Page 91 of Diem

“But…what?” What was he about to say? Holy shit…

“You think he did it,” I breathe and Diem frowns, crossing his arms but I’m not buying the bored expression when he says, “Did what?”

“Killed her,” I say, swallowing. “Killed Dixie.”

The silence that follows my statement is filled with tension before Diem chuckles. Bristling, I clench my hand, tempted to punch that smirk right off his face.

“Mae, your dad isn’t a fucking killer.”

“How do you know?”

“I just do,” he grunts.

Eyeing him silently, I finally say, “You can’t hide shit from me forever.”

His eyes narrow and I brace for the lies about to roll from his mouth. “I’m not hiding anything, but your ridiculous theories are fucking boring. Stay away from Penny and for fucks sake, just go back to being the boring bitch you are.”

The silence that follows his statement crackles with tension. Although his words cut, I suspect he’s trying to distract me. Fine. Don’t tell me, but I’ll damn sure figure it out myself.

“I’ll take you home,” he says but I don’t comment and the entire way, I stare out the window silently.

When we pull up to my house, I step from the SUV and pause when he says, “Just let it go, Mae. Please.”

It’s the please that brings me around. When I meet his gaze, he raises a brow before looking away and I stare at his ticking jaw before whispering, “Fine.”

But I think we both know it’s a lie.

∞∞∞

Diem

The farther into this charade I go, the harder it is to continue. Shit, I’m not sure she buys anything I say, and she shouldn’t.

I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel. But I have to keep her away from bad shit even if that bad shit is me.

Which makes me a bastard because I still take what she gives so fucking sweetly.

I’m surely going to hell, but what a way to fucking go.

Chapter Twenty

Maeve

In the morning, I wake to a text from Ollie.Stop being an idiot, Dad isn’t a damn killer

Shit. Thanks Diem.

I type out,but he was a skeevy fuck, rightbefore erasing it and dropping my phone to the bed.

Diem’s squirrely behavior leaves me with more questions than answers but clearly Ollie isn’t the one to ask.

Unfortunately, I slept for shit and daydream through class of leaving once again. I have money saved up. My grades are passable, but college is out. I have a sneaking suspicion before I make it that far, my world will no longer be what it was when I considered it.

For all I know, the money tucked away in my college fund will go toward legal fees, leaving me with no option but community college.

Whatever. I’m willing to work. If it means blowing this shit town and the assholes in it.

On the way to the parking lot after school, Matt bumps his shoulder against mine and I meet his sheepish grin with an absent one.

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