It’s a stupid question. Why are either of us here? We’re the two girls most affected by Rose.
She has an empty bag in her hand and she stops by the shrine, bending to pick up the wilted, dead flowers.
“You clean this up?” I ask.
She doesn’t look at me as she works. “The Wallers don’t like it when it gets trashy-looking. Dead flowers and dirty stuffed animals are depressing. I figure if I come out here and freshen it up a little, it can help make it less painful to drive past.”
I watch her sort through the items. “That’s really nice of you.”
“Well, contrary to what you may think, I’m not actually a monster.”
That is contrary to what I think. One act of kindness isn’t enough to change my mind on what I know is true…
I frown.
“Did you know?” I ask suddenly, “That she was so unhappy?”
She pauses. “I knew that there was no stopping Rose when she was determined to do something.”
That’s not exactly the answer to my question.
She rearranges the items that are left and picks up a photo of Rose smiling in her cheer uniform. There’s not a trace of unhappiness on her face. She stares at it longingly.
I should leave this alone—leave Juliette alone. Now is not the time, but I can’t stop myself. “Maybe if you hadn’t cut me out all those years ago, swooped in and stole my best friend, this never would have happened! I could have been there for her!”
Juliette faces me, her eyes rimmed red and her lipstick faded from the long day. “I know you hate me, and I know you blame me for stealing Rose away from you, but that’s not what happened. Rose…she was always pushing the envelope, seeking the next high, searching for a buzz. I came to this town a little girl who still played with dolls and within weeks of becoming friends with you all, she’d changed everything. She was exciting and new and at first, I was just thrilled to be accepted by someone like that. Rose wanted to be my friend and that felt so good.”
I know how good it feels because once it was gone, I felt awful—like the sun had been stolen.
“Spray painting your house that night was her idea. Dating Finn? Her idea. All the other shenanigans she cooked up? I was along for the ride.” She chuckles darkly. “And I know how lame that sounds. You know, very, ‘Hitler made me do it,’ but it’s true. I did whatever she told me to, until…”
“Until what?” I prompt, terrified, but desperate to know.
“Until she went too far. Until she hurt people,” the look she gives me is guilty, “until the games she started playing were dangerous and scary and threatened to destroy people’s lives.” Her fingers curl around the bag in her hand. “If you want to know the truth, Kenley, I think part of the reason she pushed you out was to protect you and because you wouldn’t have let her go down this path, but not only that, she didn’t want you to go down this path. I only wish I’d had some clarity. I sat by and watched the whole thing unfold and never did a thing, and now she’s gone.”
It’s a heartbreaking revelation. For her. For me. For Rose.
My biggest question lingers, and I may never get another chance to ask. “Juliette, we found Rose’s SugarBabies account—”
Her eyes pop wide open and she holds out her hand.
“Stop.”
“Look, I know it looks bad for Rose, and I’m not—”
“Kenley, for the love of everything you hold dear, do not say another word.”
I frown. “What are you talking about?”
She takes a step closer and wraps her free hand around my arm. Her fingers are skinny but strong, digging into my flesh. “Rose was into some bad shit—shit that threatened to expose people, important people with a lot on the line.”
“What are you talking about?” I wince at the pain in my arm.
“Don’t you think it’s inter
esting the Wallers accepted the suicide story so easily? Brice Waller? The police will do whatever he says, in two months he’ll be signing their paychecks.”
“Juliette—”