Page 131 of What Boys Learn

“You look surprisingly good,” he said.

Robert started to speak but I shook my head. This was my brother. My job.

“Ewan, please. We need a location. It isn’t about me. It’s about Benjamin.”

Ewan nodded. He moved even closer. Eyes right up to the camera. “Don’t worry, Dogface. I’m not going to be the one to tell Robert what you did.”

Ice crept into my veins.

“I’m asking if you know where Curtis is hiding.”

“And I didn’t tell Curtis,” Ewan said. “Not the important thing.”

“Focus,” I said. “Please.”

“I wouldnevertell him,” Ewan said. “Don’t you owe me for that? For keeping my word? For twenty-four fucking years?”

Robert said, “Stop screwing around—”

But Ewan was done with Robert. He only cared about me, now.

Ten seconds.

“I’m glad it’s stayed between us. It keeps us connected. So that when you realize we’re more alike than different, when you’re ready to stop pretending you’re better than me . . .”

Ewan’s face shrank to nothingness. Black screen.

They’d closed the connection, possibly even five seconds early. Someone had noticed I’d joined the call. Either that or they’d heard Ewan cursing.

Robert turned to me, extending an arm for a hug, but I slid away.

“I’m sorry, Abby.”

I needed to leave this room.

I needed to leave this town.

Robert wasn’t going to ask the question and Ewan was never going to tell. But that didn’t matter. The truth was never going away, and it had nothing to do with the night of the car accident.

Ewan and I both knew what I’d done.

49

BENJAMIN

We’re all in the stern—Dr. C seated with his hand on the tiller, Lenora standing and pointing to a lidded bench.

“Are the life jackets in there?” she asks.

He gestures for her to lift the lid and take a look—I know he’s just bullshitting—and I use the diversion to sit down on the opposite bench, pull the pack of cards out of my pocket, and fling them into the water behind me.

“Oh, shit!”

Dr. C and Lenora look up in time to see a splash.

“Nooo,” she says, long and low.

“I was getting ready to take your photo,” I say. “It just slipped out of my hand.”