Page 49 of Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are

I lowered my head and swiped at my wet cheeks. “I’m trying to protect you.”

“I don’t need protecting. It’s the drugs, Skyler. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that none of what’s going on in your head is real. It’s not real, okay?”

A shuddering breath climbed up my throat and I looked out through the window, seeing but unseeing. No one believed me. Nate would go on to kill more people because no one listened to what I had to say.

“Why were you outside with him? Are you two fucking?”

My eyes flew back to hers. “What?”

“You are!” she exclaimed, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. “Is that what happened? You went for a walk by yourself, and Nate found you?”

A thought occurred to me. “I discovered the car out there in the woods.”

“What car?” she asked, stepping away from me to pour a drink. Laughter drifted through the thin walls.

“Your car. The one we crashed.”

The vodka splashed against the sides as she poured some into a glass. She reached for the fizzy lemonade, filled it up to the top, then turned around and took a sip. “The car we crashed?”

“Last year. It’s in the woods.”

“Skyler, what are you talking about?”

My brows pulled low. “When we hit Nate with the car.”

“Okay, you have definitely taken too many drugs,” she replied with a laugh and shook her head. I stared at her, trying to figure out why she was messing with me.

“It’s not funny. This isn’t some joke, Evelyn.”

She sobered, lowering the glass from her mouth. “Look, I don’t know what to say. First, you accuse Nate of killing his friends, and now you’re telling me that we”—she gestured between us—“hit Nate with my car?”

My eyes flicked between hers disbelievingly. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m not doing anything.” She took a sip and swallowed the alcohol in her mouth before pointing at me and nearly spilling her drink. “It’s you. I don’t know what the fuck was in those pills, but you’re losing your mind.”

Just then, Nate entered the kitchen and made a beeline for the vodka on the kitchen table. “We’re out of beer.”

Evelyn sipped her drink, watching me intently, while Nate poured himself one and took a sip. Then she peered at Nate over her shoulder and said, “Skyler thinks she hit you with my car.”

He spewed his drink everywhere, laughing loudly as he shook out his wet hand. His eyes found mine, sparkling with amusement, and he wiped his mouth. “The fuck did you take?”

I frowned, ceasing to breathe, and then anger bubbled up inside me like a fucking volcano.

Seething, I pointed an accusing finger at Nate and took a step forward. “You forced a pill down my throat, so don’t you fucking dare make me out to be crazy.” My finger swept through the air, pointing at Evelyn even as my gaze stayed locked on Nate’s. “We hit you with her car. I was driving. We dumped your body.”

Nate laughed even harder, if that was even possible. Evelyn sniggered too, hiding her amusement behind her glass.

My chest rose and deflated with a shaky breath while I looked at them, then choked out, “This isn’t funny…”

“It’s a little bit fucking funny,” Nate’s deep voice drawled as he walked up to me and cupped my chin. I wrenched free, trying to move past him, but he followed me.

When I tried again, his hand captured my chin and brought my tear-filled eyes up to his. “It’s just the drugs, babe. You’re imagining things.”

“I’m not.”

“You never hit me with your car. Look at me. Do you think I’d be here if you did? No, I’d be in a fucking grave somewhere.”

“You survived, and now you’re back for revenge.”

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