Binding the Shadows (Arcadia Bell #3)(80)

“Yeah,” Jupe said, brightening. “They were on the news a few months ago. They’re supposed to be dead, but they were on that parking garage footage.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Kar Yee said. “I know who you’re talking about. The murders were all over talk shows back when we were in college.”

I waited for them to start piecing things together.

“No,” Kar Yee said, her jaw dropping in shock.

Jupe shifted uncomfortably. His mouth tightened to a thin line. Breath quickened through his nostrils. “Your parents . . .”

“Were killers. I didn’t know at the time. I thought they were innocent. We all faked our deaths and separated. I’ve been living on my own since I was seventeen under this name.” I looked at Kar Yee. “I met you about a year after it happened.”

She said nothing. Just stared at me, frozen.

“I only saw them a few times all those years. And I believed they’d been framed. But then they got spotted on that parking tape and made the news.” I nodded toward Jupe. “That’s when I met your dad.”

“That’s why he was helping you?” His voice wavered.

Even then, at that moment, I wanted to lie to him. Tell him I was kidding. Tell him everything was fine and that there was no cause for alarm. But I pushed past it and said, “Yeah. I thought he was going to help me prove their innocence, but we ended up finding out they were guilty.”

Kar Yee still said nothing. Jupe shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Arcadia Bell is a fake name?”

“An alias. I’ve been using it since I was a teenager.”

“What’s your real name?”

“It’s Cady,” I insisted as a hot tear fell down my cheek. “I don’t want you to ever think of me as anyone but Cady. No one calls me by my old name. I hate it. I wish I could erase everything from my old life.”

A slow breeze fluttered his curls. “How long has my dad known?”

“Since before I came over that first night and met you.”

“He knew, and he still let you come over here?”

I nodded.

“If he trusted you and he barely even knew you,” Jupe reasoned, “then he could tell you were okay.”

“I suppose.”

“You told me your parents were dead in college,” Kar Yee said. “Then you told me a few months ago that they’d died when you went to San Diego. Now you’re telling me that they faked their deaths?”

“I really did think they were dead a few months ago,” I argued. “A powerful Æthyric demon took them into the Æthyr. I thought it was safe to assume she’d kill both of them. She killed my dad, but my mom is still alive. Alive there.”

“Alive on the demon plane?” Jupe said.

“Yes. And there’s more, unfortunately.”

I told them everything about the Moonchild powers. The things I could do. About the tail. Jupe listened earnestly, elbows pressed tight against his ribs, every muscle in his jaw flexing. Kar Yee was silent and unreadable at first, but became increasingly distressed. I didn’t stop talking until I’d spilled everything. And then I waited for their reaction.

No one said anything for a long moment.

Kar Yee stared at the ground, unable to meet my gaze. “You lied to me all these years. I gave you a million chances to tell me the truth, but you jump into bed with some guy and tell him?”

“Lon’s not ‘some guy,’ and—”

“I don’t want to hear it,” she shouted, finally looking me in the eye. “I don’t need your excuses.”

My chest tightened. “I know.”

“You could’ve trusted me. Why didn’t you trust me?”

“I’m sorry. It was hard for me to trust anyone. I thought I was protecting them. Me. I thought I was doing the right thing.”

She threw up her hands and paced in a circle. “You are living with an illegal name? We share a business! If you get in trouble with the law—”

“I’ve been careful.”

“I don’t care.” Tears brimmed. Hers hands were fists. “Partners don’t lie to each other. If you can’t trust me enough to confide in me, then you shouldn’t be running a business with me.”

“Kar Yee—”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now.” She spun around and marched back toward her car.

“Please stay,” I called after her. “I need to talk to you about it.”

“And I need to go to Tambuku, because one of us has to get it running again.”

“I’ll come with you.”

“Don’t bother.” She got in her car and slammed the door.

That didn’t go well. Not that I thought it would, but it still stung. And it wasn’t over. Jupe stood silent, staring at the dust Kar Yee’s wheels kicked up as she sped away. When he turned to look at me, he wore a pained expression. He almost looked like he was about to cry.

“Please don’t be scared of me,” I said. “I’m still me. I still care about you as much as I did yesterday.”

“I’m not scared,” he said.

I nodded, hoping that was true.

“I’m not,” he insisted. “I guess I feel like Kar Yee. I just wish you would’ve told me sooner. It sort of hurts my feelings that you didn’t. I mean, you could’ve trusted me.”