We Told Six Lies(49)

I watch her go before turning my gaze on Rhana.

“A replacement?” I ask.

Rhana grimaces. “What are you talking about?”

I shake my head. “Nothing.”

Rhana pulls her bag up farther onto her shoulder and sighs. “What do you want, Cobain?”

“Do you know where Molly is?” I ask, cutting past the bullshit.

Rhana frowns. “You’re asking me that question?”

“I am,” I say. “I know you were jealous of her.”

“Jealous? Of Molly?” Rhana releases a sharp laugh. “Look, you want to know what I really think? Who cares where she went? We’re all better off with her gone. That chick was crazy.”

I frown. “I thought you two were friends.”

“Yeah, we were. And then I told her I didn’t want to hang out anymore because she was always hiding crap from me. She’s got, like…major issues, and I’m allergic to drama.”

I shake my head because this isn’t adding up. “Molly said she stopped hanging out with you.”

Rhana looks past me at the school, like she’s running out of patience. Or, maybe she wants to ensure we don’t have an audience. “I’m sure she did. She said a lot of things. Mostly whatever got her what she wanted.”

I look up and away, pretending that what she says next won’t bother me either way. “What did she say about me?”

Rhana’s face softens. “That you were nice. That you were infatuated.” Rhana bites her lip. “And that you talked about money a lot.”

“Money?”

Rhana rolls her hand. “How broke your parents were. How you wanted more money than you were making at the gym. How you were going to get rich no matter what. I don’t know. She made it seem like it’s all you ever talked about.”

My teeth snap together, and I look down, utterly confused.

“Were you?” Rhana asks. “I mean, are you like that? I know your family probably doesn’t have a lot, but I didn’t…I don’t know. I’m sorry about the things I said about you.” Her voice lowers. “I’m sure she told you.”

I scowl at her. Molly hadn’t said anything, but of course her friends were telling her to stay away from me. Still, it stings.

“After she broke up with you, I felt really bad about it. I kept wondering if it was because everyone talked crap about you. I mean, what if she really was happy and we made her think she wasn’t?” Rhana dug her finger into her ear. “You seemed so weird afterward that I almost…I don’t know.”

I take a step back, my mind spinning around this information. Molly told Rhana she dumped me. She lied. My hand goes to my stomach, and I feel…almost sick. That’s the third person that’s said she broke up with me. But, of course, she didn’t.

Right?

I clench my eyes shut. Open them. Do my damnedest to stay calm as I say, “Rhana, Molly and I never broke up.”

Rhana narrows her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“I mean, we were together up until the moment she left.”

“Together, where?” Rhana pauses. “She said you’d never even been to her house. I mean, are you sure she invited you to hang out? You didn’t just show up and—”

“Listen to me. Listen. We never broke up.” I say it louder than I mean to. “We were in love. I think.”

The last part is too quiet, and I see the doubt solidifying on Rhana’s face. “I…I’ve got to go, Cobain. I’m sorry about Molly and whatever, but I’ve got to get to class.”

“Rhana, wait.” I grab her arm. It’s a mistake.

Rhana tears away from me like I’m contaminated. Looks at me with big, accusatory eyes. Any trace of pity is gone from her gaze.

“Don’t follow me,” she snaps.

I watch her as she strides away and think about the things she said. She didn’t like Molly as much as I believed. Molly hadn’t fooled everyone like I thought, either. I think on Rhana’s version of our relationship, too, but that’s not what I dwell on most.

If Rhana had anything to do with Molly vanishing, then she’d be moronic to talk negatively about her. Rhana is cleared, in my mind. Which leaves few people to check out. And if none of them did it, I’ll know Molly ran away.

That should make me feel relieved, considering the alternative. But instead, I feel mixed up. Jittery.

Like I need to run and never stop.





THEN


You invited me to your house.

Your mom almost never left, but that day, she had somewhere to be.

We skipped school, remember? We were too excited to sit in class knowing what awaited us. So we took off. I’d never been more nervous in my life. I wasn’t certain what would happen. But I knew what I wanted to happen. I knew I wanted you. All of you. And it seemed you wanted me, too.

We walked straight to your house, and you let me in like it was your name on that mortgage and not your mother’s. You started to walk down the hallway to your room but held up a finger when I started to follow.

“Just…just wait in here for a minute, okay?”

I would have waited until there was gray in my hair. Until the end of time. I couldn’t imagine waiting for anything better than what I figured you were doing—preparing for me.