“Of course it is. I want to make sure you’re safe.”

Once again, Maya had pushed that invisible button, making all my anger rush up my throat in one go. “Jesus Christ, stop treating me like a child, would you?” I shouted, removing her hand as my voice bounced off the walls. “Stop breathing down my neck all the time. Just back off, will you?”

“But—”

“No. That’s enough.” I forced my rage back inside myself, moved toward the stairs before I said or did something I might regret. I threw a glance at her over my shoulder, expecting to see a look of hurt and confusion on her face, and which I’d apologize for in the morning. Except there was none. Her expression was one of outright fury far greater than mine. She stood in the middle of the hallway, car keys clutched tight to her chest, knuckles white, her eyes like daggers, piercing my skin all the way to the bone.

23

LILY

I’d been in my motel room for two hours, walking back and forth, left to right, right to left, wearing down the carpet as I went over the events of the evening. My visit with Maya had made me question if my leaving town would be better for Ash, and myself, but Dr. Adler had said it might help, and Ash wanted me to stay. As I thought about how Maya hadn’t told him I’d called, two details hit me, and made me stop pacing. First, during our initial conversation I’d told Maya I was looking for a man called Jack Smith, and second, despite his amnesia, Ash had known he’d traveled up from Maryland. Surely, he’d have told Maya that when he’d arrived here the day after he went missing, which would mean she’d have known before I’d called and asked about the photo.