an idiot. Don’t worry, your secret is safe.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look, I know you’re mad at me for ignoring you yesterday, but…” He stops. Turns away. Sighs. Scrubs his face with his hands again.
“What the hell is going on, Cooper?”
“Listen, I don’t want to tell you everything right now, but we have a problem. You’re caught in something… bigger. Bigger than either of us realized. And I’m sorry I ignored you last night, but I need my eyes on you. All the time. Until I figure this out. Do not go home with Lars tonight. Do you hear me?”
“Is that an order, my king?”
He scoffs. “Yeah. It is. We’re only halfway through the summer. All we have to do is make it three more weeks, then you’re done.”
“But what about the fourth challenge? We have five weeks left, not three.” It makes me sad just thinking about it. Five more weeks of this? I can’t do it. I’m not gonna make it.
“The last two weeks aren’t spent here at the Glass House.” He looks around nervously, like he’s checking to see if anyone is close by. “I’m not supposed to tell you this, but the last two weeks are just getting ready for the rite.”
“The rite? Would that have anything to do with Sophie being an offering?”
“What? Who told you that?”
“Sophie.”
“Jesus fucking Christ. That girl—” But he stops and just turns his back on me.
“Cooper. What the hell is going on?”
He turns back to face me. “You don’t want to know, OK? You don’t. And I can’t tell you. But even if I could, I wouldn’t. Because once you know things, Cadee, you can’t unknow them.”
“Well, thanks. I feel so much better now.”
He comes towards me, puts his arms around me and holds me close. “I’m just trying to protect you. I want to get you out. I do. But I think you’ve been in this entire time. I just didn’t realize it. And I’m not going to tell you anything else. So you have to trust me to do the right thing and take care of it”—he pushes me away from him just enough so he can look me in the eyes—“so I can protect you. You just need to trust me.”
I see fear in his eyes and my stomach sinks suddenly.
“Will you trust me, Cadee?”
I nod, but find I don’t have any words. Things suddenly feel very dark and serious.
He places his hands on my cheeks. “Three weeks. That’s it. Just don’t ask me anything for three weeks. Just…” He sighs. “Help me, Cadee. I really need your help right now.”
I place my hands over his. “OK, Cooper. I do trust you. Just tell me what you need me to do.”
“Do not agitate Dante.”
“I’m not agitating him!”
“Shh,” he says. “I know he’s the problem here. Believe me. I know. And I’m going to have this talk with everyone, not just you.”
“Sophie isn’t going to go for it. She says she’s sick and she needs to go home.”
“She’s not going home. And don’t fall for her innocent act. She knows everything. We all know why we’re here. Pull her through this week. That’s what I need. Get Sophie through this.”
“How? We’re not really friends.”
“Sit with her. Talk with her. Pat her fucking hand like she’s a child. Do whatever it takes to keep her calm. One more week and we’re going to buy her back, remember?”
I nod. “OK.”
“We’ll buy her back, force Dante to take Mona because she can handle him, and then we’re done.” He smiles his charming I’m-Cooper-Valcourt smile. “Done.”
He’s already admitted that there’s more, so that’s not even the truth.
But I get the feeling that Cooper is standing on the edge of something right now. Barely holding shit together.
“OK, Coop. I’m on your side. I’ll make sure she’s OK.”
“Thank you.” He sighs. Then he kisses me. It’s not long, or passionate, or even a little bit romantic. But it does feel like a real thank you. “I’ll make it up to you. At home. You’re coming home. Every night. Hear me?”
“I’ll be there.”
“OK,” he whispers, looking over his shoulder at the clearing. Everything looks normal over there. Maddie and Natasha already have their feet in the pool and are chatting. Jamie and Roland are sitting at a nearby table playing cards like all these crises aren’t happening. Mona is sitting with Isabella, having what looks like a one-way conversation. And everyone else is inside with Sophie. “Be nice to Dante today. That’s all we