I’m standing between Cole and Lex. Holding their hands. Lex is crying. And I marvel at the way he just lets the tears roll down his cheeks. I can do that onstage. Be that honest. That free. But offstage, it’s still hard for me.

There are so many things running through my mind . . . the show tomorrow night and the pride over what we’ve created together . . . the fear I feel for Cole . . . what exactly happened at the top of that cliff twelve summers ago . . . how I’m failing my mother . . . how Glory is going to get away with it . . . the impossibility of going back to my life in Dallas less than forty-eight hours from now . . . how I can’t bear the thought of leaving Lex or Val or Jude.

Or Willa.

Or Cole.

It feels unbearable, the grief of finding him again. Only to lose him.

Again.

I’m so lost in our stage circle, and in those circular thoughts running on a loop inside my head, that I don’t hear the sirens at first.

But I see the others react to the sound. And that pulls me out of my thoughts and back to reality.

By that time, the ambulance is already screaming down the long Whisper Cove driveway. We can’t see it from where we’re all standing at the bottom of the amphitheater, but there’s no way not to hear it now.

It’s the loudest sound I can imagine.

It tears through my brain, and I’m frozen for a minute. Wondering if they’ve come for me.

Have I drowned without realizing it?

Am I finally dead?

Maybe I’m imagining this circle. The warmth of the stage lights. And Willa’s voice. Cole. And Lex. Maybe I’m dreaming of their hands in mine as I sink to the bottom of the sound and fade away. For good this time.

But then everyone is scattering and I’m being swept along with them. And Willa is shouting, “Wait! Stay calm, my lovelies!” It’s too late, though. We’re all running toward the farmhouse. The ambulance sits in the driveway. Sirens silent now. Lights still flashing.

“Avril!” Cole is shouting my name, but I’ve lost sight of him in the commotion, so I just follow the crowd around to the back of the house. To the sea porch steps.

Lex reaches for my hand, pulls me to him. And we shove our way through the group until we’re standing at the front. We stare at the scene laid out in the moonlight. Like something from a Greek tragedy.

“Oh my God.” Jude crumples to his knees. Puts his hands over his face. He’s trying to block it out. Because this is what real-life nightmares are made of.

George is standing at the bottom of the steps, cursing at us. “Jesus Christ! Get back,” he growls. “Stay the fuck back! All of you.”