was still the matter of everyone collecting their stuff from their rooms on the ship. The boat pulled into the Hamilton harbor at 7 A.M. on Monday, and everyone was allowed one hour to pack up. Aria and Noel climbed up the ramp, then glanced at the auditorium, which was still decorated for the talent show. It was kind of sad to see the festive balloons, streamers, and search lights. Even the food was still set up, though flies were buzzing around it hungrily.

Noel pointed at the first-prize Vespa, which was parked near the stage. “I wonder who’s going to get that?”

“No one, I guess,” Aria murmured.

He shook his head somberly. “Yesterday sucked.” He took Aria’s hand. “I just can’t believe you thought it was a good idea to go and get some stupid family heirloom that Spencer lost on a dive. You could have died.”

Aria lowered her eyes. “I didn’t think it was a big deal. We didn’t plan on the raft deflating. It was a freak thing.”

“You just should have thought it through.” Noel cupped the sides of Aria’s face in his hands. “When Naomi told me that you guys sailed off into the sunset and hadn’t come back yet, my heart just about stopped. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Aria murmured, but tears sprung to her eyes. Those horrible moments in the water were so fresh and raw in her mind. She still couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that Naomi wasn’t A, either—and that A might be Graham and Graham alone. He’d watched all of them, slipping in and out of the shadows so effortlessly. He’d been the one to kill Gayle and almost kill them.

As they walked further onto the ship, the smell of smoke grew stronger. Noel wrinkled his nose. “Nasty.” As they passed the casino, Noel glanced at the table up front, which still bore a sign for the Eco Scavenger Hunt. “Did you talk to Graham after we evacuated?” he said, making a face. “I’m surprised he didn’t want to rescue you.”

Aria swallowed hard, revisiting those horrible moments in the boiler room. Spencer had told her that the ship was able to salvage one of the security cameras, but she was of two minds about what the tape would reveal: On one hand, it might be good for Graham to be identified and caught. On the other, she was certainly the second figure on the tape. Noel would probably lose his mind if he found out she’d almost been blown to smithereens.

She wiped her eyes and looked around the crowd of kids heading to their rooms. Graham’s room was on that floor, but he wasn’t among them. In fact, Aria hadn’t seen him anywhere. She’d searched the crowds in the hotel lobby, restaurants, and outdoor spaces nonstop, but he’d been nowhere. Then again, if he was A, hiding in plain sight was what he did best.

But soon it wouldn’t matter anymore. Once they told about Tabitha, Graham wouldn’t be able to torment them any longer. They’d be free.

“Earth to Aria?”

She jumped. Noel was staring at her. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Aria tried to smile, but her mouth wouldn’t cooperate. Reality hit her like a bucket of cold water over her head. They were going to tell. Didn’t she owe it to Noel to tell him, too? She didn’t want him to find out by watching the six o’clock news.

“I …” she began, her voice cracking.

Noel looked worried. “What is it?” he asked softly.

“I-I’ve done something horrible,” Aria whispered.

“What?” Noel edged closer. It was unclear if he just hadn’t heard her or was asking her to elaborate.

Someone slammed a door. Another boat on the harbor blew a loud, ugly-sounding horn. The story throbbed on Aria’s tongue, begging to be set free. “I’ve …”

Suddenly, Jeremy’s voice screeched over the loudspeaker. “Forty-five minutes left, everyone! Please pack quickly!”

Noel turned back to Aria. He looked at her for a few beats, waiting. Aria turned away. “Never mind,” she said. There was no way she could blurt it all out now.

He gave her a big hug, then pulled away and touched her collarbone. “Where’s your necklace?”

Aria’s mind scrambled for an excuse. “I must have lost it in the water.” She hoped she sounded convincing. “I guess it wanted to be returned to the sea.”

Noel nodded slowly, not seeming that distressed. “I guess it’s better you lost it than I lost you.”

He gave her a final hug, then headed toward his room. Aria stepped back on the elevator—her room was two flights below Noel’s. Every muscle in her body felt twitchy and charged. That very well might be the last hug she and Noel would ever share. Would he even speak to her after he found out she was a murderer?

Suddenly, just as the doors were closing, a man in a police uniform walked by, his posture stiff, his gaze straight ahead. Aria stabbed the DOOR OPEN button and slipped into Noel’s hall once more. The cop walked to the end of the hall, then entered an open door on the left. Aria was almost positive that was Graham’s room. She remembered where it was from when she’d picked him up to go mini-golfing. It seemed like so long ago now.

She watched as Noel strode to his room, inserted his key into the door, and walked inside. Then, taking a deep breath, she started down the hall, too. She passed Noel’s door, heading to the end of the corridor to the door the cop had entered. It was definitely Graham’s—Aria recognized the knight sticker on the marker board.

She peered inside, bracing to see Graham, but instead only the cop and Jeremy were there. Their heads were close, and they spoke in heated tones.

“How long has he been unconscious?” the cop asked, hands on his hips.

“Since the evacuation,” Jeremy murmured. “I’m not sure how bad his injuries are—the doctors aren’t telling me much. His family is flying in soon.”

Aria blinked. Was Graham in the hospital?

The cop made a wry face. “Unconsciousness is an easy way not to talk, huh? The security footage reveals two people, one of whom is him.” He gazed at a cell phone. “He has a lot to be afraid of right now.”

“Have you identified the second person?” Jeremy asked.

Aria held her breath. But then the cop shifted his weight and said, “We still can’t get enough facial characteristics on the second person. We think it’s a male, though.”

Aria frowned, confused. She ran her fingers through her long hair, then stared at her sinewy, feminine fingers, each one painted a glittery coral color. She’d been mistaken for a lot of things over the years, but never, ever, a guy.

Suddenly, the two looked up and saw her. Jeremy’s eyes widened. The cop looked angry. “Yes?” he barked.

“Um, I’m looking for Graham?” she said, surprised at how weak and timid her voice sounded. “Do you know where he is?”

Something flickered across Jeremy’s face for a split second, then submerged. “You need to pack up now, okay?”

An alarm bell went off in her head. “Is Graham … okay?” she asked, her voice squeaking.

Jeremy frowned and stepped toward her. “Seriously. If you don’t get everything out of your room in the next half hour, we’re not letting you back on for it.”

The contours of his face had sharpened, making him look older and menacing. Aria turned and walked quickly back to the elevator, feeling that she’d just seen and heard something she shouldn’t. An uncomfortable feeling came over her, but before she could think too clearly about it, she sped up, wanting to be away from the room that had possibly been A’s once and for all.