“Fine,” she says as we drift up to the dock. “I’ll prove he’s lying. If that’s what it takes for you to finally trust me.”
We dock and Kennedy moors the boat and stalks back to the house. I climb down into the cabin and find a couple of towels. I dry myself off with one and smack Chase with the other.
He startles awake. “What did I do?”
“Have you been asleep this whole time?”
“I mean, not since birth. I dozed off at some point when we lost the wind. Does that mean I deserve to be towel-smacked awake? Reasonable minds may disagree.”
I sit down next to him with a sinking feeling. “Chase, something weird is going on. I saw someone go overboard, and they never resurfaced.”
His eyes widen. “Did you send out a mayday?”
I shake my head. “I don’t even know how to do that.”
“Kennedy does.”
“I’m the only one who saw it.”
His expression changes. “Oh.”
It suddenly clicks, and I can’t even begin to describe how furious it makes me. These are supposed to be my best friends. “You think I’m imagining it. Like hearing Emily in the house. You think I hallucinated a person falling into the lake and disappearing under the water.”
“I mean… How well did you see it?” He looks like he wants so hard for it not to be true,andfor me not to be having some kind of breakdown. Why can’t he just take me at my word?
“I was on the dock, and it was dark. But Isawit, damn it.You know how I feel about water, and I dove in and swam all the way to the boat. That’s how sure I was.”
“Hey.” He puts a hand on my arm. “If you’re that sure, we can go to the cell spot right now and call 911.” The cell spot is the one place nearby with reliable cell service—a secluded spot in the woods, about a fifteen-minute hike. A drive to town would take five minutes longer. But I hesitate. Ifeelsure. But sure enough to attach my name to a police report? Something about the thought sets off alarm bells. I can’t put my finger on exactlywhyit feels like such a bad idea. But it does. I wish I didn’t always second-guess myself. I wish Ryan were here.
I sigh. “I could be wrong.” My eyes fall on Mila, still sleeping. “Chase,” I say quietly. “What can you tell me about the fire? I’m trying to piece together what happened. I figure all of us saw things the others missed.” Better not to mention Ryan’s suspicions. It probably wouldn’t be the smartest way to get honest answers, anyway. It backfired with Kennedy—she shut down the second I even mentioned the possibility that one of us could have been at fault.
Chase frowns. “Why?”
Mila yawns and stretches. “Why are you like this, Chelsea?” She turns to Chase. “She legitimately gives me nightmares.”
“She’s one of my best friends,” Chase says with a warning look.
“I’ll tell you what happened last year if you vow not to mention ghosts again,” Mila says.
“Fine,” I say. We’ll see. “I know about the gas leak… not so much about the spark.”
She relaxes. “I was asleep when the fire started. Sorry Ican’t help you there. Chase carried me outside to safety.” She nestles her head into his shoulder.
Chase pulls away slightly, giving her a puzzled look. “No I didn’t.”
She gazes up at him. “Yeah, you did.”
He shakes his head slowly. “I went to try to stop the fire. By the time I gave up, there was no way to get upstairs.”
Mila sits up straighter, looking alarmed. “Oh my god. Someone did. Some guy carried me out of the house and laid me down on the grass. I thought you saved my life, Chase.”
He shrugs helplessly. “I had no idea. I’m glad they did it. Can we pretend it was me?”
“No, seriously—if you didn’t, who did?” She looks at me.
“It had to be Ryan,” I say.
“Ew.” She shudders.