Page 3 of Puck & Make Up

Now it’s…

Fact.

And it’s why I move close enough to see her face, her expression, her eyes that are a familiar shade of blue I’ve seen often during my time in River’s Bend.

It’s why I move close to Annie Donovan.

It’s why I move close toRosie’smother, who’s also…

“Hi, Mom.”

Mymother.

She opens her mouth to reply?—

A gasp.

Only, it’s not from Annie. It comes frombehind me.

I turn…

To find Dessie standing directly behind me.

Two

Dessie

“What the fuck?” I ask, digging into my pocket and pulling out my phone. “What theactualfuck?”

I jab at the screen and hit my best friend in the world, Rosie’s, number.

It starts ringing.

And, thankfully, since she pretty much always picks up my calls, this time is no different, though sheisout of breath when she answers, “Des?”

“I need you and Joel to get your asses out to Reacher’s clearing.” A beat. “Like five minutes ago.”

There’s a brief pause. Then, “Got it.”

The call disconnects and I’m staring at the woman who almost fucked over my friend’s life—Annie Donovan is no peach, even though she spent a lot of her life trapped in a toxic relationship with Rosie’s dad (who’s now in prison for trying to frame Rosie to take the fall for his crimes). She’s a victim, but also complicit in hurting my friend.

And…Fox is here saying?—

I clamp my teeth together.

I shake my head.

That can’t be right.

It doesn’t make sense.

I shove that aside. I’ll deal with him in a minute.

“I thought you skipped town?” I ask Annie after we’ve all stood around, staring at each other for far too long.

“I-I came back,” Rosie’s mom says.

“Why?” Joel asks. “Why now?”

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