“Yeah,” Summer said. “I’d hate to be the cause of you not getting any.” Then she realized she didn’t care. Everything that had happened with Cody had led her to being with Troy, and things were so much better with Troy. She could open up, tell him things she’d never told anyone else before. He knew her—like really knew her— and he still accepted her for who she was.
She scrolled through her contacts, wanting to call Troy and hear his voice, but her phone rang again before she hit the call button.
This time, Ashlyn’s name came across her display.
Large bouquets lined both sides of the podium of the chapel. Summer’s knees shook as she walked toward the front. Pamela had called Summer using Ashlyn’s phone and asked her to go to the house. Wanting to help however she could, Summer had gone. When she got there, Pamela told her that the hospital called and informed her that Ashlyn had a congenital heart defect. They said it was something she was born with that probably got worse the older she got. It caused problems like shortness of breath and irregular blood flow.
All the times Ashlyn had trouble breathing after skateboarding or surfing had popped into Summer’s head. Pamela continued, telling her how if they would’ve known, they could’ve tried medication or even surgery. Of course the combination of diet pills and caffeine probably hadn’t helped the condition, either. The ‘what ifs’ were overwhelming, and while Summer couldn’t help thinking about them herself, she’d put her hand over Pamela’s and said, “You can’t do that. I’ve thought of hundreds of ways I could’ve kept my mom home the day she was killed, but we can’t change the past, no matter how badly we want to.”
As she’d said the words, she realized she needed to follow her own advice and let go of the guilt she’d been carrying around with her. Mom was gone, and there was nothing she could do about it. Mom had made the best of the here and now, and Summer needed to do the same. She still didn’t know if she believed everything happened for a reason, but she knew she and Ashlyn were supposed to meet and that she needed to help Pamela through her loss.
And then Pamela had asked her for a favor. Which brought her to standing at the front of a tiny chapel, a sea of faces staring up at her, awaiting her words. Her notes were in her jacket pocket in case she needed them, but she was going to do her best to speak from the heart.
If only her heart wasn’t beating so fast.
“I’ve learned so much in the short time since I met Ashlyn,” Summer said into the microphone. “I’ve learned to be open to meeting new people. To get to know people, even if it’s tough at first. Most people, if you give them a chance, have something about them that makes them worth knowing.
“The first time I met Ashlyn—well, let’s just say it took me some time to win her over.” Summer smiled at the memory of trying to get to know the girl who ended up becoming her best friend. “Later, I found out that she wanted to keep her friends protected until she was sure she could trust me. Now that she’s gone, I can’t help but feel cheated that I didn’t meet her my first day here. That I missed out on the hours of friendship we could’ve had. But since I can’t change any of that, I’ll forever be grateful for the time I spent with her. Everyone who knew her will tell you how awesome she was. Ashlyn reminded me of who I was—the real me. She made me feel better about myself and made me want to be a better person. With Ashlyn, even doing nothing together was fun.”
Summer cleared her throat, trying to finish before the tears took over and she couldn’t talk anymore. “You never know what person will come into your life and change it. I’ll miss her every time I need someone to talk to.” The people got blurry, and Summer blinked, trying to clear her tears. “I’ll miss her every time I look out at the ocean and think about her dragging me into the water at dawn. But missing means she’s remembered, and she’s someone I’ll never forget.”
Summer walked back down the steps and took her seat on the bench with Tiffany, Dad, Troy and the rest of the Misfits, alternately smiling and crying the rest of the ceremony. As they came out of the chapel, Troy squeezed Summer’s hand. The sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky, keeping the fall day warm.
Pamela walked up to Summer and threw her arms around her. “Thank you for speaking today and for being such a great friend to Ashlyn. I’ve never seen her so happy. I swear, you’re an angel.”
“I will.” Pamela looked over at a large group of people. “Excuse me,” she said, then headed toward the group.
“I just thought of something,” Troy said, running his fingers down her back and then hooking them around her hip. “You said you only see the end right before it happens. What made you so determined to meet Ashlyn all those weeks ago?”
Troy hadn’t given her any reason to not trust him, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell him about being a Cipher and exactly all that entailed. “I got a really strong feeling that I should meet her. One so powerful I couldn’t ignore it. I told you my intuition was good.”
“Like a message straight from Heaven,” Troy said.
Summer thought of the bubbly Gabriella, the messenger sent to her.
Summer blinked, but the image remained. It was definitely Gabriella. No one else looked quite like that.
Summer leaned in and gave Troy a quick kiss on the lips. “I’ll be right back.”
She wandered over to where Gabriella was standing, halfway hidden behind a tree. Keeping her back to all the people so they wouldn’t see her talking to air, she said, “Do you say goodbye to everyone you deal with?”
“I’m not here for her,” Gabriella said.
“Really? Someone’s going to die at a funeral? You guys have an odd sense of humor.”
“Yes, we sit around thinking of funny ways to die. It keeps us from getting bored.”
“Is that sarcasm I hear?” Summer smiled at Gabriella. “Maybe I’m a bad influence. Now, I’ve got you being a smart a—” she stopped herself in the nick of time. Gabriella might be using sarcasm, but Summer doubted she’d changed her opinion on swearing. “A smart alec.”
“I appreciate you editing. But I’m not here to take anyone home.”
Something about the way Gabriella was looking at Summer sent a sick feeling through her gut. “Oh no,” she said, taking a step back. “You said I’d have time.”
“Well, it so happens that someone in the area is going to need you. He’s not ready yet, but he’s going to be soon. And you’ve got your work cut out for you with this one.”
Summer’s stomach churned at the thought, but already she felt it. Knew someone needed her help. She groaned. “I hate this job.”
Read on for a sneak peek at Rift, book 2 in the Cipher series!
Chapter One
Bad news was on its way to ruin her life again. Summer could feel it in every inch of her body. The mix of apprehension and nausea? Nerves strung so tight her muscles ached? Classic signs. Every one of her Cipher senses was tingling, and as she climbed the stairs to her bedroom, she sensed Gabriella’s presence. As chipper as the Angel of Death was, her visits were rarely welcome.
Gabriella flashed her blindingly white, beauty-queen smile as Summer stepped inside her bedroom. “Hello, Summer Dear,” she said. As usual, she was dressed in all sparkly pink, her Marilyn Monroe hairdo frozen in place with enough hairspray to withstand a tornado. “Isn’t the weather lovely today?”
Summer swung the door closed in case Dad came home early—she didn’t want him to hear any of what was about to go down, even if he’d only hear one side. “It’s California. It would be more of a shock if it wasn’t lovely.”
Two creases formed between Gabriella’s eyebrows as she frowned at Summer. “No need to get all huffy. I
