Page 57 of His Pretty Little Lies
“Mom.” Her hand goes to her mouth. Her mother's eyes bounce between the two of us.
“What’s going on? Is something wrong? Who is he?” Laurie is tall like Kinsley with the same hair coloring. She’s in scrubs with her badge clipped on.
“He’s, ah?—”
I’m not beating around the bush with this. The door has already been kicked open, and I’m going to barrel right through it. There is no way in hell I am hiding who I am from her mom, and I sure as shit am not going to hide how much Kinsley means to me.
“Jax Marino.” I give her a nod with a half smile. Laurie’s eyes widen a fraction.
“Marino?”
“Yes, this is Jax. My boyfriend.” Kinsley finds her voice, and that half smile I was wearing turns to a full one as she’s telling her mom who I am to her.
“Boyfriend? He doesn’t look like a boy.” Laurie‘s eyes flick over to me, lingering on a tattoo on my forearm.
“He’s in my grade.”
“You might have met me earlier if you had come to school events.”
Kinsley stiffens at my remark. Her mom ignores me—well, the best that she can.
“Are you okay, Kinsley?” She steps closer.
“I’m fine. Not that you’ve checked in. You know a girl died last night. At a party I was at after the football game.”
“What? I hadn’t heard that. What happened? Are you okay?” she asks again, and there is concern written across her face.
“It was from drugs, but you should have known. I should have called you.” Kinsley’s not wrong. That is something a child should be telling their parents. It was one of the first things I had Damon do after he handled Blair.
“Why didn’t you?”
“Why would I?” Kinsley fires right back at her. Laurie’s mouth presses into a hard line. She glances down, her head giving a slight nod.
“I deserve that. Is that why you’re here?”
“You want the truth?”
“I’d prefer that.”
“I came to read one of your notebooks.” I guess we’re telling her. I let her go. If this is how Kinsley wants to do this, so be it.
“Kinsley, I’d never do that to you.”
“Well, you don’t do much for me.” She quickly backs away, making Laurie visibly flinch. Though she doesn’t snap back or get defensive.
“What do you need from the notebook?”
“Remember the girl? The one you spoke about, that had lost her mind?”
“Yes.” She nods. Kinsley keeps going and tells her about Trent and how we think the girl from last night is connected. Then she tells her about the missing police report. Her mom takes it all in, and I can see the concern growing on her face.
“I think you were right about there being a new drug on the streets,” Kinsley adds. Her mom is quiet for a long moment. I can see the wheels turning in her head.
“And the Marinos?” She wants to know how we’re wrapping ourselves into this.
“Want to end it.” I reply.
“And you can’t trust the police. If that report is gone. She killed them.” Kinsley says.
