Page 140 of The Liar's Reckoning

“Where are you?”

“On my way home?”

“Where are you staying? I can come over.”

“Queens, and no. I’m staying with my mom. You can’t come there.”

“Why not?”

Because it’s private, I want to snap, but don’t.

“I’m fine,” I say instead. “If it’s out, it’s out. If they figure out it’s me—what the fuck am I gonna do about it?”

He sighs. “I know you probably don’t give a shit, but Chris is really upset about this. I’m not sure what happened. Gibson showed up and they left together, so I don’t really know what’s going on, but I wanted you to know I’ve got your back. We all do.”

I close my eyes and wish those words didn’t make me feel so fucking dead inside. All I can think about is Graham.Is he okay?

What did he not do that he was supposed to do? Why the fuck is this happening now? Is someone checking on him?

I force myself to be gracious as I dodge the debris of my life falling apart all around me. “I appreciate that, Drew. I’ll call you.”

I hang up before he can say anything else, all my bandwidth coming to an abrupt end.

Leaning back in the seat, I stare out the window as the car drives along the East River. I watch the black water dappled with city lights as the numbness settles in like an old friend moving in to take over my life until it becomes bearable again.

Am I prepared for what’s coming?

I don’t see how I can be.

I don’t know how Graham can be. With nerves ransacking my gut, I google him on my phone from the back of the car.

The video is everywhere. I see a grainy image frozen in a dozen thumbnails. That beauty mark on his cheek. His red lips parted with effort, eyes closed—euphoric. A social media post is front and center—one that’s been screenshot and written about by a major news outlet. That’s what I finally click on.

@SenatorGLawtherNY

Disgraceful. The left seems to have no low to which they won’t stoop. This deep fake video is a clear attempt to smear my name and advance a radical social agenda. The use of AI to create fraudulent videos perverts the intention of a technological breakthrough meant to improve efficiency, gather FACTS, and level the economic playing field.

The party who created this FAKE will be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

I can handle a lot. I pride myself on being able to operate well under pressure, to bench more than I should be able to, to juggle three jobs, to rise to the occasion when someone needs something I can provide no matter what I have to do.

But his categorical denial is shocking. A slap in the face I never could have seen coming. It’s more than enough to cast doubt on whether he’s the one in the video. Whether it will work? I don’t know, but AI gets better every day, and it’s not like I’ve never seen a good fake before. But that wasme. This wasus.

This video was a one-way ticket back to me, and he’s using it to shove himself deeper into the closet and deny we ever existed.

Devastated doesn’t even begin to describe it.

I will never fucking forgive him for this.

PART TWO

43

SILAS

Ican’t believe this is Jericho’s wedding. Of all the places—shit, of all the weddings in the city happening tonight, the one I’m being paid to attend has all my estranged friends in attendance, casting occasional suspicious glances my way while I try to focus on my client.

Although—it’s hard to think of Lilah as a client anymore. For going on five months, I’ve gotten to know her. I’d even consider her a friend. I’m certainly closer with her than I am with Drew, Christian, or any of their crew.

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