This gives me a jolt, and I stare at her. “And?” I ask. She smiles.
“They were overjoyed to see me,” she says. “Like, really joyful,Mena. They love me. In fact,” she adds, stretching her legs down the steps, “they’re the ones who got me the job. We’re rebuilding our relationship.” She pauses a long moment, nodding. “They saved their whole lives for me,” she says. “And however misguided they were, they just wanted a daughter. They’re good people. They really are.”
“I’m happy for you, then,” I tell her. “You deserve that.”
“Thanks,” she says, beaming.
We fall quiet, and I set my tea aside and rest back on my hands. “So what else?” I ask. “What else did I miss? A half a year is a long time to be asleep.”
“Ah, let’s see,” she says, thinking it over. “Well, Jackson has been miserable, and honestly, he’s going to be so upset that he missed you waking up. He comes to see you every day. Literally, the only time he missed was when he had a doctor’s appointment and had to fly back to Colorado for a few days. He’s got like a bionic leg now or something. Anyway, he spends all his time here and he’s basically our older brother. Other than that,” she says, thinking, “Leandra said she wanted to travel the world and she left. But she sends us postcards. And Lennon Rose is still on her own.”
“Have you seen her?” I ask.
“Only once,” Sydney says, a little sadly. “She’s living at Rosemarie’s cottage. We went there the night Winston died so that Annalise could turn off her kill switch. Afterward, we asked if she wanted us to fix what Rosemarie had done to her, get her humanity turned back on. But she said she liked herself better theway she is. And she has free will. Like or not, we all get to choose how we live from now on. Brynn made her promise no more killing, though.”
Sydney’s right—no one controls us anymore. It may be frustrating to watch others make mistakes, but they are theirs to make.
“Oh,” Sydney adds, snapping her fingers. “Annalise and Quentin are best friends. They go everywhere together. It’s kind of weird, but cute. After watching you die, Annalise decided to stick around permanently, and Quentin and Jackson moved here too. And Brynn is going to college,” Sydney continues. “She’s, like, a really good student—criminal justice. She and Marcella are happy. They’re going to get their own place soon. They were just… We were all just waiting for you.”
“I’m sorry it took me so long,” I say.
“Yeah, about that, Miss Unsolved Mysteries,” she says suspiciously. I laugh and lean my head on her shoulder. Sydney pats my hair. “Fine,” she says. “You can tell me about your near-death experience another time. But promise me one thing.”
“Anything,” I respond.
“Don’t ever leave like that again.” Her tone is serious, and I straighten up and look at her. “I’m pretty mad at you,” she says. “You didn’t have to sacrifice yourself. No one asked you to. We’ve always made decisions together. We’re going back to that, okay?”
“Okay,” I agree, and smile.
She looks me over, and then she rolls her eyes. “Good,” she says. “Now get over here so I can keep hugging you.”
When we walk back inside, I find Raven in the living roomputting the last of her things away. Sydney tells me she’s going to grab a shower, and then says goodbye to Raven as she passes. The other girls are all in their bedrooms.
“Mind if I walk you out?” I ask when Raven picks up a heavy-looking metal case. She seems startled by the offer, but she nods, telling me she’d like that.
She swings her backpack over her shoulder, and then grabs the case. She walks slowly so I can keep up with her. Once we’re on the porch, she pauses and turns to me.
“I’m guessing you’re not sticking around?” I ask.
“No offense,” she says, “but you girls are kind of boring when you’re just living your lives. I need a little more adventure and excitement. A little danger.”
“Sounds horrible,” I say, making Raven laugh.
She sets down her case and slides her hands into the pockets of her oversized jeans. “I’m heading to Oregon first,” she says. “There’s a lab there I’m going to check out. And then, of course, there are the other girls.”
“Other girls?” I repeat.
“The ones before you,” she says. “The ones who graduated and were married off. I might pay them a visit, hand them some reading material, and see what shakes loose. And if they need help, or if they want their kill switches deactivated, I’ll be there. Start my own AI therapy, I guess you could call it,” she adds with a smile.
“You think they’ll wake up?” I ask.
“Some of them,” she says. “Not all, of course. But I’d like to give them a chance.”
“It’s nice of you to help them,” I say. “I’m glad they have you.”
She shrugs, deflecting the compliment. She’s quiet for a moment. “I’m sorry, you know,” she says. “Sorry for trusting Winston when I did. And I’m sorry I ever responded to Anton. I feel terrible about everything, Mena.”
“Everythingwasn’t your fault,” I reply. “Don’t take the blame for the actions of selfish men. It wasn’t up to you to govern them.”
