Mae chimes in. “Annie gets the school, and oversight into everything you do with the girls in your networks.”
“Absolutely not.”
I hear Fia whispering beneath her breath, “A Keane is a Keane is a Keane, my Keane. I’m going to burn the school to the ground.”
“You have no choice.” Mae sounds matter-of-fact, like a teacher explaining the rules on the first day of class. “If you don’t do what Fia says, you’ll have nothing left. She’s listing account numbers in her head right now. She had access to everything, and you never checked up on her. I’m sorry, sir.” The sarcasm positively drips from her voice. “She never thought about this around me. Otherwise I definitely would have reported it to you like a loyal employee.”
“Secrets,” Fia says, and I can hear the smile on her voice but it doesn’t sound like a happy smile. “Even from you, James. Especially from you.”
“Fine.” His teeth strain the sounds of the words. “We’ll talk about this at home. There’s no reason to make a decision now. I have a dead father to take care of.”
“I’m not going home,” Fia says.
Fia is pulled away from me. “I’m sorry,” James says. “I’m sorry for everything. I shouldn’t have asked you to do this. I was scared, and desperate. I thought we could handle it together, like we’ve always done. This doesn’t have to—this isn’t the end. This is the beginning. You and me. I love you. I can’t lose you. Not now.”
“I love you, too. But that doesn’t make it right. I can feel that now, I think.” Fia takes my hand again, turns me around.
“Fia,” James says, and for once he doesn’t sound angry. He sounds lost.
Fia doesn’t go to him.
“You can’t burn it to the ground, Fia,” Mae says, voice teasing. “So stop thinking it. Annie and Cole will work out the details of the school with James after the funeral.”
“Yeah. Come on, Sadie,” Cole says. I feel safe with him here, shielded from James so that I can focus on Fia.
She walks forward and I walk with her. “Good-bye, Pixie,” Fia says. “I’m sorry. I lied about everything.”
“You can’t lie to me.” Tears play at the edges of Mae’s words. “I always knew you liked me, you stupid brat. I’m coming with you. I have a suspicion I’m out of a job as a receptionist. My typing skills sucked anyway.”
We walk out to the elevator, Mae talking down security, saying exactly what they need to hear to turn around and leave before finding Mr. Keane’s body. Eden is waiting in the lobby, flirting madly with the guard. “Well,” she says, huffing. “It’s about time.”
Together, we walk out. Five very not-dead girls, plus the love of my life. This future was never supposed to be any of ours. It wasn’t one Sadie saw, or I saw. It was one Sarah couldn’t begin to hope for, to the point where it drove her mad. It was a future not even Fia could make for herself.
This is my future. The future I made happen.
We are free.
The New York day is bitter cold and devoid of sunshine, but I’m warm.
FIA
After
“I NEED YOU.” ANNIE SCOWLS IN FRUSTRATION AND disbelief. “I can’t do this without you.”
I smile, because she always has been the worst liar. “You can.”
“But I don’t want to.” When I don’t answer, she changes tactics. “What about Adam? He’s going to be in Chicago near the school. We have to keep an eye on what he does, help him. And he’s in love with you, Fia.”
I zip up my bag, tap tap tap tap the zipper, try to think of anything I’ve forgotten.
I’d like to forget nearly everything.
Adam, sweet gray eyes long fingers Adam. “I hope he finds someone who can love him back.”
“But where will you go?”
I close my eyes, breathe deeply, think of nothing. I need to be nothing. I need to be nothing for a very, very long time until I can decide what something I want to be. “James bought me a sailboat.”