7 Chapter 7

“I’m gonna be taking off for a few months,” he said, the words hitting me so hard in the face, throat, chest, that I was stunned silent. “I’m, uh, gonna shut down Split for a few months and Esco is gonna be staying with Boone and the brood.” Nick smiled, apparently not noticing that I’d stopped breathing. “The old mutt will love that, right? Anyway, everything is order, you don’t have to worry about anything. And I had a big, long talk with Spence about it and it’s summer break and all, so he’s gonna be taking off with Mona and Markus for Spain, so he won’t be missing me much and—”

“Where are you going?” I whispered, my resentment turning to grief.

He’s leaving, Bump. Just like that. And he’s going to be taking my heart with him.