I shake my head.She’s crazy. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. She can’t know what she’s talking about.But as I turn once more, seeing the woman fuming a few yards away, I can’t help but feel likeI’mthe one who is missing something.
Macey tugs me into the entrance of the maze, the overhead string lights the only thing flickering in the dark. “Nancy Zendetti has basically gone crazy.”
“Yeah,” Mara echoes her mom. “My friend Ivy says that she’s a crackpot.”
“I just…” My voice trails off, unable to shake it off. “Why does she think I know the guy? His name is Thomas Peterson. I don’t know anyone with that name. Why did she mention Noah Anders?”
Macey falls into silence, eyeing me and chewing on her lip in a way that tells me Iamthe one out of the loop.
“What is it?” I demand, my voice sharpening. “What do I not know, Macey? Because Dad made it clear?—”
“Your dad was trying to protect you, Rue,” Macey’s voice falls to a near whisper, the hum of the distant festival almost louder than her. “Nancy has no idea what she’s talking about. You don’t even know the full truth. There’s no way you could have somehow known before.”
My stomach is rolling. “Macey, I’m not following,” I do my best to keep my voice calm. “Please help me understand.”
“Well, I’ve done my own research, because… You know, your dad and my dad worked together.”
“Macey,” I warn her, feeling less stable with every passing moment. “Tell me.”
She blows out a sigh. “Idoknow who Noah Anders is, and I’m positive youdidn’tsee him at the store.”
I swallow the truth that’s already on the tip of my tongue. “And why is that?”
She meets my gaze, the hesitancy potent. “Because he’s in prison for the death of Matthew Zendetti.”
13
RUE
Nope.No. No. No.
My vision blurs, and I stumble back from Macey and Mara. I gesture for them to move ahead, not knowing what else to do.
“Rue…” Macey’s hand lands on my forearm. “I hadnoidea you even thought about him anymore. I… I didn’t know. I thought… I don’t know.”
My dad lied. He lied to me. He let someone I loved take the fall.
“After the divorce, Noah was adopted by his stepdad, David Peterson,” Macey’s voice is distant, as I fish my phone out of my pocket. Her hand stops me. “Don’t go deep diving into it right now.”
“Why?” I demand, choking on the thought that someone I cared about is in fucking prison—for something he didn’t even do.
I ruined his life. I ruined his life.
“Don’t torture yourself. You couldn’t have known he was going to kill Matthew. You couldn’t have known any of that. I can only imagine how painful this is…”
Yeah, because you don’t even know the truth.
I did it.I. Did. It.
And Noah paid the price.
I blink, the tears building up. “I just need a moment.”
“Rue,” Macey’s voice is soft. “Let me walk you back to your car.”
A group of giggling kids pass us, and Mara immediately latches onto them, completely oblivious to the moment the adults are having.
“Come on!” Mara calls back to us. “I don’t want to just stand in the dark!”
