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Back Little Universes Save as PDF
Chapters (63)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Part 1
  6. Mae
  7. Hannah
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. Part 2
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. 36
  45. 37
  46. 38
  47. Part 3
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. 47
  57. 48
  58. Epilogue
  59. Mental Health Resources
  60. Acknowledgments
  61. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
  62. About the Author
  63. Newsletter Sign-up

Her eyes, they are so big. Ringed with shadows. I hadn’t noticed the shadows before.

“I … was,” Drew says. “I’m not anymore. That was a mistake. A huge mistake.”

He doesn’t know what’s in my pocket. Just because he’s stopped dealing doesn’t mean I’ve stopped buying.

“You asshole,” Nate growls, stalking toward Drew.

Micah pushes in front of Nate, shoves Drew, his palms splayed across Drew’s chest. Drew’s hand falls out of mine and he backs up, his hands raised, as Micah stalks after him.

“Fucking right it was a mistake,” Micah snarls. He has become one of the mountain lions that live in Malibu Canyon. “So you saw Hannah and thought, what, that you could take advantage of her grief? Get her high and then do whatever you want with her?”

He launches himself at Drew, but Drew’s faster, dodges those tan fists.

“Stop it!” I scream. “Micah!”

“You’re scaring her,” Drew says, his hands at his sides. “I’m not doing this with you.”

“Oh, we’re doing this,” Micah growls. “You drugged up my girlfriend—”

I grab Micah, turn him to face me.

“I sat in that room with my mom,” I say, “and I kept hoping you’d walk through that door, Micah, and you didn’t. You didn’t.” I close my eyes. “It’s not about pills. It’s not even about Drew. Or the wave. It’s about you and me and her.”

I open my eyes, look at him. At this boy who broke my heart. I have finally, finally told him the truth. About the acorn. About me. The three of us.

“Her,” he says, his voice suddenly dull, all the fight gone out of him.

I nod.

Micah turns to Mae.

“I thought you said you didn’t tell her.” He steps closer to her. “That you’d give me a chance to make it right. Why the hell did you bring me out here?”

“Hey.” Ben is there, next to Mae, pulling her away from Micah. He’s so tall, his arms wrapping around her like the wings of a protective bird. “This entire thing is a shit sandwich, but you don’t get to talk to Mae like that. Ever.”

I look from my sister’s stricken face to Micah. “Tell me what?”

Mae is so pale I can see the veins that snake down her neck. She turns to me.