Page 46 of Mr. Match

“Come on,” Pax says, putting a friendly hand on my shoulder. “It’s time, Oliver. It’s time to come clean. Just tell us what happened that night. You have to be the final piece of the puzzle.”

I look at Pax. Then Mac. Then West and finally my gaze lands on Nolan. “I saw my sister that night.”

“Cindy?” Tori asks.

“No,” I say, looking straight at Pax. “Rory.”

“I thought she was dead?” Tori asks.

“So did I. But I saw her. I know I saw her. Allen was there and he was being weird. I mean, the guy was weird. I think we can all agree on that. No one in the house liked him. But the girl disappeared in a crowd. And Allen, for whatever reason, was stuck to me while I searched. Like he was helping… but he wasn’t helping. Like he was watching me.”

“I’m not really following,” Mac says. “What’s this have to do with telling the police you were there instead of Allen?”

I look at each of them. Wondering what they’ll think of me when the whole truth comes out. Then decide I have no choice because there’s no denying what’s happening right now. The Silver Society are coming for us. We are in the middle of the game and the only way out that doesn’t include lots and lots of prison time is winning.

“I think that was Rory. I’m gonna say that right now. But I don’t think she was there for me.”

“Why was she there?” Tori asks.

“I don’t know.” I really don’t know. “But Allen was there, and he saw me, and he said, ‘The cops are gonna show up later. You’re gonna say you were with her.’ And before you ask me who ‘her’ is, I can only guess it was the girl who made the accusations. But in my head I kinda associated it with Rory. ‘I was with Rory.’ Allen continued. He said, ‘They will be looking for five people and you’re one of them, Shrike. Because if I end up being one of them, that girl you just saw is dead for real.’”

“And you agreed,” Pax says.

I nod. “I didn’t even know what was going on. The cops came up to me and started asking if I was with her. And I just said, ‘Yeah.’ That’s the only thing I ever said to them. ‘Yeah. I was with her.’”

Chapter Twenty - KATYA

“So,” Ariel says, taking a seat at the kitchen table next to me.

“So,” I say back.

“You’re kinda young,” Ivy says.

“Right?” Cindy laughs. “Wow, I’m so glad you’re practically jailbait.”

“Cindy,” Ariel says, a note of irritation in her voice.

“What? I’m tired of being around all you old people. And Ivy’s preggo, so she’s no fun. No offense, Ivy.”

“I get it,” Ivy says, taking the seat across from me.

I’m starting to feel a little cornered. I didn’t think they’d be so intimidating.

“I’m sensing that there’s more to your story here. Kat, is it? Oliver likes to call you Kat?”

“Kat is fine,” I say, straightening my spine. “And yeah. I mean what’s happened to me in the past eleven years can’t be summed up in one conversation. Obviously.”

“Uh-huh,” Ariel says.

“Stop it, Ari.” Cindy is pointing her finger at her sister. “I mean it. She came to us for help. Don’t chase her away.”

Ariel barely acknowledges Cindy. Instead she looks me straight in the eyes. “Is that why you came? For help? You think… what? We’re all in this together?”

“We could be,” I say.

“Uh-huh,” she says again. “Lucio Gori Junior. He did that to your neck.”

“It’s awful,” Ivy says. “I can’t even imagine. I’m really not used to all this excitement. I’m just a boring girl who decided to seduce Mr. Romantic one day. So, honey”—she reaches across the table and takes my hand in hers, gives it a squeeze—“if you need help I’m on your side.”