‘Even in the dark, I could see it.’ He raises his pointer finger parallel to his nose and moves it, slowly, in my direction. ‘Her line of sight.’

My tyres scratch against the rock. I nod.

And then the woods are far behind me, like everything else, like last week. All of it might as well be another life and I’m riding into the next.

CHAPTER 30

CHAPTER 30

My entire body is fluttering with adrenaline and there’s no outlet for it. My legs move at an alarming and inhuman speed, all of me clenching, my whole being a knowing knot, full of truth.

Everyone I pass looks at me. Either everyone knows now, or I look like a girl with a death wish.

I text Ellis, navigating one-handed.

Me: Where are you?

I’m nearly at the dorms and he hasn’t responded.

Me: Urgent, Ellis. Where are you?

Ellis: Your dorm.

Something about his reply feels wrong. Worse than the usual feeling of everything being incorrect and manic. What’s he doing there?

I suddenly remember something strange. That night when I found the grave in the woods, had that nightmare and panicked. Peyton apologizing. What had Peyton been apologizing for? It happened after our fight. I assumed it was about that. But it wasn’t a fight, not really, and if either of us had said anything pointedly hurtful then it was me.

So what else was there that warranted an apology?

I toss the bike against the bike rack without bothering to park it properly and head up to the room. I barrel up the stairs and there’re kids dotted everywhere who are staring but it doesn’t bother me because they have no idea, no, not even the slightest. They couldn’t possibly understand. They couldn’t possibly understand the cosmic weight of what’s happened. Word must have got around that it was me who broke into the diner. But I’m already past that. It already doesn’t matter.

I swing open the door to reveal them – Ellis and Peyton, sitting on Peyton’s bed. And no, I don’t know why they’re both here, but I figure whatever their reason is it pales in comparison to what I’ve learned from Booker, so I say, ‘I know what happened.’ Ellis doesn’t seem to know what to do with his hands. Peyton doesn’t move, stares me down, unblinking. This does strike me as an unusual reaction but I keep talking. ‘I just talked to Booker. He’s the one who buried Roxy’s jacket and was with her when it happened. Archie probably pulled the trigger. Roxy is dead. There’re still some questions, but –’

‘Mona, shut up for a second,’ Peyton says. She’s balancing a laptop on her lap. ‘Have you told Ellis?’

I blink. Glance at Ellis, who’s looking at me with an intensity I’ve rarely seen from him. ‘Told Ellis what?’