I take a deep breath, my mind spinning. “It’s fine. Really.”
“I hear Drew is still single, though,” she adds, her tone light but her gaze sharp. “And I know he liked you, Lainey. It’s not too late, you know.”
I stare at her, stunned by her boldness. “I don’t like Drew anymore.”
Clarissa raises a skeptical eyebrow. “How do you know? You haven’t seen or talked to him in years, have you?”
“Drop it,” I say firmly, my voice leaving no room for debate. “I’m with Zach now.”
Her lips twitch again, this time into something that resembles a smirk. “Do you really love him, though?”
“That’s none of your business,” I snap, my patience unraveling. “And we should get back to the scavenger hunt before it gets dark.”
I glance around, hoping for a sign of Blair or anyone else, but we’re still alone. With a frustrated huff, Clarissa turns and starts walking again, and I follow her deeper into the woods.
What feels like hours later, we come across an overgrown garden. The once-beautiful stone paths are cracked and littered with weeds, and the flowerbeds are tangled with vines. The air feels heavier here, almost eerie, as if time had stopped caring for this place long ago.
“This is it,” Clarissa says, slowing her pace. “Zach and his siblings will never come here. It reminds them too much of their mother.”
Her voice is softer now, almost reverent, as her eyes scan the garden.
She lets out a heavy sigh, as though she’s burdened by some great truth only she knows. “She died when Zach was young. I’m sure you’ve noticed they don’t talk about her much. This place was hers. She designed it, cared for it. But after she passed…” She gestures vaguely atthe neglected garden. “It’s just too painful for them.”
My chest tightens at the thought of Zach carrying that kind of loss. “That’s awful,” I say softly.
Clarissa turns to me, her expression unreadable. “See? You don’t even know about this. How can you possibly be with Zach if you don’t understand what he’s been through?”
I bristle, her words cutting deeper than I expect. “I care about Zach,” I say firmly. “I know enough.”
Her smile is small, almost pitying. “Do you, though? Don’t you know it’s all a front? The playboy act, the flings. It’s just his way of coping.” She pauses, letting the weight of her words settle. “I didn’t break up with him because of that. I knew he was going through something. I let him have his fun, do whatever he needed to do. But I left to become a better person for him. To be able to help him. Because I love Zach.”
Her declaration hangs heavy in the air, and for a moment, I don’t know how to respond. I stop walking and turn to face Clarissa. Her words swirl in my mind, tugging at something inside me that feels fragile and raw. But I won’t let her see it. Not Clarissa.
“You left him,” I say finally, keeping my tone even. “If you loved him, you wouldn’t talk about him like he’s broken. Like he’s some toy you can just fix. Zach’s not a project—he’s a person. He has feelings. He’s real. And there’s nothing wrong with him.”
Clarissa blinks, caught off guard by the sharpness in my tone. But she recovers quickly, her expression settling into that familiar, condescending smile. “You say that now,” she replies airily, brushing imaginary dust from her sleeve. “But you’ll get tired of his ways. His distance, his charm—none of it will hold up forever. You’ll leave him, just like everyone else has. And when you do, it’s okay. Because he has me.”
I blink, momentarily stunned by her sheer audacity. “You’re unbelievable,” I mutter, shaking my head. “I’m going to look for the items now. You said they’re in the garden, right?”
Her lips curl into a smirk, and she nods. “Yes. I’m sure of it. I overheard Mr. Darling telling my dad when they thought no one was listening. Down that way.” She gestures vaguely toward a more overgrown section of the garden.
I narrow my eyes at her, skepticism written all over my face. “Convenient,” I say, crossing my arms.
She sighs dramatically, placing a hand over her heart like she’s offended. “I’m just trying to help. If you don’t believe me, I’ll go myself.”
“Fine,” I say, tired of the back-and-forth. “We’ll split up. I’ll go that way. You take the other path.”
Her smirk widens, and she gives a small shrug. “Suit yourself.”
Without another word, I head in the direction she pointed, stepping carefully over uneven patches of dirt and weeds. The sun dips lower on the horizon, casting long shadows over the forgotten garden. The air grows cooler, and an eerie quiet settles around me, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves.
A sudden flutter of wings breaks the silence, and a bird darts out of the brush. I jump, letting out an embarrassing yelp before laughing at myself. “Get it together, Lainey,” I mutter under my breath.
I press on, scanning the ground for anything that matches the description of the highest-value item—a golden compass token. My fingers brush against leaves and fallen branches as I search, but there’s nothing. Thelonger I walk, the more the path seems to narrow, the overgrown plants closing in around me.
Pausing, I glance over my shoulder. There’s no sign of Clarissa. I call her name. “Clarissa?” My voice echoes, but no reply comes. I sigh, irritated. Of course, she’s disappeared.
The light is fading fast now, the setting sun painting the sky in streaks of orange and pink. I squint into the dimness ahead, stepping carefully over a tangle of roots. My foot catches on something, and before I can stop myself, I’m falling.
