“You ready to die?” Jude asks me. He’s dumping ketchup on top of everything on his plate. And the question throws me, until I realize he’s talking about rehearsal.

We’re working Eden’s death scene tonight.

The scene where she drowns.

Lex looks worried. He’s studying me with those bright blue eyes. “You sure you’re up for this? It’s gotta be weird.”

“It’s an intense scene,” Val agrees. She stabs at a cucumber slice with her fork. “Even without the—” She stops. “The personal connection.”

“It’s fine,” I tell them. “I’m actually looking forward to it.”

Any actress would be, because Eden is the role of a lifetime. And her death is the kind of stage moment we all dream about.

Any actress but me, anyway.

Because the truth is, I’ve been dreading it since that first time Lex and I discussed it in the amphitheater, and every day at Whisper Cove that dread has gotten deeper.

There’s no way I’m going to tell them that, though. So I do my best to push my worry aside. I laugh at Jude’s jokes. Roll my eyes with Val. I let Lex fuss over me. But by the time we’re ready to head down to the theatre, I’m so nervous that I feel like I might throw up. The two bites of dinner I managed to eat sit heavy in my stomach.

Cole is waiting for me outside the barn. He grabs my hand to pull me around the corner for a kiss. I kiss him back, but it’s not as deep as I need. Or want. I’m afraid, if I kiss Cole too deep, he’ll be able to guess all the secrets I’m keeping. Maybe he’ll see the shape of them in my eyes or feel them hidden like rocks under my tongue.

“You ready for this?” he asks me. He’s searching my face. There’s so much tension in his jaw tonight. He’s afraid for me, just like the others. But I nod.

“I’m ready.” Then I hear the sound of the waves from down at the beach, and I shudder.

“If you fall in,” Cole promises, “I’ll save you.”

He leans in to kiss me one more time before we head into the theatre and take our seats between Lex and Val. I feel everyone’s eyes on me. Lex takes my hand and whispers in my ear, “I’m here, Av. I’ve got you.” Val gives me a reassuring nod, and Jude hits me with his best grin. And that all helps. It helps a lot. But how do you prepare to drown? Again? Suddenly I don’t feel ready at all.