Put your ring back in the box.

My ring? I didn’t have my ring. Or did I? Did this mean the ring I had taken from the wooden box really was mine? And why would whoever was sending me these notes want me to put the ring back? If it was really mine, I wanted to wear it, not keep it tucked in a box out of sight.

All these questions clouded my mind, temporarily masking the fear that was creeping up my spine, but I couldn’t hold it off forever. The fact of the matter was that someone had been in Ethan’s car. Probably while we were at the storage facility. Maybe while I was stealing the life from George.

I wasn’t safe at home. Three break-ins had proven that. I wasn’t safe at school. Someone had gotten into my locker and left things for me twice. And now I wasn’t even safe in Ethan’s car. I wasn’t safe anywhere. Whoever was messing with me found me everywhere I went.

A tap at my window made me jump. I dropped the note on the floor and quickly covered it with my foot. Ethan was holding two milkshakes in his hands and balancing a large order of fries in the crook of his arm. I lowered the window and reached for the milkshakes, placing them in the cup holders in the middle console.

“Thanks. I was afraid I’d drop your fries if I tried to open the door.”

“Why’d you order fries when we’re headed to the diner? We can get them there for free. You know we have to conserve our money. We have bills now.” Ethan had managed to put the electric bill in a fake name, too, but we still had to pay it, or it would be shut off.

“I know, but Jackson threw me an extra twenty last night for bailing him out in the kitchen. He said cooks should make more than busboys.” He shrugged. “Besides, you love to eat fries with your vanilla shakes.”

I did. Most people thought it was gross to combine the two—I’d been known to dunk my fries right into my milkshakes—but I loved it.

While Ethan walked around the car and got in the driver’s seat, I grabbed the note off the floor and shoved it in my pocket.

“Thank you.” I leaned over and kissed him. His lips were cool. He’d obviously had a few sips of his chocolate shake. My lips lingered on his. The coolness was refreshing.

When I pulled away, Ethan smiled. “Note to self—buy Sam more milkshakes.”

I ate my fries and downed my milkshake before we made it to the diner. I was full and my insides were blissfully cool. Things were looking up.

“You know, I actually like working at the diner.” Ethan slurped the remains of his shake. “Jackson’s great, and I like cooking. If we could afford food at the house, I’d cook for you all the time.”

“That sounds heavenly.” I pictured Ethan cooking in our kitchen. Of course, in my mind he was shirtless while he was doing it.

“How are you liking the job?” He turned to look at me. He was always trying to make sure I was okay with the way our new life was going. He knew school wasn’t the greatest for me, so he was hoping I loved the job at the diner as much as he did.

“Gloria’s great, and the tips are good. Well, most of the time anyway.” I thought of Nora, who hadn’t given me a single tip. That reminded me she owed Gloria for her last bill. “I hope Nora doesn’t show up tonight.”

“Who’s Nora?”

“That girl who comes in every day and only orders coffee.”

He shrugged, not sure who I was talking about.

“She has jet-black hair and bleached-blonde eyebrows. You must have seen her.”

He shook his head.

“She always wears a green dress.”

“Sorry, don’t know her. Does she go to our school?”

Good question. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen her there, but that doesn’t mean much. It’s a big school, and we’ve only been there for two days.”

“Ask her.”

“I try not to talk to her. She’s…strange. And she never tips me. I got into it with her yesterday because she skipped out on her bill the night before. I got her to pay me, but then she ran out without paying for the bill she’d just rung up. It wasn’t much, only coffee, but still.”

Ethan smirked. “I’d be surprised if she shows up again. Gloria must be pissed.”

“Actually, I think Gloria was more mad at me.”

He narrowed his brow. “That doesn’t make sense. She took your side against Shannon.”

“I know, but I did let a customer walk out without paying. Twice.”

“I see your point.” Ethan pulled into the diner and parked. He shut the car off and turned to me. “Let me know if Nora shows up tonight. I’ll set her straight.”

“Are you kidding me? The second I turn my back on her, she’ll probably steal the coffee pot and run.” I laughed, letting him know I’d be fine. I’d figure out a way to deal with Nora—if she even showed up.

Saturdays at the diner were like Super Bowl Sunday at a sports bar. Beyond crazy. Poor Gloria looked frazzled and about to drop. I stashed my purse behind the counter and grabbed my apron.

“Sit,” I told Gloria, as I took the tray of food from her hands. “Which table?”

She pointed to the booth in the corner before slumping onto the only open stool at the counter.

I headed over, trying to look like I had this waitress thing down pat. “Okay, who had the bacon cheeseburger with sweet potato fries?”

The table of people looked up at me, most likely wondering who I was.

“I’m Sam. I’ll be taking over for Gloria. Now, about that bacon cheeseburger?”

The guy nearest me raised his hand like he was in a classroom. I stifled a laugh as I placed the plate in front of him.

“Reuben?”

“Here,” said a girl across the table.

I delivered the rest of the orders and tucked the tray under my arm. “Anything else I can get for you right now?”

Everyone shook their heads, already digging into the food.

“I’ll be back to check on you in a bit.”

I did that about thirty more times, introducing myself to tables Gloria had already seated and placed orders for. No one complained about the staff change, probably because I could zip around the diner at four times Gloria’s speed.

Once everyone was eating, I got a glass of water and placed it on the counter in front of Gloria. “It’s hot today, and it’s even hotter when you’re running around. Drink this. I don’t want you dehydrating on me.” I thought of the alert on the radio. I couldn’t lose Gloria to heat exhaustion.

“Thanks, Samantha. You are a lifesaver.”

I swallowed hard. If she only knew how wrong she was. The only life I saved was my own, and at the cost of others’. And here I was trying to act normal, making myself forget what I really was.

“Um, waitress,” someone called.

I snapped my head up. The voice came from the other end of the counter. I saw her green dress before I saw her face. Nora.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I stormed over to her, leaving Gloria looking after me and wondering what was wrong.

“I hope you came to pay your bill.”

Without a word, she took a small change purse from the pocket of her dress and counted out the exact price of a cup of coffee.

“Thanks for the tip,” I said, swiping the change off the counter.

I let her sit there, without coffee, for ten minutes, while I helped everyone else in the place. Finally Gloria gave me a look. I didn’t see what the big deal was. Nora never spent more than $1.75. It wouldn’t be any big loss if she stopped coming. But I didn’t want to upset Gloria, so I picked up the coffee pot and brought it to the end of the counter. I grabbed a cup from the shelf and put it in front of Nora. But I didn’t pour the coffee.

“What, am I supposed to serve myself now?” she asked.

“$1.75.”

“You haven’t even given me my coffee yet. Why should I pay you?”

“Because you have a reputation for drinking and running. $1.75 or no coffee.”

She huffed at me, but she took out her purse again and slammed a dollar and three quarters on the counter. I wondered how she always had exact change. She couldn’t even accidentally tip me.