Side Story 5

Aira My cellphone buzzed, and when I checked it, it was a message from Owen asking where I was. I quickly typed back, asking where he was so I could meet him, and he responded almost immediately. On your front porch. He actually thought I’d be home, but I wasn’t, so I hurried and got into the nearest cab, urging the driver to go faster than usual. By the time we pulled up to my house, he was right there—sitting on the front porch just like he said, waiting quietly with his hands on his knees. And the moment I stepped out of the cab, his whole face brightened. He gave me that familiar boyish smile that always made me smile back. But the closer I walked toward him, the quicker that smile died. It vanished so abruptly that I faltered a bit, wondering what on earth changed in the span of a few steps. His eyes narrowed slightly, his lips pressed into a straight line, and before I could even greet him, he stood and walked toward me. “Who were you with?” he asked,