Page 16 of Amethyst

I take a sip of my bourbon, letting the smoky warmth coat my throat. “Do you remember when I told you about Jenna? Jenna Holland?”

“Of course, baby. Your best friend who disappeared without a trace. I know how hard that was for you.” She pats my hand.

“It was. But I got past it. And you were a big part of that.”

She smiles, reaches toward me, touches the stubble on my cheek. I try not to flinch.

“I’m glad I could help.” She cups my cheek.

I take her hand and lead it away from my face, my pulse beating in my neck. “The thing is… Something amazing has happened, Mimi.”

She swallows. “What?”

I take another drink, let the bourbon swirl over my tongue and then meander down my throat, warming me. “Jenna is back. She’s been found.”

Mimi drops her jaw, nearly drops her drink, but steadies her hand quickly.

“What? What happened to her? That’s wonderful.”

That’s wonderful.

An afterthought, to be sure.

Mimi is a good and kind person, and she doesn’t deserve what I’m about to do to her.

I told Mimi about Jenna long ago, but I never told her the whole truth. The truth that I was in love with my best friend all those years ago.

The truth that I love her still.

“It’s an incredible story, but it’s not all happy. Remember about a year ago when that billionaire’s island was shut down, and a bunch of young women were found?”

“Oh my God. You’re not telling me that…” She clasps her hand to her mouth.

“Yeah. I am. Apparently Jenna was one of those women.”

Mimi clasps her hand to her mouth. “Oh my God! And she’s just now getting home?”

“She went through a year of intensive in-house therapy. All the women did. Only her parents knew, and they kept it quiet until now.”

“So you onlyjustfound out?”

“Right.” I take another long sip of bourbon. It’s good. A little caramel aftertaste.

“Have you seen her?”

“Yeah.”

“How is she? Is she okay?”

“She seems…resolved, I guess. Ready to move forward with her life.”

“What…happenedto her on that island?”

This is classic Mimi. She delights in the dark. She’s the kind who can’t look away from a train wreck.

“I didn’t ask her, of course. But I think we can both guess.”

“She didn’t give you any details?”

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