Hardly registering the redhead’s mumbled sorry-gotta-go and the closing of the door, Maggie stammered, “But—but you said you were moving off campus.”

Sara lifted her chin. “My mom said I had to wait until I’m a junior.” Defensively, she added, “But I have a single this year.”

She nodded slowly, still reeling from coming face-to-face with Sara Wood, the girl she’d counted as a friend, actually, her closest college friend … until she’d realized she wasn’t.

Sara ran a hand over her silky hair and tucked a dark strand behind her ear. “Well, got to go.” She shuffled into her room. “I have a ton to do.”

Maggie dazedly followed.

Sara yelped and jerked back when Maggie reached the doorway. “Um … nice seeing you.” She had both hands on the door, as if preparing to slam it. “Good luck.” The words were as final as get lost.

Maggie didn’t budge. Couldn’t. It was as if her feet had taken root on the threshold. A word echoed in her head. The word was why.

Sara’s eyes flashed. “Stop looking at me like that.” When Maggie frowned, bewildered, her old friend continued in a near whisper, “Like I went out of my way to—to wrong you or something.” She thrust up her chin and crossed her arms. “You blame me, and that’s totally unfair.”

“You ditched me.” Hooked up with a guy, took off without warning, left me at a party where I knew absolutely no one. “I don’t know why you did that.”

“I am not responsible for what happened. I didn’t do anything to you.”

She stared at her mutely. Why had she ever wanted to be close to this girl? Maggie knew what good-friend material looked like. Sam, Linnie, Caleb—they were going out of their way to help her. Ran, Colleen, Julia, Hope—they were sweet, too.

Maggie couldn’t even claim that she hadn’t known better last year. As a kid, she’d formed great relationships with Jen and Shayna. So what had happened to her judgment when she’d started college? Why had she admired Sara’s sharp edge? Why hadn’t she seen it for what it was? Not wit, not strength, but masked insecurity, weakness cast in meanness.

Maggie was disgusted, but mostly with herself. Her own insecurities had drawn her to such a toxic person. “You did do something,” she said at last. “You criticized me for going to the police. And then, when the detective interviewed you, you went on and on about the crush I had on Matt Dawson.”

Sara’s mouth soundlessly opened and closed like a fish’s. “How did you know that?” she finally asked.

“I read the report.”

“Well…” Sara’s gaze darted around the room, as if looking to alight on an excuse, before she flicked back her hair and declared roundly, “It was true. You did have a crush on him.”