“Don’t lose hope.”
I nod, wiping away the tears that are sliding down my cheeks. “Thanks, Mom. Thank you for understanding.”
She pats my knee, acknowledging me in touch, but for the rest of the drive, she remains quiet.
When we arrive home, Maeve is the first person I see. She’s leaning against Penelope’s car, arms crossed, her face softening the moment she spots our vehicle driving up the driveway. Penelope stands beside her, phone tucked away for once, Elena hovering near Julian, their shoulders closer than normal. Ryan isn’t here, and I remember that he has an exam.
As soon as my mom puts the car in park, Maeve opens my door for me.
“How was it?” she asks.
“Anything?” Penelope asks from behind her.
I shake my head. “They’re still gathering information. It seems like they know nothing.”
Julian swears under his breath as my mom’s driver’s door shuts. She walks towards the house, ignoring us. Elena’s jaw tightens, her eyes flicking away for a split second before returning to me with sympathy.
“We’re going to the hospital,” Maeve says. “Do you want to come?”
I nod. “Of course.”
The drive is quiet, the kind of quiet that presses against your ears until every thought gets louder. I watch the city blur past the window, wondering how many signs I missed because I wasn’t looking for monsters.
At the hospital, we’re allowed to go back and see him. Judge Ravenshaw gave them all of our names to put on the list, with the rule that I’m present every time.
Maeve squeezes my hand when we walk into the room where Cody lies still. Sure, he’s breathing, but he hasn’t moved an inch on his own. I don’t cry this time, instead I feel hollowed out, like someone scooped out everything inside me and left the shell standing.
Cody looks smaller in the bed. Tubes everywhere. Machines breathing and blinking and keeping time in a way that feels cruelly precise. I sit beside him, careful not to disturb anything, and rest my hand on his.
“We came to see you,” I whisper. “We’re so worried.”
Julian takes his other hand and mutters, “Yeah, Cody. We’re here. You need to fight, man. We haven’t gone to Saint Lucia yet.”
Elena adds, “Or Lake Como, like you promised.”
I can’t help the tears that fall down my cheeks. I catch everyone with tears in their eyes. We all stand around Cody, mourning him. Maeve rests her head on my shoulders, and somehow that makes me feel lighter, like she’s bearing the pain for me.
We don’t stay long. I think this is just as hard for everyone as it is for me, but they can’t slack off on their responsibilities. Luckily, I’ve been given the space because of the transfer.
“Does he know that you’re transferring?” Penelope asks me on the way out.
I shake my head. “Unfortunately, no.”
She touches my shoulder and forces a grin. “He would be so happy to hear the news.”
I nod, even though that felt like a punch to the gut. I realize now how untrue that statement is. I don’t think he would be happy to hear it, which is why I kept it from him for so long.
The drive back to my house drags on, and everyone’s quiet. It feels like they’re refraining from any conversation since I’m in the car, like I can’t handle anything normal.
When it’s only Maeve and I sitting in her Lexus, watching everyone drive away in their cars, Maeve turns to me and blows out a breath.
“Okay. So, I should probably tell you before someone else does.”
My stomach tightens. “Tell me what?”
Her eyes soften, apologetic. “Penelope and Julian. They slept together a few nights ago.”
The words land wrong. Not heavy, exactly. Just… disorienting.
