Page 112 of Only Fate

“Ethan was at the party on the football field.” River pulls at his jacket collar, as if he’s suddenly burning up.

“With twenty other students.”

River works his jaw, focused on my every word.

“Why Ethan?” I go on to really drive my point home. “Why not retaliate against one of the kids who played the prank that cost Earl his job?”

As soon as the server drops off our drinks, River downs his shot. “Maybe Earl thought Ethan was one of them. There’s no disputing that the truck that hit Ethan’s Jeep was Earl’s.”

“In her statement, Essie said the truck followed Ethan every time he tried to move out of the way. Do you think a man who was carried out of a bar less than an hour before had the motor skills to do that?”

He glares at me. “And here you were, trying to convince me you weren’t fighting for Earl.”

“I’m fighting for the truth, River, and you said you’d helpme. I won’t work with Earl, but I also can’t forget this case until I know the truth. Blame it on the attorney part of meandthe part of me who wants to keep Essie safe.”

“Fine, let’s say we rule out Earl. Then, who did it?”

My gut knots. “That’s the million-dollar question.”

“If you’re thinking it was high school kids, there’s no way they could have pulled off a crime like that in revenge. Hell, half the kids were happy they had been suspended and got days off school.”

“It could be them or the family who wanted his property.” My mouth goes dry, and I pray that it wasn’t Pete and Agnes. I still can’t bring myself to ask them about it.

River cracks his neck from side to side. “Let’s figure it out, then.”

36

The past week has gone by in a blur.

I’ve been living on autopilot.

Eat, sleep, work.

“I can’t wait to eat here,” Lainey says as we settle at our four-top table at Callie’s Bake Shop. “My friend told me to try the carrot cake. Another suggested I go with the red velvet. I’ll probably order both … oh, and a double chocolate.”

We're having lunch to celebrate Lainey finishing her first week of training. I’m also using it to distract myself from constantly thinking about Adrian.

After ordering a peach lemonade, I take a restroom break.

As I’m washing my hands, another stall door opens. A cold dread washes over me when Jenna, a girl I went to high school with, walks out. Our eyes meet in the mirror, and she shrinks back a step.

“Oh, hi, Essie,” she says, startled.

I turn off the faucet. “Hi.”

Jenna and Ethan were close friends. Rumor had it they hooked up at a party once. When I asked Ethan about it, he told me he didn’t kiss and tell.

Jenna, her boyfriend, and their friends blamed me forEthan’s death. I’d gone through hell and suffered in the hospital for almost a month, only to return to school and have them taunt me almost daily.

They spread rumors that I had been in the car with Ethan because we were secretly hooking up. The guy I’d been dating dumped me because he believed what they’d said.

They claimed Ethan wouldn’t have died if he hadn’t had to drive me home. Ethan liked to study at his house, and since I hated driving at night, he would take me back and forth.

It wasn’t only them either. The entire football team held me responsible for his death. Half the kids at school wouldn’t even talk to me.

“How have you been?” she asks, staring into the mirror. She fixes her blonde hair and then starts washing her hands.

“All right.” I dry mine on a soft white towel with the bake shop’s logo embroidered on it.

---