“Sure,” Will said. “Thanks.” None of this was her fault. It was just the way things were.

June left, and Will pushed open the door to Maddie’s room. She gave him a weak smile and a wave, and Will waved back, standing near the door. An angry-looking red cut along her cheekbone stood out against her pale skin.

“It’s okay,” she said. “You can come all the way into the room.”

Will sat down in the chair next to the bed and dropped the flowers on the table. “Maddie,” he said, and then he couldn’t think of what else to say.

She pushed herself up in the bed, grimacing as she did it. “Ribs,” she said. “I never thought about them before I broke them.”

“How did it happen?” Will asked.

“I lost control,” she said. “I told the police that a deer ran across the road and I swerved.”

“But that’s not what happened?”

Maddie shrugged. “I missed the turn.”

Had she been drinking? Will wondered. “Maddie,” he said. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I’m really worried about you. I want to help, but I don’t know what to do.”

To Will’s surprise, she didn’t get angry with him like she had the last time he’d tried to talk to her seriously. “I know,” she said. “I know you’ve been trying. I thought if I pretended I was okay, it would be true. In a weird way, I think totaling my car was a good thing.” She touched her cheek. “I mean, this might leave a scar. But maybe it will be a reminder. I can’t go on like this, pretending to be okay. It’s not working.”

“Did you do it on purpose?” Will asked, feeling suddenly angry.

“No, that’s not what I meant. I can’t keep thinking about it all the time. Worrying about what everyone else is thinking. My parents want me to stay nearby next year, but I can’t move forward here. I need a fresh start. I just want to go somewhere where I don’t know anyone and never look back. I thought maybe I could try to find a program in California. I know it’s late in the year, but the guidance counselor said she might be able to help.”

But what about me? Will wanted to ask, but he knew enough not to say it. This wasn’t about him. “What did the police say?” he asked instead.