Page 76 of No Place Left to Hide

My heart starts beating fast. “He was trying to make sure everyone got out of the whole mess unscathed. And you did. He got all the charges dropped and you walked away scot-free.”

“Charges for crimes that you committed!” she shouts. “You know what? I thought I could force you to confess and still stay out of it myself, but I’d rather walk in there and admit to everything—lying about the boat, giving a false statement, the No Caller ID harassment, the Bronco, all of it—than be complicit in this another day. You’re a murderous bitch and I want out of this fucking car right now.”

By the time she’s done, I can feel my pulse in my entire body. “They won’t believe a word you say. Nobody will. The investigation is over.” But even to my own ears I sound panicked and desperate.

“Good thing it’ll be three against one, then.”

My hands tighten on the wheel, and I reflexively check therearview mirror. There’s nobody behind us. “Who was in the Bronco, Jena? Who’s helping you?”

She doesn’t answer.

“Who. The. Fuck. Are. They?” I seethe.

She flinches away from me, glancing nervously at the needle climbing up the speedometer. “Two other people that couldn’t stomach the idea of you getting away with murder.”

Her words sink in, my headlights illuminating this barren stretch of highway. And then it’s my turn to laugh. “You really want me to go down for this, don’t you?”

My phone starts ringing in her hand again.

Jena sends it to voicemail. “No, I really want you to get what you deserve.”

I laugh again, glancing down at her lap and back to the road. “You’re no better than Claire.”

Jena’s still pressed sideways against the door. She watches me, like she might leap out the window if I so much as twitch in her direction.

It’s funny to me how this night began: Jumping up and down in my room with my best friend, my dreams within reach. Celebrating with my classmates on the beach. Getting my dream prom invitation. I could see all the pieces of my life clicking together and one of the largest, most solid, most dependable of those pieces was Jena Howton. The same girl who sits terrified beside me now, sang power ballads at the top of her lungs when we made this drive in the opposite direction a few hours ago.

My mind can’t superimpose that version of my best friend over the backstabbing bitch staring back at me. When I look at her, I don’t see the girl from my room. That girl is gone. That girl is a fake. Who knows how long she’s been pretending. Has she ever really been my friend?What kind of person can hug and applaud you knowing full well she’s going to make you fear for your life in a few hours’ time?

This girl isn’t my friend. She’s another person determined to see me fail, just like Claire. Somehow, even from the grave, Claire’s sunk her claws into Jena and turned her against me. And Jena’s no better than the rest of them, trying to take me and my entire family down, and for what? To avenge that scab of a human being, Claire Heck?

Rage pools in the pit of my stomach and courses through my veins.

I won’t let that happen. Ican’tlet that happen.

Damage control.

I accelerate, inching the needle to ninety miles an hour again, even as the gas gauge takes another dip. That doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t need to go far.

“What are you doing?” Jena asks, shrinking back as the car continues to speed up.

I sigh and shake my head. “This isn’t how I wanted any of this to go. You were supposed to have my back. You really should have known better. Nobody can take down a Goodwin, not even you. And do you know why?”

“Why?” she asks with a croak.

“Because we’ll do whatever it takes to win.” I smirk and lock eyes with her. “You forgot your seatbelt.”

Before she can react, I brace myself and wrench the wheel to the right.

The Subaru hits the ditch.

The front of the car drops.

My seatbelt catches.

Jena screams.

And then we flip, rolling side over side, into the barren field beside the road.

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