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Back She's Gone Save as PDF
Chapters (95)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Video #1
  6. One
  7. Two
  8. Three
  9. Four
  10. Five
  11. Six
  12. Seven
  13. Eight
  14. Nine
  15. Ten
  16. Eleven
  17. Twelve
  18. Thirteen
  19. Fourteen
  20. Fifteen
  21. Sixteen
  22. Seventeen
  23. Eighteen
  24. Nineteen
  25. Twenty
  26. Twenty-One
  27. Twenty-Two
  28. Twenty-Three
  29. Twenty-Four
  30. Twenty-Five
  31. Twenty-Six
  32. Video #2
  33. Twenty-Seven
  34. Twenty-Eight
  35. Twenty-Nine
  36. Thirty
  37. Thirty-One
  38. Thirty-Two
  39. Thirty-Three
  40. Thirty-Four
  41. Thirty-Five
  42. Thirty-Six
  43. Thirty-Seven
  44. Thirty-Eight
  45. Thirty-Nine
  46. Forty
  47. Forty-One
  48. Forty-Two
  49. Forty-Three
  50. Forty-Four
  51. Forty-Five
  52. Forty-Six
  53. Forty-Seven
  54. Forty-Eight
  55. Forty-Nine
  56. Fifty
  57. Fifty-One
  58. Fifty-Two
  59. Fifty-Three
  60. Fifty-Four
  61. Fifty-Five
  62. Fifty-Six
  63. Fifty-Seven
  64. Fifty-Eight
  65. Fifty-Nine
  66. Sixty
  67. Sixty-One
  68. Sixty-Two
  69. Sixty-Three
  70. Sixty-Four
  71. Sixty-Five
  72. Video #3
  73. Sixty-Six
  74. Sixty-Seven
  75. Sixty-Eight
  76. Sixty-Nine
  77. Seventy
  78. Seventy-One
  79. Seventy-Two
  80. Seventy-Three
  81. Seventy-Four
  82. Seventy-Five
  83. Seventy-Six
  84. Seventy-Seven
  85. Seventy-Eight
  86. Seventy-Nine
  87. Eighty
  88. Eighty-One
  89. Eighty-Two
  90. Eighty-Three
  91. The Final Video
  92. Acknowledgments
  93. About the Author
  95. Back Cover

It doesn’t matter now. Tonight, I have to do it by myself. I have to jump up, pull myself in, and swing all my body weight over the sill without anyone helping me.

Olivia or Gabriela could give me a boost, but they can’t be that close to the house. If something goes wrong and the police come, they can still avoid them. This is my mess and my plan.

I let out a deep breath, like a diver on the high board, and leap for the opening.

Both hands grip the sill. My forearms hit the frame. My feet push against the brick to try to propel my body up, digging for purchase, my sneakers scraping, gaining some traction. My body moves up slowly, and I arch my back like an inchworm and keep going. Once I’m over the sill, I take hold of the small end table just below the window inside Chloe’s room with a lamp on it and use it to pull myself forward.

But just as make some headway, the table slides toward me across the hardwood floor, and my body weight goes backward. The lamp tips over and crashes. Thank goodness it’s not ceramic. My heart jumps, and I grab for anything. But I only get air, and I’m starting to go back out the window again like a falling piano.

Fifty-Two

My arms go out and catch the sides of the window frame.

My biceps scream in protest as I hang there, suspended like a poor imitation of Spider-Man.

“Crap,” I say. “Holy crap.”

It’s not far to fall, but I don’t want to have to start all over again. I’m not sure I can get myself out of the position I’m in, either. And I’ve now made enough noise that if anyone is listening, they’ll definitely know something is up.

Then the mom from next door starts again.

“Trevor?”

“Oh, shit,” I say.

“Don’t you dare, Trevor,” the woman says.

“I’m going to the Summerses’ house, Mom.”

My legs pump, my shoes searching for some traction, but it’s not enough.

“Trevor. Come back here this instant.”

Go away, Trevor, I think. Go the hell away.

“Okay, Mom.”

I dig with my feet and then pull harder against the edges of the window frame. I reach out far enough to grab the leg of Chloe’s desk. It’s solid oak, made by her grandfather, and there’s no way it’s going to move. It’s like gripping an anchor.

I pull and pull until my body slides over the sill. When my waist hits the frame, I know I’m home free. I slide the rest of the way and tumble onto the floor of Chloe’s bedroom with a loud thump.

If anyone is home, it’s all over. I might as well prepare myself for handcuffs.

But I’m too tired to care.