I obey, doing my best to lift off the debris to get to what’s lying beneath. Together, we’re able to dig out the hood and passenger side of the car. There’s an air freshener hanging on the rearview mirror, and the sight of it makes me feel strange knowing that I was the one to hang it there.

The front of the car is smashed in, one of the headlights missing, and the passenger side is severely dented to the point that it comes dangerously close to the driver’s side.

I turn to Mason, taking in the pensive look on his face as he assesses the vehicle. “Well?”

“They said you hit a tree,” he says thoughtfully, gesturing to the front, before pointing to the side door. “So why is this damaged too?”

It looks like the car was struck by something else, but that doesn’t align with what I’ve been told.

“Do you really think Zoe is this calculated?” I ask, turning to him again. “Stealing an EpiPen is one thing but staging an entire car accident?”

He contemplates the question for several beats. “She’s clearly very clever,” he admits. “But Zoe has always struck me as the type of person who would eventually snap.”

My phone buzzes in my pocket. Flashing Mason an embarrassed look, I dig it out, shoulders slumping when I see the name on the caller ID.

“Shit,” I mumble. “It’s my mom.”

He grimaces slightly.

“We missed first period. Someone must have called her.”

“Are you going to answer?”

“No,” I say firmly, dropping the phone back into my pocket. It continues to buzz persistently. Cringing, I dig it out again, grumbling, “Goddamn it.”

Mason chuckles softly as I pick up the phone, holding it to my ear.

“Allie?” Sofia’s voice is abrupt, bursting in before I can speak. “Where are you? Why aren’t you at school?”

“I’m . . .” I hesitate, making eye contact with Mason, “at home.”

“I’m at home.”

Oops.

“Oh.”

She sighs in frustration. “I told you to call me when you felt like this. You can’t keep skipping school and doing whatever you want.”

Feeling embarrassed, I take a step away from Mason, turning my back to him. If I’m about to get chewed out by Sofia, I don’t want him to hear.

“I know,” I say honestly. “I’m sorry.”

Sofia sighs again, sounding tired this time. “Where are you? I’ll come get you.”

“That’s okay. I’ll walk home.”

“If you’re not home in half an hour, I’m forming a search party.”

She ends the call abruptly, and I wince, lowering the phone. Slowly, I turn around to face Mason, instantly catching sight of his look of amusement. I open my mouth to speak, but he beats me to the punch.

“Time to head back?” he teases.

“Please,” I breathe. “Before I have another death threat to worry about.”