Kayla gasps.
“Don’t freak out yet,” I tell her. “We’re going to be fine. I promise.”
She stumbles beside me. “You can’t promise that. I don’t want to die.” Her voice trembles.
“You won’t die.”
I can’t promise her anything, but I would do anything to protect her.
Kayla grabs my arm, her fingertips digging into my flesh.
We pass a wooden Private Property sign. We’re at the camp’s edge.
“I hate walking past these,” Kayla says, running one hand over the sign.
Another three minutes and we’re there. We walk into the circle.
“What now?” Kayla mutters, her eyes large and alert.
“Now we wait. She’ll show.”
To be honest, I’m sure she’s already here, watching.
My stomach lurches.
Where was Olly watching from that night? What tree did he hide behind? Why didn’t he help Lillian? She knew he wasn’t with us and that he wasn’t responsible.
Did Jake really see nothing?
“Olly had nothing to lose by helping Lillian that night,” I say.
Kayla turns to me. “Huh?”
“He said Jake called him and he ran, but why? I don’t understand why he wouldn’t help.”
“We didn’t help either, Esme.”
“We were responsible for the fire and needed to run. But if we stumbled across a fire and saw a person hurt, we would help.”
That, at least, I can say with absolute certainty. We didn’t know how bad she was hurt.
“Esme,” a low musical voice sings.
I whip my head around to where I think it came from.
“What the hell?” Kayla mutters.
“Looks like Lillian is here.”
“Rebekah too?” she asks, gasping.
“I don’t think so,” I whisper. “Remember, she didn’t leave her cabin. At least not before us. Maybe she has the night off from villain duty.”
“Esme.”
Kayla squeezes my hand so hard my fingers grind together.
Okay. Be brave.
“Lillian, we’re bored with this,” I say.
“What are you doing?” Kayla’s voice is low.
“No one is impressed with your stupid juvenile games,” I continue. “You’re stalking a camp for children. Grow up and show yourself so we can deal with this rationally.”
Words are coming out of me as if I’ve summoned every ounce of courage I own.
I wish Kayla would slap her hand over my mouth.
But this has gone on long enough, and I’m so done. I can’t spend another day half watching four girls and half watching the woods.
“You’re going to get us killed!” Kayla snaps.
“No, I’m going to finish this.”
“Perfect Kayla and Esme, loved by everyone at camp.”
Kayla and I look up at the same time and see a girl, a couple years older than us, appear from the trees.
She’s here.
She’s angry.
And she’s armed.
51
My dad owns a gun. I’ve fired guns at the shooting range. I’ve never been particularly scared of them before.
It’s very different when you’re staring down the barrel of one as your stalker points it at your face.
Kayla steps closer, her side plastered to mine.
I lift my chin to appear unafraid, but my skin is crawling.
Don’t show fear.
“Hello, Lillian,” I say.
She steps into view and tilts her head. She’s wearing a black hoodie with her dark hair in a ponytail and hanging out from the hood. “I’m honored you remember me.”
“It’s hard to forget when your initials are carved into my bedroom wall.”
Lillian glowers.
I’m being catty.
I’m pissed.
“There is a gun aimed at your head,” she says.
“You’ve put children at risk.”
“I would never hurt a child!”
“You’ve scared plenty of them.”
“Collateral.”
Nice.
“Why didn’t you come talk to us?”
“Why didn’t you stop and help me?”
My stomach drops. Rein it in, Esme!
I wince, my face heating with shame. “We are so sorry about that night, Lillian. It was…the worst night of our lives. I wish I could turn back time and do everything differently. It’s a poor excuse, but we were young and petrified.”
“It is a poor excuse. Half of my body is scarred for life. I spent a month in the hospital. My family ended up bankrupt and we lost our house because we didn’t have enough money for medical care. I’ve been following you two on social media for two years. Your lives are perfect.”
That’s not true.
“Almost everything on social media is perfect,” I say. “It’s not reality. My life isn’t perfect, and I’m far from it.”
Lillian’s lips curl viciously. “You definitely aren’t perfect, Esme, but no one knows that because you never told anyone what happened.”
“I’m sorry. We were scared.”
“You ruined so many lives that night and you don’t even care.”
“We care. We—”
“Shut up!”
I jump back at the acid in her voice.
Her free hand meets the one around the handle of the gun, steadying her aim.
I raise my palms. “Okay, okay. Look, we can talk. Please believe me, Lillian, we never wanted you to get hurt that night.”
“Did you see Jake and Olly that night?” Lillian asks.
“No,” I tell her. So she did see Jake. What did he and Olly do that night?
And since when did Kayla lose the ability to speak?
“Have you been watching us at home?” I ask, afraid to hear the answer.
“Of course I have. Since Kayla’s disastrous cheerleading tryout.”