gaze was laser focused on Tori, as if she could see inside her brain. See her thoughts.
“Of course I did. Why would I lie? I didn’t—”
“Everyone knows, Tori.”
Alice didn’t look away, didn’t blink. Her gaze was hypnotic. It drew Tori and at the same time terrified her.
“I . . . I don’t know what you mean.”
Not even a blink. “They know Brendal had figured out your secret. She was going to tell the whole school.”
Impossible. The only person who had known was dead. Tori had confided in her cousin Amelia. No one else in the whole wide world knew.
Unless . . .
Alice nodded as if reading her mind. “Yes. Sarah knows. She’s always known.”
Tori swallowed back the awful taste suddenly filling her mouth. “Sarah is my best friend. She wouldn’t say anything to hurt me.”
“Are you certain?” Alice countered. “She goes to that very strict church. They don’t accept just anyone, you know.”
Tori’s heart beat faster, throat tightened. She struggled to draw in a breath. “You’re wrong.” She stole another covert glance around the library. Some still stared at her and whispered behind their hands to their tablemates. Faster, faster, Tori’s heart pounded. “No one knows.”
“I know. Remember?”
The air stalled in Tori’s lungs as her gaze swung back to the other girl’s. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. No one knows. Not even Sarah.” A tiny burst of anger gave her courage. “You’re lying.”
Tori had seen Alice talking to Brendal. Lots of times. At least for a while. Then Brendal had started her usual mean crap, and Alice had ended up all alone again. Tori had felt sorry for her. She’d invited Alice to sit with her and Sarah at lunch again—despite how Alice had blown them off for Brendal. Sarah hadn’t wanted to. Not at first anyway.
But it was the right thing to do. Wasn’t it?
“I do know. You just don’t remember what happened that night.” Alice smiled. “Doesn’t matter, why would I ever tell? I’m your friend. I love you. But they see it. Anyone who really looks can. It’s so obvious. They probably think you and Sarah—”
“No,” Tori snapped. “Sarah and I are best friends. That’s all.”
“Has anything like Brendal’s fall ever happened to anyone you and Sarah know?”
Tori shook her head. “Things like this don’t happen at Brighton.”
As hard as she tried to focus on the words printed on the pages, Tori’s mind wouldn’t latch on to them. It was like looking at a foreign language. Alice still stared at her. She could feel her gaze burning her cheek. Had something happened between her and Alice one of those times Tori had spent the night with her? She’d had weird dreams when she’d stayed at Alice’s house. But this wouldn’t have been a dream. Worry tore at her. She didn’t dare ask Alice to explain what she meant.
“This is going to destroy your life, Tori. Your family—everyone here—they’re all going to be shocked and believe the worst. That’s what people do. Someone has to take the blame for what happened.”
Terror rose in Tori’s blood. Her throat tightened to the point she couldn’t speak.
“I know you’ve thought about this before. When your father left. And then when your cousin was murdered.”
The whispered words echoed in Tori’s ears as if Alice had shouted them.
“You’re thinking it would be easier not to have to deal with it. I understand. I would be terrified too. It would be so humiliating if they learned the whole story about who you are.”
“You can’t tell,” Tori warned, finally finding her courage once more. “Whatever it is you think you know, you can’t say a word.”
Alice’s lips formed another of those sad smiles. “Don’t worry. I would never tell anyone. You can trust me. I won’t let you down. Whatever you decide, I will never tell. No one ever has to know the whole truth. Unless . . .”
Tori blinked. “Unless what?”
Alice leaned closer. “Unless Sarah already told them.”
“I’m telling you,” Tori argued, “even if she knows, she wouldn’t do that. We’ve been best friends too long.”
“She told me before that night.”
The words stabbed deep into Tori’s chest. This wasn’t possible. She couldn’t be sure Sarah even knew. They had never talked about it. Alice could be lying . . . she could be trying to make Tori say something she didn’t want to say. “I don’t believe you.”
“How do you think I knew? That night—when it happened—you didn’t notice I wasn’t shocked?”
Tori couldn’t remember. What was she talking about? Fear pounded