Page 142 of The Friend Scheme
“About who we are. About who I really work for.”
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. He swipes through and then turns it to show it to me.
It’s a photo of Jason standing with a female cop. She’s wearing the full uniform. The badge gleams against her chest. I look closer, and see the similarities. They have the same face shape, the same hair color, and even the same nose.
This can’t be happening.
“I’m not a Donovan,” he says. “My last name is Kendricks.”
I look at the woman again.
His mom.
Jason isn’t who he said he is.
He’s the son of a cop.
PART THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“So let me get this straight,” I say. “You’re the son of a cop?”
“I am.”
“And this whole time, you’ve just been trying to get to know me so you can tell your mom about my family.”
“More or less, yes.”
That all sinks in.
“Shit,” I say.
“But, Matt, listen to me. I couldn’t do it.”
“Couldn’t do what?”
“The scheme. I couldn’t finish it. It’s why I told you, before you told me anything they could use.”
“If you think I’m going to believe anything you saynow…”
“What else could I be hiding? What else could there possibly be?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “But I do recall thinking something similar the last time you did a big reveal about who you are. I thought:He wouldn’t have another secret.There’s no way. And yet, here we are.”
“I know. And you never fully trusted me, did you? You always picked up that something was off.”
I feel tears prickle. “Actually, I did. In the end, I did.”
“Oh.”
“So you know, good job. You’re very good. Have you ever thought about going into acting?”
Tears fill his eyes, too.
“Why areyoucrying?” I ask.
“Because I don’t want to be this person.”
