I have to watch my ass. I have to stay one step ahead.
66
Jackson
“The hell have you been?” Charleigh’s voice screeches in his ear. Jackson already regrets calling her. “I left word that it was urgent—”
“Sorry, I wasout. Hit a few bars, treated myself to dinner—”
“Okay, okay, but listen. Things arecrazyhere.” Charleigh sounds unsteady, unhinged.
For a panicked second, Jackson wonders if she’s somehow found out about Abigail and Alexander. Because if shehasheard it from someone else first—like Alexander—she’llneverforgive Jackson for keeping it from her. He’ll basically just have to act shocked, like it’s the first time he’s ever heard such a thing.
He palms his glass of water, swallows a mouthful, readies himself for his Oscar-winning performance. But then Charleigh says, “Blair Chambers is in a coma.”
Record scratch. What the—
“Oh, dear God, what happened?” he asks, feeling terrible for being just a tad relieved that this isn’t about Alexander’s cheating.
“Diving accident. Out at the swimming hole—”
“But, like,how?”
“It was a freak thing.” Charleigh lowers her voice almost to a whisper. “Apparently, a canoe somehow got loose anddrifted out at the exact moment Blair dove off the roof of the boathouse—”
“Oh, my God.” His hotel room spins, twirls. Jackson clutches at his stomach. “That’s awful. What’s the prognosis? And how’sMonica?”
“She’s a mess, I’m sure. I actually haven’t seen her yet. Hospital lobby was a zoo. I’m going by there in the morning. Jackson, it’s bad. But hopefully she’ll make it—” Charleigh’s voice cracks.
Jackson’s mind spins.
A freak accident?
He doesn’t say the quiet part out loud.
The part that the back of his mind is chewing on. Seeing Nellie, face tear-streaked, storming out of the woods the night of the party.
Charleigh telling Jackson later that night, after all the guests had left and it was just the two of them sipping champagne by the pool, that Blair had tumbled out of the woods with Luke, shirt on backward. That Nellie was upset.
Another thought chases that one. An even darker one. Jacksonremembering when Charleigh first told him about Nellie’s crush. And how Luke might be dating Blair.But if he is, Charleigh had said,I will find a way to fuck that up.
“You still there?” Charleigh asks, jittery. He can picture her roaming around the kitchen, splashing wine into the bottom of a glass, chewing her nails.
“Yes, sorry, but good grief, that’s so very terrible. And sickening—”
“I know,” Charleigh says, her voice small and sad now.
Jackson silently admonishes himself for even entertaining the thought that his best friend could be capable of something so atrocious.
But Nellie…
“Well, keep me posted. I’m only hanging around here for another day or two. And I promise to call you back sooner next time. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
67
Jane
