“That’s not what your father told Trey,” I informed her.

“Well, I’ve seen the will. I’ve overheard my father speaking with his attorney, and what I’m telling you is true.” Probably aware that I didn’t trust her at all, she added in a softer tone, “I do need a kidney. Or rather, I will need one, eventually. I have this hereditary thing called Alport syndrome, which I guess I got from my mom, but she’s never had any problems other than high blood pressure. My doctors are shocked that my symptoms came on so suddenly two months ago, because usually patients have hearing or vision problems—or some kind of kidney issues—that show up much earlier before the disease advances. But…”

She looked dreamily through the windshield, her voice sounding flat and defeated. “I think while I had the curse on me, the spirits were preventing the disease from progressing. It’s only started to manifest since January, and it’s moving fast. They tell me it’s rare for a female to experience kidney problems so quickly. Lucky me, I guess.”

It was my instinct to doubt everything Violet told me, but this all rang true.

“I heard you missed a ton of school recently,” I said.

“Yeah, well, dialysis,” she said. “Please don’t tell anyone. I don’t exactly want to be known around school as the sick girl. I’m doing everything they’re telling me to avoid having to do it again soon.”

We both fell silent, and I looked down the street toward my house. So, all this time, the curse that Violet’s grandmother had cast had not only guaranteed Violet’s healthy birth, but it had warded off the advancement of this disease, as well. I thought of those five other Simmons daughters who’d been stillborn or died as infants, and suddenly it made a lot more sense why Violet was the only one to have survived. Although I didn’t want to trust her, the tiniest bit of sympathy for her crept into my heart. She didn’t ask for her grandmother to start her down this horrific road of murder and guilt. “I don’t know what to say,” I admitted. “That sucks.”

She smiled weakly at me with shiny eyes. “So I guess we both know what it’s like to be doomed. Although in my case… I guess I deserve it.” She paused and released her parking brake. “If you’re in touch with Trey, wherever he is, that’s the deal. I mean, if he wanted to give me a kidney and was able to, that would be amazing. But I hardly expect him to want to do anything for me. Or for any of you to care, for that matter.”

My natural impulse was to reassure Violet that of course I’d be open to showing her kindness, so I stubbornly pressed my lips together. She’d apologized for what she’d done to Olivia and Candace, and I knew enough now to know that she really hadn’t had much control over what had happened. But I still couldn’t forgive her—especially now that I could expect to die at any second.