Six Little Secrets(37)

Holly smirked and clicked her tongue. She held a cell phone in her hand. The one she’d hidden under the table after she’d set up the library late last night. It was the key to all of the consequences she’d established for them. ‘If you attempt to hurt me, all of your secrets go public.’

‘What else can you do to ruin us?’ Q asked, coming around to her side of the table.

Teddy stood up and tried to block him, but Q shoved him out of the way.

Holly stood and held the phone in front of her. ‘I dare you to test me.’

‘Stop!’ Zoe said at the same time Jackie said, ‘Q, don’t.’

Q held his hands at his sides. He winced as they tried to curl into fists. ‘Look what she did to us.’

‘My mom can’t know,’ Teddy said.

Holly glanced at Zoe who was practically vibrating. While the rest of them had terrible secrets, hers was just as bad, possibly worse.

‘Fine,’ Q said. ‘I don’t have to listen, though.’

‘Yes, you do,’ Holly said. ‘You will all sit down and listen to me. This is part of you consequences.’

Those who were standing sat down. Eventually, Q did as well. Even if they wanted to hurt her, they’d never get the chance. She’d spent too much time planning to allow any of them to leave unscathed. Even poor Zoe.

‘You’re Jacob?’ Cece asked. ‘I don’t get it.’

Holly gave her a look. ‘I’m doing this for Jacob. Jacob Hollis.’

Confused expressions looked back at her, which made her angrier than when she decided to start this elaborate game. ‘Of course you wouldn’t remember him. That’s the point of all this. You lived your lives every day oblivious to what you did. My real name is Megan Hollis. Jacob was my brother. Well, foster brother. And you all played a part in his death,’ she said.

‘I’ve never killed anyone,’ Cece said.

‘I don’t even know a Jacob Hollis,’ Teddy said.

‘He didn’t die by any of your hands,’ Megan said. ‘But each of your deep, dark secrets formed a finger on the hand that caused his death.’

‘That’s bull,’ Q said. ‘I’m going to call the police.’ He pulled out his phone and placed it on the table. He stared at it, unable to use his burned fingers to key in numbers. Q’s consequence was her masterpiece. She’d imagined it in her dreams, but when she saw the stage light up under him, she couldn’t help but feel awestruck.

‘Go ahead,’ Megan said. ‘See what happens when they ask how you got burned. Or how you broke out in that terrible rash, Jackie. Or how a nude picture of Cece appeared on the internet, and why Teddy’s drug money was stolen.’

‘So you’re blaming us for some kid’s death?’ Q asked. ‘Looks like you’re fishing for someone to blame. Where were you when it happened?’

‘I’ve already paid my dues,’ Megan said, thinking of the day she put her brother in the ground when she could have tried harder to prevent that night from happening. Reliving that day for the last year had been her punishment. Now justice would be served, and she hoped that she could be redeemed.

‘How are we all connected?’ Zoe asked. ‘I never met Jacob, but I do remember seeing his face in the paper. It happened a few towns over from here.’

Megan glanced at Zoe. She didn’t think Jacob had affected anyone but herself and her dad. She wondered how many details Zoe remembered. Probably not much. Since no one dared to come forward with information, she knew that Jacob’s death was quickly forgotten.

‘Don’t fall for this, Zoe,’ Q said. ‘There isn’t anything left to reveal. Her brother died, and she’s looking for someone to blame. I won’t be that person. I’ve never met him—’

‘Oh, but you have,’ Megan said sharply. ‘All of you had the opportunity to save him, and you didn’t. I pieced together everything from that night. I’ve done my research.’

Q moved, and Megan held out her cell phone, warning him. His face pinched with pent-up frustration, but he didn’t make another move.

‘The night he died, there was a party,’ Megan started. ‘A few of you might remember it. I heard it was a rager.’

‘It was Greg Winter’s party,’ Jackie said. ‘It was at his father’s house on the town line.’

Megan snapped her fingers. ‘I knew there was a brain in there somewhere.’

Jackie flipped Megan off.

‘Jackie, we come to you first,’ Megan continued. ‘You might not remember his name, but you should remember meeting my brother.’

‘I don’t,’ Jackie said, her eyes darting to each member of the group.

This girl was daft. ‘What is a nickname for someone named Jacob?’

It took the cheerleader a minute, but Megan noted the exact moment where it clicked for her.

Jackie’s mouth fell open. ‘Jake.’

‘Jake,’ Megan said slowly, dragging the name over her tongue—ever since they’d met, he’d always been Jacob to her—‘as his new friends called him, was invited by two football players at our school. As a joke. My brother wanted desperately to fit in, so he went.’

Jackie covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes welled with tears.