Page 264 of The Forbidden Center

“Yeah.”

Roman gets up without saying anything and wraps both arms around me. I take it until he lets go.

Ryan stays where he is.

“You sure?” he asks.

“Yeah.”

He nods once.

Finn looks between us.

“So who runs early summer skates?”

I point at Ryan.

“Ask your captain.”

“I already do.”

“Then stop bothering retired people.”

Ryan looks at me.

“You know you’re still going to show up.”

“Probably.”

“That isn’t the same as running it.”

“No.”

He understands that one.

By the time I make it back into the hallway, Ruth is waiting with red eyes and my bag at her feet.

“You knew before I did,” she says.

“By nine minutes.”

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

“No.”

She hugs me hard.

Beyond the loading doors, people are still waiting by the barricade.

Somebody looks down at a phone. Then up at me.

“TWENTY-SEVEN.”

The shout spreads before Mack and I make it halfway to the G-Wagon.

I stop once, turn around, and raise my right hand.