Page 57 of Unraveled

Lisa stared at me, like she was taking me in and seeing me for the first time.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly.

“For what?”

“For making things harder on y’all when you’ve been going through so much.” I was trying to figure out how to respond when she sighed and added, “I have a confession to make.”

Fuck… “What?” I eyed her, my suspicion ramping right back up to ten.

She closed her eyes, and I could almost see the silent curse going through her head. “You’re gonna be pissed, but I need you to hear me out.”

“What?” I said again, my voice harder.

“Lisa,” I barked when she didn’t speak, and she flinched.

“I’ve been working with Zane,” she blurted, her face scrunching as she waited for my reaction. I just stared because there was no way I’d heard that right.

My voice was deep, menacing, warning her to tread carefully when I finally spoke. “Did you just say you’ve been working with Zane?” She nodded. “Fuck, Lisa, seriously? What the fuck does that even mean?”

“First off, let me clarify thathecame tome, and if I didn’t say yes to working with him, he swore he’d leak all of those naked pictures I took back in the fall. I don’t even know how he managed to get them, but he did, and I didnotwant those all over school. Especially not all over the internet.”

I shoved some of my anger down with that info. “Leave it to Zane to resort to blackmail. Now, what does working with him mean?”

“To break y’all up. He wanted Izzy back. I wanted you.” She shrugged. “At a certain point, I knew he was taking things too far. Things he was planning… I’m the one that told the cops about the party on prom night. I was hoping he’d get locked up. Turns out I got David and Mateo instead. Zane left David in the dust to get out of there. I paid for that one.”

I frowned, about to ask what that meant, but she gave a tiny shake of her head, telling me not to ask.

“You need to report him, Lisa. If he’s blackmailing you, go to the cops and take his ass down.” If I couldn’t get Izzy to do it, then maybe she would.

Lisa’s eyes widened in panic. “No. I’ve been dealing with him for months now, and the way his mind works…” She shuddered. “He even made David date Megan, so he had an in with what was going on with Izzy. Which was part of why he was so mad about prom night. I cost him his source when Megan dumped him.”

I gaped, disbelief covering my face. Becausefuck. Lisa had answers to half the shit, wasbehindhalf the shit we’d been dealing with the whole time. “Anything else?” My brow went up with my sarcasm.

“Tell Emma that Larissa and Phoenix were her snitches. Phoenix’s dad works with Emma’s, and she’s had a crush on Mateo since last year.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, my brain still trying to process. She’d thrown so much info at me just now. “The only reason I’m not tearing into youright now is because you were blackmailed and you’re in a hospital bed.”

I opened my eyes to look at her, and she gave a tiny nod, another tear falling.

“You need to get away from Zane. If you’re too scared to go to the police, then–”

“Then nothing.” Lisa cut me off. “It’s not just about being scared. He’s sneaky. I have noproof. But he’s going to start at that alternative school now, and as soon as graduation’s over, I’m out. Even if he tracks me down, which I doubt he will, it’s okay. I think I have something better overhimnow.”

“Don’t do anything stupid,” I warned, and Lisa smirked.

“Careful. I’d almost think you’d give a shit if I got hurt.”

I rolled my eyes and stood, dragging the chair back against the wall before heading to the door. “I want you to back off and leave Izzy and me alone. Not get hurt.”

“Yeah. Got that. Tucker?”

I paused with my hand on the door. “Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

I nodded. “Seriously, Lisa…tell someone.” I looked at her one more time before leaving the room.

Chapter 18

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