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Well, the Ecstasy sure didn’t help.
“It’s not that big of a deal.” I tried to minimize, but the words came out hollow. Because it was a lie. My OCD was a big deal—and I should have told Jace. I’d spent the better part of my life trying to manage my symptoms, and I had no excuse for not telling Jace that night when we were coming clean about all the past misunderstandings we’d suffered through. No excuse except I hadn’t wanted to feel more vulnerable than I already did in that moment. In any moment.
“It’s a big deal to my son. Jace has always been curious. Passionate. Obsessive. He’s had to think hard about whether he’s willing to continue a relationship with someone who seemed…unwilling…to open up to him.”
“Oh, I see what this is,” I broke in. “You’re here to plead Jace’s case to me? To convince me to throw myself on his altar and beg his forgiveness? What about me? In the midst of all this Jace is just being his damaged self talk, I missed the part where I get to be my damaged self. Maybe I can’t share everything about myself with someone else. Maybe there are just things I don’t want to talk about. Besides, what about the fact that Jace hadn’t mentioned you to me at all? Does Jace even know you’re here? Did he ask you to come? How do you even know he wants to get back together? Because I haven’t heard a damn thing from him since the night we broke up. He doesn’t share shit.”
“I know he sees his future with you,” Sheryll said cryptically, sidestepping my questions about her son’s hypocrisy. “Without invading his privacy, I can tell you that the past days have been very…difficult for him.”
“And you would know that how?”
“I’m living with him at the moment. Just until I can get into sober living.”
I sat quietly at her admission. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…been so aggressive.”
“It’s alright, Greer. I’m just thankful my son was willing to help me when I needed him.”
“How do you two know each other?” I asked, gesturing between her and Marina.
Marina hesitated.
“Marina was with Jace several weeks ago when I first asked him for help,” Sheryll explained. “I found her number in Jace’s phone and gambled on her being acquainted with you.”
“Marina,” I said, not wanting to have this conversation but also unwilling to suppress what I needed to say, “I know that a lot has changed in just a few short weeks. I know we’ve joked about it, but I wanted to say, from the bottom of my heart, that I never meant for any of this…stuff…with Jace to happen. I’m sorry that I caused him to end your relationship, but if the séance was a way to get back at me somehow…”
“It wasn’t, Greer. Oh my God, I would never. Please believe me when I say I’m glad you and Jace found each other again.”
“Then why were you trying to steal him back? I saw you two out on your little date.”
She stared at me in shock, mouth open. “Greer, I…it wasn’t a date. He was so angry with me for putting you in danger…”
Jace was angry at you? Join the club.
“I needed closure,” she continued. “And I wanted to share a bit of information.”
“What information?”
“He didn’t tell you? I just wanted him to know that my intentions were one hundred percent pure. And that it hadn’t been my idea originally. It was Anna’s.”
“Anna’s?” I questioned.
“Now do you understand why I didn’t want to show up to this house alone?” Sheryll scoffed. “You never know who’s out to get you.”
“Anna isn’t out to get me,” I said automatically, although I was conflicted. There was nothing inherently sinister about the idea of having a séance, but there was obviously more to the story. A missing piece that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, no matter how hard my mind tried to grasp it. “And why wouldn’t you have come here alone? No one here is a threat to you.”
“Surely you must know the history of the house we’re standing in?” Sheryll said.
“I do. Most of it, at least.”
“I doubt that.”
“I know my ancestors housed slaves in the attic.”
“What do you know about Sterling Richmond?” she asked me point-blank.
So, Sheryll knew about Sterling’s crimes. I glanced at Marina, whose eyes were darting back and forth between us. Marina didn’t know anything. Was I okay with her knowing? I decided I didn’t care.
“I know he was a pedophile.”
