“I did.”
“He pleaded not guilty. The trial’s set for June.”
“That’s good.”
“I’ll have to testify again in detail. About that night. About everything.” Claire’s voice was quiet. “I’m not looking forward to it.”
“You’ll be strong,” Garrett said. “Like you always are.”
Claire peeked at him from the corner of her eye. “I wasn’t strong that night in Montana. I was terrified. I thought he was going to kill Vivi. That I was going to watch someone else I cared about die.”
“But you fought anyway. That’s what strength is.”
“I fought because I remembered what it felt like to be helpless. To watch Lily die and not be able to stop it.” Claire’s voice cracked. “I couldn’t let that happen again. Not to Vivi. Not to anyone. I got angry, like you told me to. It worked.”
“You saved her,” Garrett said. “You attacked Derek when it mattered and bought time for us to breach. That was all you.”
“He was choking me. I was losing consciousness. You pulled him off. You…” She heaved a deep sigh. “You saved me.”
“We saved each other.”
Claire was quiet for a moment. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
The question he’d been dreading for three months.
“Because I was a coward,” Garrett said. “Because I knew if I told you I was Bobby, you’d see me as the failure I was.” He paused. “And I wanted—just once—to be the hero instead. To keep you safe. To make up for not being there for you and my sister when I should have been.”
“It’s not the whole truth, though. Is it?” Claire turned to face him fully. “Vivi came to see me a few weeks ago when she was in town. She told me something.”
Garrett’s chest tightened. “What?”
“She said that saving me wasn’t just about you being a hero. It was about Lily. About making her death mean something.” Claire’s eyes were wet. “She said you needed to protect me because if you did, then Lily’s sacrifice wasn’t for nothing.”
Garrett couldn’t speak. Couldn’t breathe.
“Is that true?” Claire asked. “Did you take the mission because of Lily?”
He could lie. Could deny it. Could make it about duty or honor or professional obligation. But he’d lied to her enough.
“Yes,” Garrett said. “When Vivi showed me your file and told me what was happening, I knew I had to be the one to protect you. Because you tried to save my sister. And if I could keep you alive, then maybe—” His voice broke.
Claire was crying now. Silent tears tracking down her face. “So itwasabout Lily. Not about me.”
Garrett stepped closer. “It was about both of you. The moment I met you in Montana, I realized you weren’t just Lily’s best friend anymore. You were brilliant and brave and strong. You were the woman who’d survived hell and built a career catching monsters. You were—” He stopped. “You were everything. And I fell in love with you.”
“You lied,” Claire said. Her voice was thick. “You slept with me while lying about who you were.”
“I was selfish,” Garrett said. “I wanted you so badly that I convinced myself the lie didn’t matter. That I could tell you after.” He looked at his boots, at the frozen ground. “There’s no excuse, Claire. I deceived you, I hurt you, and I’m sorry. More sorry than I can ever express.”
She was quiet for a long time. Long enough that Garrett thought she might just walk away. Leave him standing at Lily’s grave with his apology and his regrets. “Do you know the other reason I decided to come here on her birthday instead of the anniversary of her death?”
Garrett looked up, shook his head.
“Because I don’t want to remember the worst day of her life. I want to remember her living, laughing. Being Lily.” Claire pointed at the headstone. “She was so full of life, even at fourteen. She loved boy bands and that silly bird game app. She wanted to save all the animals.” A sob broke through. “And Derek and Collin took all of that away. Because they wanted to hurt me.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“I know. Logically, I know. I’ve been in therapy again since Montana. Three times a week.” Claire laughed softly. “Dr. Nunnely says I have PTSD. Survivor’s guilt. Trust issues.” She looked at Garrett. “Abandonment issues, too. Because apparently, everyone I care about either dies or lies to me.”
