“You’re the neighbor?” says Jade, voice heavy with disbelief.
“Which is not a problem.” Noah rests his hand on the small of my back.
Logan’s gaze jumps around the room. “What’s going on?”
No one says anything for a minute. Then Ivy says in an even tone, “She used to date a guy who killed a girl. You were probably too young to pay attention. What was it…nine or ten years ago?”
I nod. “About that.”
“Wow,” says Logan with wide eyes.
Ivy’s smile is determined. “All of the smokers are out back. Come and join us, Sidney.”
“Thanks,” I say.
“I remember,” says Logan like genius is dawning on him. “A bunch of women went missing. Mom cut her hair and stopped jogging alone or listening to music when she was out.”
This is awkward. But it’s also to be expected. As long as I stay in this city, being recognized and having conversations like this are going to happen. I’m determined to keep living my life and making my peace with it. Noah wants me here and that’s what matters.
“It was terrifying.” Jade’s gaze is flat and unfriendly. “I knew one of the women who went missing. We were friends.”
I open my mouth to say I am sorry. The most useless three words in existence. But alas, I’m too slow.
“Sid had nothing to do with it,” says Noah. “Why don’t we talk about something else?”
“Of course she had something to do with it. A hair from her head was found on a murder victim.”
“You’re right,” I say before Noah can intercede on my behalf again. Confrontation sucks. But there’s no avoiding this. “I was dating the person who hurt those women. When I was nineteen, I had awful fucking taste in men. Just the absolute worst. I couldn’t see through his bullshit and lies. I’m sorry about yourfriend. But I didn’t know what he was doing and I wasn’t involved in the murder or kidnapping of any of those women.”
Jade shakes her head. “And we’re just supposed to take your word for that? At the very least he was able to hide for longer amongst us because of people like you.”
“She made a shit choice,” says Ivy. “But that monster was a smart good-looking boy from a seemingly nice family. You can’t tell me if it hadn’t been her, it wouldn’t have been someone else.”
Jade is not happy.
This is the point where I would normally back down. Shut my mouth and hide. But running from this hasn’t gotten me anywhere. And it doesn’t help anyone. “I am sorry you’re hurting, Jade. I really am. But I am not the person who hurt you.”
The woman just sits there and seethes.
Keeping my mouth shut might have been wiser. I think I just set a new land speed record for trashing a party’s vibe. “Maybe I should um…”
“No,” says Noah, determinedly.
“They’re making a documentary about it, aren’t they?” asks Logan, seemingly oblivious to the angst in the room. “A big group of the people involved are booked for dinner Wednesday.”
Ivy nods.
“This is my house.” Noah’s jaw is set. “She’s my guest too, Jade. You don’t have to like her. I like her enough for both of us. But we need to drop this and talk about something else.”
My heart swells to twice its normal size. This cannot be healthy. But I don’t think I’ve been this excited about someone saying they like me since I was sixteen. It’s all I can do to keep a stupid smile off my face. And this is so not the time or place for it.
“Fuck you, Noah,” says Jade, grabbing her jacket and heading for the door.
The thing is…you can’t tell someone how to grieve. How to feel about something so difficult. There are few things worse than losing someone and there’s no closure for family and friends of the missing. In her position I might have reacted exactly the same. I honestly don’t know.
Ivy blows out a breath but says nothing.
“Should I try and talk to her?” asks Noah.
