“I didn’t kill my parents,” she said. The energy in the room was so charged it seemed to crackle between them. “Though I also won’t lie and pretend that I miss them. I’m glad they’re gone.” She allowed the words some space to settle before she continued. “They were negligent, careless, reckless, and completely unfit. They sold drugs in order to pay for the drugs they took. Only they had a bad habit of not paying their debts, which is what got them into the sort of trouble that ultimately ended their lives. They also had a bad habit of forgetting to buy things like soap, and toothpaste, and food. Some of my earliest memories are of me digging through our neighbors’ trash for scraps to eat. Stories like that aren’t known for ending happily, and yet mine did. The day my parents died, I got a second chance at a much better life, and I’ll always be grateful for that.” It was more than she’d ever revealed to anyone, and after living with it in her head for so long but never daring to put a voice to it, the words felt strange and foreign on her tongue.
Everyone fell into a sort of stunned silence—everyone but her harshest critic: Layla, of course.
“I feel like you’ve mistaken this for a game of two truths and a lie.” She wasn’t the least bit affected by Madison’s story. “Question is, which is which?”
Tommy shot her a sharp look, and the look Layla flashed in return assured Madison that whatever they’d once shared was now doomed.
“Think what you will.” Madison inspected her nails. “But why would I tell you all that when I’ve worked so hard to sell a very different, much more wholesome version of myself?”
“Who set the fire?” Layla was relentless.
Paul. Paul set the fire. He risked his job, his reputation, and his life in order to protect me.
It would be so easy to finally confess and unburden herself. But so many years of her and Paul jealously guarding each other’s secrets precluded her from spilling them now. She couldn’t imagine ever stating those words out loud. She hoped she’d never have to.
“Was it you?”
Madison shook free of her thoughts and focused on Layla.
“Was it Paul?”
Madison may or may not have blinked, but otherwise she remained very still.
“Or perhaps it was Gerald Rawlins?”
Madison froze. Layla had just spoken the name of the man she and Paul had framed for killing her parents.
Layla folded her arms across her chest and smirked. “Maybe you should start over, from the beginning. And this time, tell us the real story.”
TWENTY-SIX
THIS IS WHAT YOU CAME FOR
Tommy could not believe the mess he found himself in. Madison had tricked him, his friends had all turned against him, but the worst part was the way Layla ignored him.
Layla was feisty and prone to occasional verbal sniping—two things Tommy had always liked about her. But he’d also seen another side that was tender, sexy, and loving in a way he never saw coming. She was the most passionate girl he’d ever known, and yet he couldn’t help but wonder if he should maybe let her go without putting up too much of a fight.
He truly did like her, but sometimes he worried they were like some dumb reality TV couple—the kind who convinced themselves they were soul mates when their lives were filled with roses, champagne, and Jacuzzis, only to discover they could barely stand each other once the viewers and cameras turned elsewhere.
Real relationships required the kind of work the reality shows tended to skip. And Tommy was no longer sure he had it in him to keep trying.
At some point, Madison had stopped speaking. And Tommy had been so lost in his thoughts that he struggled to catch up to where she might’ve left off.
“You’re seriously trying to pretend you didn’t know he survived and that he was in jail all this time?”
Tommy watched Madison squirm. Nothing obvious, but he’d been studying her all day, and the way she pulled the throw higher onto her lap was a sure sign Layla had hit a sore spot.
Still, Tommy felt sorry for her. Madison was bruised, battered, and exhausted, yet she put on such a good show of having it all together no matter the circumstance, it was easy to forget she was just an eighteen-year-old girl who’d spent the bulk of the summer fighting for survival.
“As far as I knew, he died in the fire. Last I saw, he was unconscious and the house was in flames. Not long after, I was taken to the hospital, and then Paul had me stay with his mom until my name was changed and my adoption arranged. Paul did everything he could to protect me, and I guess that includes lying about what happened to the shooter. You have no idea how shocking this is. It makes me question everything I thought I once knew. And while I’m definitely upset to learn I’ve been in danger all this time, I wouldn’t have had half my success if it wasn’t for Paul. It’s because of him
the shooter was never able to find me. Or at least not until now.”
“Well, the shooter’s not the one who found you,” Layla spat. “The shooter is dead. He died in jail last year.”
Madison stifled a yawn. It seemed a strange way to react in the face of such news, but Tommy guessed her fatigue was getting the best of her. Or maybe she was faking. It was impossible to tell what was really going on with her.
“Do you think you would’ve gone missing if it weren’t for the contest?”