“Did she say that?” X asks, this look of pure revulsion crossing his pretty features. “What a bitch. There’s no way in hell. I mean, they’ve gone through phases over the last two years where they’re pretty friendly with one another, but nothing at that level.” He exhales sharply and looks me over. His green eyes are sympathetic, his full mouth turned down in a sharp frown. “This isn’t fair to you, Dakota.”
“It isn’t fair to Parrish or Tess or Danyella or anybody else either.” I glance down at my phone and check for messages. The only one I have is from Chasm. Because only Chasm is left. Maxine is gone. Lumen is gone. Danyella is gone. Parrish is gone. My grandparents are off-limits and might even hate me after what I did to Maxie.
So this is it.
I’m coming over to check on you after school whether Tess likes it or not.
My heart warms at his words and my gaze drifts over to the vase of sunflowers. Maxx follows my eyes and takes note of the way I’m staring at them; he’s that perceptive.
“From Parrish?” he asks, his voice decidedly neutral.
I shake my head.
“Nope. Chasm.” I tap out a response—I’m okay, don’t get yourself in trouble—and look back up at Maxx. He has a strange expression on his face, one that I can’t quite decipher. “He brought me these the day before Parrish went missing.”
“Huh.” X runs his tongue across his lower lip before looking back at me. “Can I get you anything? Something to eat or drink? An ice pack? A heated compress? Some narcotics.”
I chuckle, remembering that he said he was on his way to studying sports medicine.
“This isn’t the first time you’ve tried to take care of me,” I tell him, smiling. “You helped me with my ankle, too. I never properly thanked you for that.”
Maxx smiles back at me, but it isn’t a real smile. It’s too sad to be real.
“No thanks needed,” he says, slapping his hands on his thighs and then standing up. “Okay, so. You’re bedridden. We need to find Parrish. I’ve been combing comments and videos all day looking for anything that might help.”
“Hey X,” I start, tracing my finger across the surface of my phone. I can’t bear to look at him and ask this question, so I keep my gaze averted. “How’s Maxine doing?”
He stops pacing and turns to look at me. I can feel his stare, even with the painkillers I gobbled down like candy making my body feel light and fuzzy. It’s intense, the way he’s looking at me.
“She’s upset, but determined,” he tells me, his voice edged with worry. “She doesn’t believe that you said what you said of your own free will.” My heart spikes with hope, but then plummets just as fast. If Maxine knows I’m lying, then she’ll start looking around for reasons. I don’t want her to dig into this and get herself into trouble.
I look up and meet that pretty green gaze of his. The color is exquisite, almost too rich for the human condition. I blink a few times and then look away again.
“What did you tell her?” I ask, wondering what the two of them talk about, if they stay up late whispering to each other on the phone the way Parrish and I talked when we had no doors.
“As close to the truth as I could.” Maxx comes back over to the bed and sits down on it again. “That you love her, no matter what you say. And that she should just give you time to figure things out.”
I look up again, fatigue sweeping over me in a wave. I’m so tired, but I know I need to work on Parrish’s case. If I’m this exhausted, how must he feel right now?
“Did she buy it?”
X purses his lips and looks away, giving a slight shake of his head.
“Nope.”
Of course she didn’t. Because she’s Maxine Banks, and she loves and trusts with her whole heart. She’ll drive herself into an early grave looking for reasons on why I said what I said. I can’t let her down.
I exhale and try not to let worry overwhelm me. The faster I solve this, the safer Maxine will be. I think. Actually, what will happen if I do find Parrish? The Slayer will give him back to me and then what? How will he stop us from going to the authorities then? Parrish will be grilled by the FBI, the detectives, by Tess, by the world. What will he say?
One problem at a time, Dakota. One at a time.
“Do you have a laptop with you?” I ask, because I still have yet to get mine back.
“I’ll go grab it,” X says, disappearing into Parrish’s room. When he comes back, he settles himself down at my desk and turns to look at me. “I made a spreadsheet with some of the comments that stuck out the most. Do you want to go over it?”
