“Hey,” I say, tentative.
She finishes slipping the pillow into its case, then turns toward me and says, “Hi.” Her expression conveys sheepishness.
I gesture toward her bed, trying to play it casual. “You moving back in?”
She nods.
Then she moans. Loudly.
“Oh my God, cousin. I’m such a bitch,” she blurts out. “I am atotalbitch.”
Her outburst catches me off guard. “Jaz—”
“No,” she interrupts, overwrought with remorse as she flings herself over to me and takes both my hands in hers. “Stop. I need you to look into my eyes and see what a bitch I know I am.”
Despite myself, I grin.
“I’m sorry for freezing you out. I’m so sorry. I don’t think you’re a psycho, or any of the horrible things I said to you at the dance. I’ve been wanting to apologize for days, but I didn’t know how. I’ve beensoembarrassed about the way I reacted.”
“It’s okay, Jaz. I get it.”
“It’s just…it’s my family too, you know? I felt hurt at being left out of the family secret. And I got angry. It blinded me to the fact that you’re a victim in all of this too.”
“We shouldn’t have kept it from you,” I tell her.
“No. My parents were right to do it. They wanted to protect us. I spoke to Mom about it last night.” Jasmine sighs. “She was worried the bullying would start up again. It was so bad when Con and I were kids. So I understand why she hid it. I’m sorry for everything, Ryan.”
“It’s okay,” I say again.
“And just so you know, I’ve loved having you around. You’re like the sister I never had.” She gives me a hopeful look. “Can we start fresh?”
“Of course we can.” And then I do something very unlike me. I throw my arms around my cousin and hug her tight.
“So,” Jasmine says when we pull apart. “Switzerland, huh?” Then she gasps. “Ryan! Was Marco evenreal?”
I press my lips together to stop a grin. “Marco is real,” I promise. “He just lives in Allentown and not a fancy boarding school in Zurich.”
She gives a dramatic huff. “Oh, thank God. I would’ve never forgiven you if you’d made up a fake boyfriend. Shipleys aren’t that desperate,” she declares, and we both howl with laughter.
With things smoothed over between me and Jasmine, my spirits lift a little higher. Maggie brings fried chicken home, and we have a nice family meal, talking about thingsotherthan the Thorn case. Connor and Jasmine tell funny stories about their driving tests. We talk about my plans after graduation, or lack thereof because I still have no clue what I’m doing. We talk about how Dan helped get another runaway kid off the streets and back home with his family, about the house Maggie was finally able to sell after years of looking for a buyer. After that, we sit around the table and play Yahtzee. All in all, it’s a fun, stress-free family gathering. I forgot what those could be like.
I’m enjoying myself so much that I stick around to play another game with my aunt and uncle, even after my cousins beg off.
Dan wins the last game by managing to roll three Yahtzees in a row, which I’m pretty sure is a statistical anomaly.
As we’re putting away the game and wiping down the table, I finally find the courage to bring up what’s been nagging at me ever since reading my father’s journal. I know I’m risking ruiningthe joyous evening we’ve had, but I can’t stop the question from exiting my mouth.
“What do you guys think happened to Everett’s mom?”
Maggie’s hand stills on the dish towel she’s holding. My uncle shifts uncomfortably in his chair.
“Honestly?” my aunt finally says. “I think she left him.”
“JP, you mean?”
“Everyone in town knew JP and Leah were…struggling,” she says slowly, choosing her words with care. “They got married right out of high school. A lot of folks thought they were perfect together, but by the end, it was more of a small-town fairy tale that was losing its magic.”
“You really believe she ran off?” I ask, glancing between them. “That she left everything behind? You think that too, Uncle Dan?”
