"Okay. I will."
Another minute passed, and then Adam asked, "What if I don't make it into UCONN?"
"You will."
"I'll need a scholarship."
"Adam, please. There's no way they won't offer you a scholarship."
"You think so?"
"Of course."
"But if they don't, what will we do?"
"We'll figure it out."
Conner felt Adam's chest inflate with a deep inhale.
"Promise?" Adam asked.
"I promise. Everything changes at college, remember? Just like you and I talked about. We'll be fine at UCONN."
They had lay stitched at the seams for another minute or two before Adam said, "You know, if you ask me . . . I'll always say yes."
Conner closed his eyes and breathed in Adam's scent. "I know."
Following a brief pause, Adam said, "Then ask me."
There were two questions Conner knew Adam referred to. Two questions they'd asked each other many times before. And he also knew, as Adam stated wholeheartedly, that either question would receive the pledged answer. So, he asked what he considered the most important question. "Do you love me?"
Adam tightened his grip on Conner's hands and brought them to his lips. "Yes."
Conner asked the second question without words.
And Adam responded yes without speaking.
TWENTY-SIX
The following day was a flurry of pre-Thanksgiving activity. The three planned to go out to dinner at their favorite Italian restaurant and then return to Adam's to hang out as usual, before embarking on their mission. In the meantime, each spent the day as they normally would.
Conner carried a bundle of his sheets and pillowcases up the stairs.
Walking out of the master bedroom, his mother regarded him with an amused but inquisitive look, and then commented, "Nice to see you doing a bit more cleaning than I'd asked. You should convince your brother to do the same."
"Just making sure everything's done before I meet up with Adam and Trevor."
"I didn't expect you to do laundry. But thank you. I appreciate it."
"You're welcome."
She paused at the top of the stairs. "You're going to come home in the morning, right? There might be some last-minute things to do."
"Yeah. I'll be back early."
"Thank you." Two steps down, she paused again. "People will start showing up around eleven."
"All right, Mom. Don't stress. I'll be here by ten, okay?"
"Nine, please."
"Nine thirty at the latest."
After making the bed and arranging books on the desk, Conner shoved black clothing and a pair of old sneakers into a backpack. He scanned his room, taking a good look as though he might not soon see it again—which he thought likely if the police caught them setting fire to the tree. They'd probably be charged with arson. If that happened, he didn't know what he and the guys would do. They hadn't discussed the possibility of getting caught.
The three had made a pact not to talk about their plan until they were on their way to Lake Bantam. So, at Adam's, they talked about sports and Thanksgiving. At dinner, they talked about college and their wish to see Aquaman on the day of release the next month. Back at Adam's, they watched two episodes of The 100 on Netflix. Soon after midnight, they went upstairs to Adam's bedroom.
Forty-five minutes later, they changed into their black clothing and old sneakers. For several minutes, they sat in the living room, listening for any sign of activity from Adam's parents. Once they were certain that Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler were likely asleep, the three quietly walked out the back door, made their way along the side of the house, and then darted to Trevor's car.
"You guys ready?" Trevor asked as he pressed the ignition.
"Yeah," Adam and Conner replied in unison.
"Good. Me too."
The three bumped fists, and then Trevor shifted the car into gear and drove away from Adam's house.
During the drive, they discussed their plan step by step. Two times. Then a third time. And although their plan wasn't complicated, they went over it a fourth time. For the remaining twenty minutes of the trip, they sat silently as they watched the landscape pass by.
The moment Conner saw the sign for Litchfield, he tensed with anticipation. Taking the exit, they followed Bantam Road to Bantam Lake Road, then proceeded to make their way toward Lake Forest Passway.
Without the benefit of nice warm, summer weather, the scenery appeared lifeless. Yet Conner recognized the tree line and several houses they passed. When Trevor turned onto Lake Forest Passway, Conner glanced back at Adam, who seemed a little nervous but smiled.
"Hopefully this will be easy," Conner said. "In and out."
"Uh, huh." Adam rested his head against the window, staring into the darkness. "We're doing this for Jared, but for us too."
Trevor pulled the car alongside the field of grass, parking on the edge of the asphalt road. He opened the console and dropped his phone inside. Adam and Conner followed suit, including their wallets and watches. Anything in any of the coat pockets? Paper? Nothing at all? Good.
"All right," Trevor said. "We each get two water bottles. Adam, you got the flashlight?"
Adam held up the mini, LED flashlight.
"Conner? You got the matches?"
Nodding, Conner slipped the box of matches from his pocket and then shoved it back inside.
"I have my car keys, which will be double-clipped inside my coat."
Trevor was the first to step out into the chilly air. Conner and Adam joined him, careful to close their doors softly.
It was 2:14.
Conner pointed out the last house at the end of the road. A light shined in one window.
"Probably leave it on every night," Adam replied.
Trevor agreed. "It's nothing." He popped the trunk and retrieved six water bottles from a small box. Closing the trunk gently, he gestured toward the dirt path, then looked at Adam. "Don't use the flashlight if we don't need it. But if we do, let's walk as far from the road as possible before you turn it on."
On the trail, small bits of crumbled asphalt and gravel crunched underfoot like shards of glass. Without the ambient noise of insects,
