Chapter 17

One moment Seth was next to her watching the fireworks, the next he was pushing his way through the crowd. He disappeared from her line of sight for a moment.

“What’s wrong?” Caleb yelled over the latest firework explosion.

“I don’t know! I need to go after him.”

Rose ducked under someone’s arm and headed toward the Thornton house. She saw a door close, and she went inside the house, which was mostly dark except for a dim light from the hallway. She’d gone through a back door that led into a mudroom. She waited a moment and then heard footsteps. She ran after the sound.

She discovered Seth in a room upstairs, his head in his hands. She glanced at the decor and realized that this must have been his childhood room: there were posters of rock bands on the walls, a giant but old stereo on a table near the bed, and a scattering of rudimentary wooden figurines. She almost smiled when she saw the desktop computer still sitting on the desk.

“Seth.” He didn’t respond, and she sat down next