Chapters (48)
- TITLE PAGE
- COPYRIGHT
- CONTENTS
- PROLOGUE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
“Meredith just filled me in on what happened this morning,” Scott announced, surprising me with his directness.
She turned to Scott, her back to me. “Meredith thinks I’m making phone calls while all of you are asleep.”
“It’s no big deal if you have been, you know. I mean, you can talk to whoever you want. It’s not like we’re your parents or something. You’re not going to get grounded.” He let out a nervous laugh.
She smiled. “I know that, but I haven’t been talking to anyone. I don’t have anyone to call.”
“I know. I just, well, you know . . .” He shrugged. “Trying to keep the peace.”
“She’s lying, Scott. I caught her twice,” I said. “And even if I hadn’t caught her, I have the phone records to prove it.”
“The records don’t say who made the call. Anyone could have been on the phone,” Kate said.
“Yes, except that I caught you.”
“I’m sorry, Meredith, but even if I was talking to somebody, it wouldn’t be your business.”
“It’s called keeping secrets,” I said. “And we don’t keep secrets in this house.”
“Are you sure about that?” she asked.
“Of course I’m sure about that.”
“I’m not the only one in the room with secrets.” She shot Scott a pointed look.
“What’s she talking about?” I asked, turning to Scott.
“Kate, don’t,” he begged.
The room spun.
“What’s she talking about?” I could barely breathe.
“Ask him what we argued about on the day I left,” Kate said.
Scott had never said they’d argued. That wasn’t how the story went. And then I remembered what he’d said the other night before bed—how he’d hinted that I didn’t know the full story. Waves of fear rocked my insides.
KATE
THEN
Margo spotted me coming out of the outhouse and made a beeline for me. I’d been avoiding her since yesterday, but it was only a matter of time before she cornered me, since there was nowhere to hide. She grabbed my arm, fingers digging into me, and pulled me to the other side of the outhouse.
“Did you tell him what I told you?” Her eyes darted around, watching the camp at the same time she spoke.
I jerked my arm away. “Of course not.”
Abner grew more unraveled every day, and there was no telling what he’d do if he found out she’d told me their secrets. I’d be rewarded for calling out a dissenter—that was what he labeled anyone who kept a secret or went against what he said—but there’d be a reckoning for Margo. I couldn’t do that to her, even if she had hurt me.