Page 171

“Misty,” Peyton warns.

“This is all your fault. You come back to Fairhope, and suddenly we start dying? No. You’re behind this. I know you are.”

“I had nothing to do with it.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I don’t give a shit what you believe.”

“Well, you should.” Misty takes another step closer. “Because I’m going to prove it.”

“Good luck with that.” I scoff.

“I don’t need luck. You’re not the only one with money now, Max. I have money too. And I’ll spend every last cent of it if I have to. I’ll hire the best private investigators in this state. I’ll dig into every second you’ve spent in Fairhope since you came back. Every place you’ve been. Every person you’ve talked to. And I’ll find out what really happened to my friends.”

“Okay.” I turn to Sienna. “I’ve heard enough. Can we go now?”

This time, I don’t wait for her answer. I start down the cemetery path toward the gates.

“Run!” Misty screams after me. “Go ahead, Max! Run away! You’re good at that!”

I keep walking.

“But you can’t run from what you’ve done!”

My steps falter.

“You hear me?” Her voice quivers behind me. “You can never run from what you’ve done!”

I look over my shoulder and see Peyton with her arms around Misty, holding her while she cries. Delaney stands beside them, looking every bit as broken, all her earlier fury seemingly drained out of her.

For half a second, I almost feel sorry for them. Almost.

“Don’t.” Sienna’s voice is quiet beside me.

“Don’t what?”

“Let them make you feel guilty for surviving them.”

My focus shifts back to the three women standing beside Sydney’s grave.

Then I turn away.

“I don’t.”

But the lie follows me all the way out of the cemetery.

“They’ve lost the fucking plot,” Sienna says, hooking her arm through mine and leading me away.

I’m a frantic mess inside, but at least one of us still has her wits about her.

“I should’ve never come back to this fucking town,” I mutter.

“Hey.” She squeezes my arm. “Forget them. We know the truth, okay?”

I nod, though the reminder brings little comfort.

Coming back here was supposed to give me closure. Instead, it feels like I’ve wandered straight back into the nightmare I spent years trying to escape.