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“Milo,” I call out, reaching for him on pure instinct.
He doesn’t move, though. Doesn’t lean into my touch or make any attempt to close the distance between us. Instead, he keeps his gaze fixed on Sienna, urging me to look at her, too.
“You killed them all,” Sienna says quietly.
“No, I didn’t.” My eyes return to Milo. “I didn’t!”
“Yes, Max. You did. You might as well have confessed to everything in that book.”
“It’s a work of fiction. None of it is real,” I argue, searching Milo’s face for some sign that he believes me.
But he only looks sadder.
“No, sweetheart,” he says softly. “It isn’t.”
I recoil as though he’s slapped me.
“You think I killed them?”
Milo steps closer, hooking a finger beneath my chin until I’m looking directly at him.
“Max…”
I pull away from his touch and turn back to Sienna.
“I didn’t kill anyone! And what happened to Peyton was an accident. You saw it yourself! Besides, after everything she’s done to me, how can you possibly stand there and accuse me of—”
“This isn’t about Peyton,” Sienna interrupts. “Not anymore.”
She then takes a breath, and I’m struck by how lost she suddenly looks.
“You killed them, Max. All of them. And it started with Jordan.”
My stomach churns.
“No.”
“After Jordan came knocking on your door that first night, complaining about all the noise you were making and how she couldn’t get any sleep, you saw your opportunity to take matters into your own hands. Not long after, you knocked on her door, pretending you wanted to apologize. And since Jordan loved nothing more than having someone grovel at her feet, she let you in.”
I shake my head. “That never happened.”
“She went out onto the balcony to finish her cigarette,” Sienna continues, ignoring my protest. “And you followed her.”
“No.”
“You waited until she had her back to you, and then you pushed her.”
A strange ringing starts in my ears.
For a moment, I can almost hear it.
A scream.
A woman’s scream, sharp and terrified, cutting through the night before disappearing altogether.
I stare at Milo, my heart hammering against my ribs.
Why can I hear her screaming?
