Not One of Us(46)

Dana exhaled loudly. “Whew. That’s a relief. While we’re playing true confessions, I might as well admit that I’ve always been a little jealous of you.” She slanted me a curious glance. “Good grades came easily for you; you were pretty and had the best-looking guy in school as your boyfriend.”

I said nothing, not sure what to think of this new side to Dana. It wasn’t like her to be so open. Sure, we’d been friends for ages, but she’d always had a wall of reserve and often kept silent on private matters. Which was fine by me—I had my own secrets.

Dana tapped a finger against her chin, regarding me quizzically. “What I want to know is—why haven’t you ever married? I mean, you’re attractive and available. Plus, you’re fun and easy to get along with when you make the effort.”

I squirmed uncomfortably on the bed. “Just haven’t met the right one yet, I suppose.”

“Such a shame.”

She rustled through the yearbook some more, and several faded color photographs fell from the pages. “What’s this?” she asked, picking up the photos from the floor.

“Homecoming photos,” I said, staring at the half dozen images of me and Deacon after the football game. In one of them, my favorite, he had an arm tossed over my shoulders. Even sweaty and dirty in his uniform, he was still handsome, his grin looking even cuter and sexier than ever. A rush of pleasure mixed with pain flushed my body.

“I’d totally forgotten all about these,” I said slowly.

A thundering crash sounded from the front of the house. “Mimi!” I cried, jumping off the bed and racing through the hallway.

I found her in the kitchen, standing by the counter, the coffeepot shattered all around her on the floor.

“Don’t move,” I cautioned. Her feet were bare, and I feared the broken glass would shred them. Quickly, I gathered the broom and dustpan and swept up the debris.

“I don’t know how it happened,” she said with a whimper. Her eyes were clouded with confusion. “All of a sudden . . .” Mimi’s voice trailed off as she swept a trembling hand over the mess at her feet.

“It’s okay,” I reassured her. “I’ll have this cleaned up in a jiffy.”

After I was sure I’d gathered every tiniest shard, I took her hand. “Why don’t you take a nap until Zach gets home?”

Like a child, she let me lead her to bed. I tucked her in, then shut her bedroom door behind me. Dana stood in the hallway.

“She okay?” Dana whispered.

“Just a little shaken and tired. I hope she sleeps for a while—I have to pick up Zach. His driver’s out today.”

“You want me to stay here with her while you go? Or I could pick him up if you want.”

“If you could get him, that’d be great,” I said with a rush of gratitude. I felt a little guilty at my earlier irritation. So what if she’d crushed on Deacon in high school and had hit on him a couple of times? Probably half the girls at Enigma High had done the same. What mattered was that she was here now, offering to help when I needed it.

The cell phone vibrated in my back pocket, and I pulled it out.

A text from Tegan Blackwell. Maybe they had a lead on who’d broken into our house.

The blood drained from my face as I read her message asking if Deacon had ever broken his toe. The question could only mean one thing. I quickly texted her back about his old sports injury.

My ears filled with a rush as loud as the ocean, and I leaned my weight against the wall. Dana stepped to the other side of me and put her arm around my waist. The phone slipped through my numb fingers and crashed to the floor.

“What’s wrong? What’s happened?” Dana cried. “Here. Let’s get you seated. Can you walk? I’ll steady you.”

I leaned against her, and we made slow, stumbling progress toward my room. One step in front of the other. There. And again and again. At last I flopped onto my bed.

“Would you like a glass of water?” Dana asked.

“No,” I protested, taking deep breaths. “I’m okay.”

“Who was that on the phone?”

“A sheriff’s deputy.”

Dana’s face hovered next to mine, her skin pale beneath her freckles.

“She believes they’ve finally found Deacon,” I explained.

Dana gasped, and her mouth hung open. “He’s alive?”

“No, no. I mean . . . I think they’ve found his bones.”

Dana sat beside me and squeezed my hand. “I’ll get Zach,” she said at last. “Will you be okay?”

“Sure,” I answered woodenly. Dana gave my hand one last squeeze before leaving. The front door opened and slammed shut. Cars motored up and down the street; people called out to one another from afar. Normal, everyday sounds. I envied everyone to whom this was just another day, business as usual. I held the phone in my hand, staring at the blank screen. How long would it take before Tegan called back? It seemed to take forever, but at last Tegan’s name flashed on my screen. Tegan identified herself and then hesitated. That silent pause told me everything.

“What’s happened?” I asked flatly. “You found Deacon’s body, didn’t you?”

She confirmed it and a weighted silence fell between us before she spoke again.