“As if that’s a bad thing?” Spencer murmured, rolling her eyes. She stood with her friends in a back hallway near a couple of computer terminals and vending machines, watching the chaos from afar. None of them had quite recovered from their time in the cold water—they all still had towels slung over their shoulders and goose bumps on their arms. Their hair had partially dried, but Aria had seaweed twisted in her bangs. Emily cupped a mug of hot chocolate in her hands, and Hanna was still shivering. But maybe that was because she’d just announced that Naomi wasn’t A.
“She didn’t know what I did to Madison,” Hanna went on after Jeremy finished his announcement. “And, I mean, she organized a rescue team for us. It’s pretty obvious the real A sent us down the wrong path again.”
Spencer nodded, not really surprised. As soon as Naomi had arrived with a rescue team in tow, she’d begun to doubt their suspicions. But it was incredible how expertly A had made it look like Naomi was the one after them. Sending them notes when Naomi was around, for one. Organizing Hanna and Naomi to room together, for another.
She shut her eyes. “But A was on the boat. And A did deflate our life raft—right?”
Aria nodded. “It’s too much of a coincidence. A definitely did it. So that leaves Graham. Maybe he’s the one and only A.”
“But I don’t understand how Graham could have followed us to the cove without us seeing him,” Emily said, looking puzzled. “We were on open water. And he must have acted quickly—we weren’t in that cove for very long.”
“Maybe he overheard us talking about going to the cove and headed out there first,” Hanna suggested. “Or he could have already been there when we arrived, hiding in one of the caves.”
Aria squinted. “I don’t know if he could have gotten out there that fast after the explosion. But I guess anything is possible.”
Spencer twisted her silver ring around her finger. “Graham probably spied on all of our conversations in the common room. And just because Naomi wasn’t around, we thought we were safe.”
“Has anyone seen Graham?” Hanna whispered. “He could be listening right now.”
Everyone looked up. Spencer scanned the crowd in the lobby. Jennifer Feldman was tapping on her iPad by the check-in desk. Lucas Beattie was roving around the lobby, taking pictures for yearbook. She didn’t see Graham anywhere.
“I wonder what his next move is,” she said uneasily. “Do you think he’s going to tell as soon as we get to back to the States?”
Aria squared her shoulders. “I think we should confess instead of letting Graham turn us in.”
Confess. Spencer took a deep breath. Hanna and Emily shifted uncomfortably. It was obvious they were all contemplating the promise they’d made in the water.
Emily picked at her cuticles. “I’m so afraid of what’s going to happen when we tell.”
“We have to end this,” Aria said. “Out there in the water, I had this epiphany. I’d rather clear my conscience than live a lie. Even if that means suffering for it, I don’t think I can live another day with this hanging over me.”
Spencer nodded. “I feel that way, too. But you’re underestimating it when you say suffer, Aria. We could spend years in court. We could go to jail for the rest of our lives.”
“A could torment us for the rest of our lives, too,” Aria said.
“But we’ll never get to see our families again,” Hanna said. “Everyone we love will hate us.”
Tears filled Aria’s eyes. “I know. But like I said, I can confess for everyone, and—”
“No,” Spencer, Emily, and Hanna all said at once.
Spencer touched Aria’s hand and swallowed hard. “You’re right. We have to end this, and confessing is the only way. I’m in.”
“Me too,” Hanna said after a moment. Emily nodded as well.
They were silent for a while, listening to the din of the kids in the lobby. Jeremy once more announced that they were booking everyone on flights back to Philadelphia that would leave in the next few days. Spencer’s stomach sank just thinking about it. Once they got home, their lives would be over. If only she could stay in Bermuda forever.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the doorway. Reefer stood with his hands in his pockets. “Can we talk?” he asked, eyeing Spencer.
Spencer glanced at her friends, who shrugged and nodded. She walked toward Reefer tentatively, her heart suddenly thrumming. As soon as he got close, he grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. “I just found out what happened,” he said into her ear. “Are you okay? What were you doing taking a lifeboat back to those coves?”
Spencer’s body remained stiff and cautious, and she glanced around the room to see who might be watching. Even though A wasn’t Naomi, A had still sent texts that she should stay away from Reefer.
But then she remembered that they were going to confess soon. Life was too short to stay away from him. “It’s a long story,” she admitted. “But I’m fine. Naomi rescued me, actually. So I guess she’s not such a psycho after all.”
Reefer shook his head rapidly. “No, Spencer, she is. She told me everything.”
Spencer frowned. “Told you what?”
“She was the one gaslighting you.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “She poured baby oil on the floor, rigged the bed so it would break, all of it. Everything you thought was happening was true.”