Read Crash (Visions (Simon Pulse)) for Free Online

me,” he calls out. “Do you really want that guilt hanging over you?”
    I smile a little so he knows I heard him and close the door, drive down the alley. My mind is not on getting robbed. I head straight to Angotti’s and pull down the side street, into the back parking lot.
    When I stop the car and take a good, long look at the building in front of me, I don’t need the sketch in my pocket to confirm it.
    This building is going to explode.

Eleven
    But when? And what am I supposed to do, wander around telling people to stay away from Angotti’s because it’s gonna blow?
    I point my headlights at the building, and with the aid of the streetlights and building lamps, plus the light coming through the restaurant windows, I stare at it, thinking about the scene I’ve watched dozens of times.
    There’s the evergreen-and-white-striped awning, solidly attached above the back entrance. The windows above, definitely an apartment—probably where Sawyer and his parents live, just like our family. There’s a glow up there, maybe from night-lights or a hallway light left on while they work the wedding reception.
    I look into the wide restaurant window and see happypeople at the tables, but all I can think about is the truck crashing into them and the glass flying. I see Sawyer walk past like a blur, but I know that walk, that flip of his head, that easy, tossed-off smile that charms all the teachers. Not me—only the crooked, real smile charms me. I think about it, think about him, and my stomach quakes so hard that an aftershock runs down my thighs.
    I swallow hard. “Don’t die,” I whisper. But I don’t know how to save him.
    In my head I check off everything that’s supposed to be in this picture. The only things I don’t see are the light fixtures hanging down over the window tables. But they probably had to hook them up to the ceiling to change the seating arrangement for the special event. And I realize that probably means it won’t happen tonight, at least. A shuddering sigh escapes my throat, and I realize I’ve been so tensed up, I barely have a neck anymore. I drop my shoulders and take a breath, trying to shake it off.
    I glance at the pizza next to me, knowing I’ve got to get it delivered before the customer calls to complain—that would make Trey freak out. I take one last look at the building. Even faded, the black words painted on the side are clear without the veil of snow: “Angotti’s Trattoria, est. 1934.” A year before ours. They’ve always been a step ahead of us, and we’ve been chasing them ever since.
    I look for one last glimpse of Sawyer, but he’snowhere to be seen, and then drive out of the parking lot to deliver this pizza. Luckily, the roads are good and I hit almost all the lights green. I call Trey and get his voice mail. “I’m on the way back. No problems.”
    Biggest lie of the century.
    •       •       •
    In the middle of the night the vision runs through my dreams. I startle and sit straight up in bed, wide awake, with one thought on my mind. Snow. “Oh my God,” I say. “Don’t be so stupid, Jules.” In the scene, it’s snowing.
    In her bed, Rowan lifts her head off the pillow, and I can see her sleepy face scrunch up, confused. “Huh?”
    I glance at her, but my mind is occupied. “Sorry. Go to sleep.”
    Obediently, she drops her head back on the pillow and is asleep again a moment later. I sneak out to the living room, move a pile of newspapers from the desk chair, and flip on the computer, hoping the sound is on mute like it’s supposed to be. It takes forever, but finally the page loads. I dim the screen light and search for the weather forecast.
    When I find it, I pull up the extended forecast and all I can do is stare. There’s a chance of snow nine out of the next ten days.
    “Wow. That’s just great.” I’m so disgusted I turn the computer off without shutting it down properly, which would really piss Rowan off. And then I