The Identicals(42)

Ainsley realizes that what she wants most—a chance at recapturing Teddy’s affections—is lost to her either way. By trying to destroy Candace, she has made Candace into a heroine.

So now Ainsley’s choices are between bad and worse. She chooses bad; she calls Teddy’s bluff.

“You sound like a hillbilly who came East and watched too much Gossip Girl,” Ainsley says. “This is Nantucket. People don’t plant alcohol and drugs in other people’s lockers on the off chance they’ll get suspended, Teddy. You can tell Mr. Bentz your conspiracy theory, but it’ll sound like something you saw on Netflix. I already told you: I like Candace. You two make a cute couple. I wish you only the best.” Ainsley tries to force sincerity into these last sentences, but still they feel flaccid.

Teddy pauses, however. He may know her, yet she also knows him. He’s unsure now.

“Fine,” he says.

Ainsley has no idea what “fine” means: he’s going to Mr. Bentz or he isn’t? However, asking him to clarify seems dangerous.

“Fine,” Ainsley says, and she walks off with the manner of a girl who has nothing to fear.



Emma has already left school, and although Ainsley knows she is probably just down the street at Cumberland Farms hanging out with BC and Maggie, smoking weed and devouring three slices of cardboard pepperoni, Ainsley decides to walk home. She needs to think.

She never meant to be a bad kid; she only wanted to be a cool kid. When she really lets herself think about it, she can’t believe what she and Emma have done. It’s shameful, and it’s dangerous. They’re going to get caught. Of course they’re going to get caught. They are going to be the ones to get suspended… or worse. And Dutch will likely get in trouble, too, because the cocaine was his.

Going to college might be in jeopardy. What will her mother think? What will her father think? Her stepmother, Becky, will be proved right: Ainsley is a bad seed, a terrible role model. She should not be allowed around her half brothers.

With each car that passes as she walks, Ainsley turns, hoping it’s Emma in the Range Rover. Or that it’s Teddy in his uncle’s truck. But all the cars are unfamiliar. The summer people are here; no one recognizes her.

In the driveway of the carriage house, Ainsley sees a navy-blue Bronco. She blinks. Aunt Harper’s car.

She came! Ainsley feels a rush of elation and relief. Aunt Harper came! But her joy is chased by a panicky fear. She told Aunt Harper that Tabitha was fine with her coming, but that was a big fat lie.

Tabitha is still in Boston with Eleanor. When Ainsley spoke to her mother at lunchtime, Tabitha hadn’t disclosed when—or if—she was coming home. Tabitha said she was sending Meghan over to check on Ainsley. Ainsley is just going to have to tell Aunt Harper the truth: Tabitha doesn’t want her there. Maybe Aunt Harper won’t care. Maybe Aunt Harper will stay anyway.

Ainsley opens the door and is immediately greeted by a Siberian husky with eyes the color of glacial ice. A dog—Aunt Harper’s dog—is in the house! Again, Ainsley is both thrilled and extremely uneasy. Ainsley has wanted a dog since the beginning of time, but Tabitha always said no. Eleanor once had a dachshund, but it ate shoes, and they had to give him away.

“Hello? Ainsley, is that you?”

Aunt Harper peers down over the stair banister. The house smells delicious—like sautéed onions and bacon. Ainsley can’t remember the house ever smelling so good before.

“Hi,” she says shyly. It’s still surreal to see her mother peering down on her, only now her mother is smiling, friendly, happy to see her. Only now her mother isn’t her mother. “You brought the dog? You’re cooking?”

“That’s Fish,” Harper says. “Where I go, he goes. He’s a very good boy. And for dinner, I’m making my famous pasta carbonara. Your grandfather loved it. And salad and garlic bread. We’ll eat around seven. Is that all right? I figured that would give you a chance to do some homework. And I brewed some iced tea. It looks like you and your mom drink a lot of Coke Zero, but you know that stuff will kill you, right?”

“Right,” Ainsley says. Her stomach is now growling. When is the last time she ate? A few radishes and green beans from the salad bar at lunch, but before that? Dinner the night before had been half a bag of cheddar SunChips. She ascends the stairs to find her aunt filling a glass with ice, then tea, then squeezing a wedge of lemon into it; the drink could be on the cover of a magazine. Ainsley sucks the whole thing down, and Harper laughs. “Thirsty?”

“I walked home from school,” Ainsley says. “My ride cut out.”

Harper pours another glass of tea, then pulls out a jar of mixed nuts and a container of marinated mozzarella balls. “Snack?”

Ainsley’s eyes fill with tears. Someone is here, taking care of her. Someone loves her. Ainsley reaches for a pecan, blinking her eyes, then she quickly wipes away the tear that falls. Harper must see it, however, because she holds open her arms. “Give me a hug,” she says. “It’s good to see you.”



Ainsley goes down to her room. She doesn’t have any homework, but finals start in a few days. It would be wise to buckle down, pull some good grades out of her ass to end the year, but all Ainsley can think about is Candace. Since Candace has gotten suspended, will she even be able to take finals? Ainsley checks her phone, afraid of what she might find, but there’s nothing. She’s tempted to call Emma and tell her what Teddy said. Maybe she can convince Emma that turning themselves in is the best course of action.