I couldn’t tell whether Ema was listening or not.

“So what happened?” I asked.

“Buck knew that I almost never used my Facebook. I don’t like social media. So one day he asked me if he could use it to get revenge on someone. I didn’t like it, but he said some girl had made up a nickname for him, started to call him Mr. Pee Pee Pants.”

“Wee Wee Pants,” I corrected.

Ema shot me a look. I just shrugged back at her. The charge wasn’t really true. Buck had been picking on us, and Ema had countered with some line about Buck being called Mr. Wee Wee Pants. It had been nothing, really.

“Whatever. Buck said the nickname was sticking. Other kids were calling him that now. He said my profile would be perfect to use because Ema already had a crush on a tall basketball player.”

We sat there for a moment saying nothing. All three of us knew who Buck meant. No one bothered spelling out the obvious.

“See, Buck found out your mom was someone famous and so he went to that board and started communicating with you. I don’t know what he really hoped would happen. That you’d say embarrassing things or maybe he’d just make you fall in love with him and then cruelly dump you. I really don’t know what he intended.”

“But you just said it,” Ema said.

“Huh?”

A tear formed in her eye. “He made me fall for him and then he cruelly dumped me.”

Jared closed his eyes and let loose a long breath. “No, Ema, that’s not what happened.” He stood and started pacing. He rubbed his chin. “I don’t know how much more to say.”

“She’s owed the truth,” I said.

A sad smile came to Jared’s face. “If only it was that simple.”

“Just tell us.”

He stopped pacing. “It worked the other way around, I guess.”

“What do you mean?” Ema said.

“Buck fell for you.”

Ema looked at me. I had nothing to add to that.

“He fell and he fell hard. You have to understand. You really didn’t know Buck. I know, I know, but . . . It’s confusing. Buck loved it up here. On this island, he could be himself. He was relaxed and happy and really the kindest, sweetest guy.”

I tried to picture it, but the picture wouldn’t hold. “That’s not the guy we know.”

“That’s my point. Your town. Kasselton, right? Your town with all the popular kids and the sports and the pressure to succeed and get into the right colleges . . . it warped Buck. He couldn’t handle it. He always had to be something he wasn’t just to fit in.”