Never. I nod. “So, we’re good?”
He takes a step closer. Then another. His breath is warm and smells like the minty toothpaste he used this morning. “Of course.” He grasps my hand in his, rubbing my palm gently with his thumb. “After all, it’s not every girl who asks to be your own personal mermaid.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “That’s not quite how it happened. Want to walk me to English?”
Maybe I never addressed his concern—the one about whether or not I see Gideon as a friend or something else. But none of that matters anymore, since Gideon doesn’t see me as either.
* * *
At lunch, Emily and I are discussing weekend plans when Laura stops in front of me. “Cassidy, can I speak to you?” She looks at Emily. “It’s a volleyball thing. I’ll be quick.”
I want to tell Laura to get lost, but I’m a little curious. She’s captain. Maybe Coach mentioned I’m back in the starting lineup.
Or maybe I’ve been cut from the team. I shrug at Emily apologetically and follow Laura through the hall.
“What’s up?” I ask, sounding bored.
“I need you to cover for me if I don’t make it to practice.”
Irritation spikes in my chest. “Why can’t Stephanie or Tina cover for you?”
“Because they’ll ask too many questions. No one can know where I’m headed right now.” She shifts her weight and drops her voice. “Except you.”
“Me?”
“You spoke to the cops about Melody, right?”
“Yeah,” I say, drawing the word out.
“I have to talk to them too.” She starts digging around in her backpack. “And if something happens to me—”
“Why would something happen to you?” I cut in. “Why would you need to talk to the cops?”
“Because they have the wrong guy.”
My head jerks back. “No, Laura. It was Seth. They have proof.”
“Yeah, well, so do I.”
“What are you talking about?”
She chews on her bottom lip before letting out a resolute breath. “I was with Seth the day of the murder.” She meets my doubtful look and continues. “I left right after you and Gideon did, when Coach ended practice early. Seth was at his house all day. That’s where I met him. That’s where we hung out until Emily was due to come home. Then we snuck off to Rosedale together until after dark.”
“Wait, why were you with Seth all afternoon?”
She shoots me an impatient look. “We’re together.”
I shake my head. “No, but—you’re his secret girlfriend?”
She nods, teeth clamped down on her lip.
“And no one knew? How?”
“I don’t know, because there’s something”—her words catch—“wrong with me. I didn’t want anyone to know about Seth and me. Especially not Melody. I didn’t want her to find out and scare him away like she did Brandon.”
The scene from outside Gina’s Diner the day Melody died flickers in my memory: Melody’s raised finger, her scowl, Seth’s back pressed into the wall. “But she did find out, didn’t she?”
Laura nods, wiping her nose. That explains their argument that morning. Melody found out about their relationship and tried telling Seth to scram. I guess that also explains why Seth trashed Melody’s yearbook photo. And the page could’ve been bookmarked for Laura’s photo at the bottom.
“At the diner, was Seth—”
“He was there to meet me. It was supposed to be our first time together in public.” She frowns. “But then Melody started in with the intimidation tactics, and I chickened out.”
“He could go to jail for the rest of his life,” I whisper, peeking over my shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell the cops?”
“I couldn’t.” Her eyes dart around the hall. “The morning before they brought Seth in for questioning, someone left this for us.” She pulls a flowery card halfway from her backpack, allowing me to peek. “It was on the hood of my car.” The card is from the one set of stationery Carver’s always has in stock, which means every household in town has a pack. There’s a typewritten message in the center:
Keep your mouth shut about Seth or you’re next.
“The killer left one for Seth, too, threatening to kill me if he said anything about us. I don’t know how this person knew about our relationship. He keeps leaving me these cards every couple days.”
I stare, dumbfounded, as she tucks the card back inside her backpack.
“You don’t have to say it,” she continues. “I know, I’m a huge coward. Seth deserves better. He isn’t like everyone thinks. He’s sweet and funny. He didn’t do any of this, and I’m not going to keep quiet about it anymore.”
Sweat beads up on my forehead. “So you’re going to the cops now?”
She glances toward the back doors at the end of the hall and then nods, determined.
“If this freak follows through on his threat, get Seth out of there for me.” She squeezes my wrist. It’s almost a thank-you, like I’ve agreed to help her.
But I want to call her back. I want to tell her to do anything but go to the cops. Instead, I stand here, immobile, as she strides off down the hall. Deep down, I know it doesn’t matter what happens at the police station. It doesn’t matter if the police believe Laura, or if they have too much evidence stacked against Seth.
Every muscle in my body freezes as the truth burrows into my mind.
If Seth and Laura were at the Greer’s house during seventh period the day Melody died, he wasn’t the voice from the woods.
“Laura, wait!” I call suddenly, dashing after her. When I get close enough, I whisper, “Don’t say anything just yet. We’ll go after practice, together. You shouldn’t do it alone.”
I don’t know why I say it. Laura certainly hasn’t earned any favors from me. But maybe it isn’t some selfless whim. Maybe I want to protect Laura because the entire school knows we despise each other.
Laura hesitates, but finally, her shoulders lower. “Okay, but right after practice.”
“Yes.”
The words It’s okay now turn in my mind, making me dizzy as I stare after her. One thing still doesn’t make sense. If Laura was Seth’s girlfriend, why did he have a photo of Melody in his desk drawer?
There’s a tap on my shoulder, and I jump. “Emily, you scared me.”