Page 117

“I will.”

What alternate reality have I stepped into?

Serena closes the door behind her.

I stare at it for a moment, then turn around.

My mother is watching me. She smiles and reaches for the laptop. “She's wonderful.”

Yeah. She fucking is.

Which is becoming a problem of increasingly unmanageable proportions.

I drop into the chair beside her. “Watch the tape, Mother.”

26

UNACCOUNTED FOR

SERENA

Serena: I met Baryn’s mother.

Lila: Why the fuck is Nora there? What is happening?

Serena: I feel certain she will arrange our marriage, after all.

Lila: May the force be with you both.

Serena: I assume you mean Baryn and me.

Lila: No, I definitely mean you and Nora. Baryn is beyond help.

Serena: I’ve grown quite fond of him, thank you very much.

Calla:...

Lila: I suppose this means I can no longer pretend I hate him.

Serena: Feel free to continue, it’s very entertaining.

Serena: Going for a walk. Talk soon.

Calla: okay but we need a FULL debrief tonight

Serena: Assuming I survive the day.

Walking the ridge again is not, objectively, a bad idea.

Walking the ridge and then sliding halfway down the side of the mountain, crawling through a hole in a fence, and getting myself locked inside an abandoned property was a bad idea.

Those are separate things.

I intend to be significantly more discerning this time.

The trail is empty this late in the afternoon, which is exactly what I wanted. No conversation. No questions. No dead best friend laughing from a laptop screen.

Just cold air and the steady crunch of gravel beneath my feet.