Hopeless

Sky, awakening slowly in the middle of the night, sees that Holder is in bed with her. She admits tearfully that she now remembers it was Karen in the car—Karen who kidnapped her. She begs Holder to take her away from Karen, but even as they throw clothes into a bag, Karen appears in the doorway. She forbids Sky from leaving. Sky and Holder do not stop packing. Sky dares Karen to go ahead and call the police. Sky and Holder leave, get into his car, and drive away “from the only family [Sky] had ever known” (279).

The two stop at Holder’s house long enough to tell his mother the two are heading to Austin for now. As they drive, Holder assures Sky she has much to process; Karen will go to prison for kidnapping her, and people will still remember the media circus around her disappearance. Sky panics. She does not want this to be her life. They kiss, and Sky knows that Holder is now her whole family.

Sky and Holder get a hotel in Austin. They shower, and Holder maintains a respectful distance from Sky, not pressuring her when they get settled. She thinks, “I don’t want him treating me like I am fragile” (285).