Page 57 of The Fall of Iris Henley
“Someone you know,” he says, more of a statement than a question.
“Yeah.” God, this is about to be the most humiliating confession of my entire life. But Max is still here, still on my side and willing to listen. He’s the only one who can help me.
So I tell him.
“I’ve been texting this guy,” I say. “I know him from summer camp. We’ve been talking for like three months, but he lives in Houston. I told him… private things. Secrets. Including some about my friends. He was really convincing. Or maybe… I don’t know, maybe I just wanted to believe he liked me. Anyway, he’s the only one that knew those secrets about Sophie and Hayden. The only one I told, anyway. And now he’s totally vanished. Not responding to any of my texts at all. So I guess he got what he wanted.”
Max is gawking at me now, and I feel myself blushing.
“Believe me when I tell you I know how pathetic it is,” I say.
He gives a little start, then shakes his head.
“No, you’re not… it’s not pathetic,” he says. “I’m just trying to catch up. When did he start texting you? And what kind of questions was he asking?”
And then I’m telling Max everything. About meeting Jonah at camp; about how sweet he’d been last summer when he heard what happened with Rocky and Lynette. I tell him I didn’t think much about the secrets and stories I was sharing, even if they weren’t mine. I figured they’d never make it back to Varda.
“So he’s been, like… flirting with you, just so that he could mess with you on Sekrit?” Max looks bewildered. “But why?”
I suddenly feel exhausted. “Good question. I’ve been assuming Rockytruther was someone who cared about Rocky or maybe Lynette, but maybe I was wrong. As far as I know he never even knew Rocky. He knew Lynette from camp, I guess, but they weren’t close.” I shrug helplessly. “Or at least, I didn’t think they were close. But I also didn’t know that she and Rocky were hooking up, so clearly Lynette had secrets.”
“Meaning you’re no closer to knowingwhythan you were before the dance,” Max says.
“And now I’ve got no way to ask,” I say. “He hasn’t talked to me since Saturday. I don’t know if that means he’s done with… whatever this was, or if it means he’s gearing up for something else.”
Max looks out into middle distance. I can sense the wheels turning in his head. His phone is suddenly in his hand, and after a minute of searching, he holds it up to me. When my eyes focus, I see what he’s found: the roster for the tennis team at Joseph McKinley High School in Houston. Featuring photos and names and stats for all the players—including Jonah Bergman.
“He can block you, he can delete you, he can ignore you digitally,” he says. “But if you show up in person…”
I stare at him. “If I show up in person he’ll have nowhere to hide,” I finish. “You’re right.”
On the screen, Jonah’s headshot smiles pleasantly. Now it looks hollow to me. A mask he puts on to look human.
“Ifweshow up in person,” Max amends. He sets his jaw, and for once, instead of smirking and sardonic, he looks determined. “Because I’m going with you.”
DAY ELEVEN
CHAPTER 31
MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 12:37PM
US-290
According to the website, the next McKinney High School varsity tennis match starts around 3:30PMthis afternoon. It’s about two and a half hours to Houston from Varda, so Max and I set out after lunch in his twenty-five-year-old Camry. It’s a stick, which means he’s driving—he tried to teach me once, but all I accomplished was rabbit-hopping the car around the block.
“Uh, sorry. Ignore literally everything on the floor,” he says when he opens the door for me. I side-eye the crumb-covered passenger seat and the fast-food wrappers, receipts, and other detritus on the floor. He looks embarrassed.
“I should’ve cleaned it out. Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine, I am just wondering how Katy let you get away with this.” I gingerly get in the car. “She strikes me as an exacting mistress.”
“You have no idea.” He leans over and starts wadding up the trash.
“How’s she feel about all of this, anyway?” I ask.
“All what?”
“Our road trip. You helping me,” I say. “She’s not exactly my biggest fan already.”
