Page 68 of The Inn on Bluebell Lane

He’d been kindly rather than suspicious, and directed her to the Heathrow Express train, which Jess hadn’t bought a ticket for. As she no longer had her mother’s credit card, she’d had to empty her own meagre bank account to buy the alarmingly expensive ticket, but at least it had been easily done, and by four o’clock in the afternoon—just when she should have been getting on the school bus to go back home—she’d arrived at Heathrow.

Checking in had been easy enough, on a computer, and she could take her duffel bag as carry-on so she didn’t even have to talk to anyone who might be suspicious of a teenaged girl traveling alone. Going through security had been a bit alarming; she’d forgotten to take off her shoes, and she’d held up the line, to several people’s muttered irritation, but the attendants had been kindly enough, smiling at her.

“First time traveling on your own, love?” one of them had asked, and Jess had nodded.

“Yeah, going to visit my grandparents,” she’d said, the lie tripping off her lips, and the security attendant had smiled.

Once she’d got through security, she could hardly believe she’d managed it all. She was actually here, at Heathrow, and soon enough she could get on a plane. All she needed to do was find her gate and wait to board the plane.

Board the plane… could she really do it? Did she even want to, anymore? When Jess had arrived at Heathrow, she’d Snapchatted Chloe with a picture of her in the airport, but it had taken Chloe over an hour to reply. And when she had, it hadn’t exactly been encouraging—a couple of exclamation points, that was it. And then Chloe had posted a picture on Instagram of her and Emily giving each other makeovers after school.

Jess’s stomach had cramped when she’d seen that photo. What happened to Emily being so fake? Had Chloe even told her mother that Jess was coming? And how was she supposed to get from JFK to Chloe’s house in Connecticut? It had to be over a hundred miles away, and she didn’t think there were any buses or trains. She didn’t know if there were, anyway, and she didn’t like the idea of traveling through New York City alone, and at night. She couldn’t even begin to imagine doing it.

It had been relatively easy to get this far, but Jess was starting to have some serious doubts about the rest of the trip, especially if Chloe—and her parents—weren’t happy to see her. Why wasn’t Chloe helping her? Texting her with ideas, options? Maybe Chloe had changed her mind, or never expected her to actually come. Jess knew full well how you could text something and not remotely mean it, even if you were feeling it in the moment.

But she’d gone and done it. She couldn’t go back now. She wasn’t even sure how she would, because she didn’t have any more money or her mom’s card. She was stuck here, at this busy airport, unless she made herself get on that plane.

What would her mom and dad be thinking right now? It was after five, and they would know she was missing. Ben would have told them she hadn’t gotten on the bus. They had to be worried… but how worried? Maybe they were glad to have a break from her surliness. But no, Jess thought, that wasn’t true. They’d be frantic, absolutely frantic, and it was all her fault. Her stomach churned at the thought.

Jess pictured the table in Granny’s kitchen laden with food, the room warm and cozy as darkness fell. She pictured Ava asking her to color with her after dinner—Jess almost always said no—and Josh doing one of his epic puzzles. Even Ben wasn’t so bad, although he could be annoying. This morning, as they’d got on the bus, he’d said sorry for teasing her yesterday, that he hadn’t meant it, and the people who had posted the photos were stupid.

And Granny… what if she made Granny more ill, by worrying her, just when she’d really started to get to know her, to like her? And with Granny in hospital, it really hadn’t been a good time to leave… not that there was a good time. And Jess had been afraid if she didn’t do it right away, when Chloe had asked her, she never would have… or Chloe might have changed her mind.

Jess’s eyes stung. She already missed her family, more than she ever had before… but how could she go back? She’d already bought the ticket. She’d checked onto the flight. And the problems at school wouldn’t go away. She still dreaded going in tomorrow, and every day after that. She still hated it all, and yet… if Sophie could do it, maybe she could, too? She could try, at least… except it was too late. She was here.

She took a deep breath and tried not to cry.

What she needed to do, she decided, was find her gate. She’d sit down and catch her breath. She’d already decided she wouldn’t text her mom until she was on the plane, so she couldn’t be stopped, but now she felt an unbearable ache to let her parents know where she was, to make sure they weren’t worried. Just to hear their voices…

Weighed down with her duffel bag, she lumbered toward her gate and collapsed heavily into a plastic chair. When Jess slid her phone out of her pocket, it lit up like a firework. Eight missed calls, six new text messages, and four new voicemails. So, her parents were worried, and for some reason that made Jess feel the happiest she’d been all day.

“We are now going to begin boarding Flight 765 to New York JFK,” a voice intoned on a loudspeaker, and Jess tensed. “Could those in boarding section D please come to the gate.”

Jess checked her boarding pass—she was in section C. The moment of truth was almost upon her.

She glanced down at her phone, scrolling through the texts from her mom. Jess, where are you? I’m worried… Ben says you weren’t at school… Whatever is wrong, we can work on it together… Please ring and let me know you’re safe… I love you, Jess. So much.

Tears stung Jess’s eyes and then one slipped down her cheek.

“Would those in boarding section C please now come to the gate.”

Jess watched as everyone headed in an impatient herd toward the gate. Airline attendants were checking passports and ushering people into the corridor that led to the plane. It was now or never.

Quickly, Jess checked her Snapchats—nothing from Chloe. Another look at Instagram; Chloe and Emily were having an unheard-of midweek sleepover, because they were studying for a test together. Chloe had left her last message unread. Did she not realize Jess was on her way to see her, live with her? She didn’t even care. If Jess showed up, Chloe would probably be shocked—and so would Chloe’s mom.

What was she doing?

For the first time, Jess saw clearly—so clearly—that going back to Connecticut was not the answer. It never had been. She was running away from her problems, which she knew her parents—and her granny—would tell her was not a good idea. She could almost hear her granny saying something like, “You can try to run away from your problems, Jess, but the trouble is, they usually come with you.”

It sounded like something her grandmother would say, anyway. Jess missed her, and her parents. And even her brothers and sister. She missed everything about Bluebell Inn, and Llandrigg, and the life in Wales she’d thought she hated. Right then, she wanted it all back.

“Would boarding section B now come to the gate…”

Recklessly, Jess swiped her phone. The call was picked up after half a ring.

“Jess?”

Jess took a deep breath, her voice wobbling as she spoke. “Mom?”