“What?” Jasper looked up through her tears.

“They can’t understand if you don’t tell them,” I said.

Mom was nodding, and Dad was nodding too.

“Leah,” said Jasper. “You swore. You promised. . . .”

I nodded. “I know. But they’re right. I figured that out tonight. I was so scared, Jasper. That man I saw, and the storm. I was so scared.”

“I was fine,” said Jasper.

“No,” I said, “you really weren’t, even if you thought that. This isn’t a game. It isn’t a playhouse, or a story. It’s real. And even if you hate me forever now, I know it’s true. We can’t handle this on our own. And something bad will happen eventually, even if you manage to run back to the Vine Realm, or somewhere else like it. And I’ll have to live with just standing by, letting it happen. You have to tell them, or I will.”

Jasper shook her head.

So I took a deep breath, and it felt like something was tearing inside me, but I couldn’t look away from the truth. I couldn’t just sit there on the raft and survive alone while she sank beneath whatever it was that might drown her.

“Jasper’s mom is gone,” I said. “She’s not around. She’s . . . bad news.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” said Mom, looking at Jasper. “What kind of—”

“It doesn’t matter right now,” I said, and Mom broke off midsentence.

My parents were still listening, but I couldn’t look at them, because there was fury in Jasper’s eyes. I could see it. Her jaw was set and she looked like she was ready to stand up, kick open the door, and run off and never look back. But I kept going.

“So she’s supposed to be living with her sister, in East Lake. But her sister’s husband—he’s . . . bad news too.”

“What kind of bad news?” asked Dad.

Jasper was shaking her head, staring at me. “You promised,” she said. “You’re supposed to be my best friend.”

“I am your best friend,” I said. “Or I’m trying to be.” I turned back to my parents. “He’s bad, like . . . physical. Violent. And when Jasper told her sister to leave him, her sister said no. She’s afraid she’ll lose her kids. It’s complicated. So she gave Jasper some money, and Jasper left. She checks in sometimes.”

Mom and Dad were having a silent conversation with their eyes. I couldn’t figure out what they were saying, but it looked serious.

At last, Mom said, “Okay. Well. I think maybe this is more than we can handle tonight. How about we all need to get a good night’s sleep and discuss this in the morning?”