Chapters (46)
- Cover
- Other Titles
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Friday
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- Saturday
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- Sunday
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- Monday
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- EPILOGUE
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
“I know,” Anastasia says. “But I’m just so worried about her, Dylan. I have a totally bad feeling about this. I think it’s time we got a responsible adult involved.” She gazes up at Finn with black-lined eyes, her face plastered with a perfectly arranged expression of concern. “What would you do, Ms. Parker? If you had made a promise to someone, but keeping that promise might end up hurting them?”
Drop, bang, flip. Finn doesn’t want to be talking to these four anymore. She is sure she has heard the name Anastasia before, from London or Kate or maybe one of the twins. She wishes she had paid more attention, had been a better aunt all these years, knew her niece better. This is all Nicki’s fault, of course. If Nicki hadn’t been such a miserable human being, Finn would have been able to spend more time with her children.
“I don’t know, Anastasia,” Finn says. “I think I would probably keep the secret, and then feel really shitty about it when something terrible ended up happening that I could have easily put a stop to just by telling someone. But that’s just me. I do stupid stuff. I’m pretty sure you’re smarter than that, though.”
Anastasia smiles. “You’re right, of course. I don’t think you’re stupid at all, Ms. Parker. Or do you go by your married name now?”
WARNING: ATTACKING TEENAGED GIRLS IN SHOPPING MALL FOOD COURTS IS NOT RECOMMENDED. “I didn’t say I was stupid,” Finn says, staring at her. “I said I do stupid stuff.”
“Just tell her, Anastasia,” Andy says. “Then we can get the fuck out of here.”
“Andy! Don’t be so callous.” Anastasia bites her lip. “I heard she…met someone on the internet. A boy. Well, a man, actually.” She rips off a piece of the Twizzler and begins to chew.
Finn feels her stomach drop to the floor. “A man? On the internet? Are you sure?”
With the licorice still in her mouth, Anastasia nods.
“Do you know his name?”
“No. I’m sorry, I wish I could tell you more. But London’s been so secretive lately, hasn’t she, Ms. Parker?” Anastasia folds her hands primly on the table in front of her. “Do you think she’s going to be okay?”
“I don’t know.” Something is working in her brain, sifting through all the mush of yesterday’s chaos. London, down at the dock, her glasses, her legs in the river, a video about…what was it? “Something to do with sharks?” Finn asks.
Anastasia smiles. The video starts up again. Drop, bang, flip.
—