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Mom closed her eyes briefly “I don’t kno to tell you this”

“Just say it,” I pleaded as h an? No Abbi? I couldn’t breathe Sebastian? Oh God, Sebastian had given me a ride to the party in his Jeep Oh God

I tipped s

Mom carefully lowered my arm “You weren’t in the car by yourself”

Oh God Oh God

Pressure claaze moved frantically fro her eyes shut “You were in the car with Megan andand her cousin Chris Phillip and Cody ith you, too” Lori blinked as she faceddown her cheeks “I’m sorry, Lena Theythey didn’t make it”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“No,” I whispered, staring at Lori “No That’sthat’s not right”

Dropping her head, she placed her hands over her face Her shoulders shook, and a treled to get in enough air “No,” I said again

“I’m sorry,” she replied

I flipped ht? Mo”

“No, baby” Moht “Theythey passed away”

Shaking my head slowly, I pulledsensation radiated all the way up to my shoulder “I don’tunderstand”

Mom took several deep breaths and seelistened in her eyes as she leaned over, resting her hands besideabout the car accident?”

I tried in that rasp were pieces of conversations Soets, and II could, if I tried really hard, re at Cody and thinking so—

Maybe I should drive?

That had beenof unease surfaced, of hesitation and concern I saw er door of an SUV—of Chris’s SUV Maybe I should drive?

No No

I shut ht as a knot of emotion expanded inwith Abbi Sebastian had driven me to the party How had I ended up in the car with thean—

I couldn’t think of that I just couldn’t do it “What happened?” I rasped out “Tell ”

Several moments passed “The policea deputy knocked on the door at eleven o’clock I was still up I was in the kitchen, and when I looked outside and saw hi had happened The police don’t show up—” Mom cut herself off, and I opened my eyes Her lips trembled “He told me that you had been in a very bad car accident and had been et to the hospital immediately”

“She called ht” Lori scrubbed a hand over her forehead “They didn’t tell us anything at first We heard that there were two patients brought in here Both were in surgery”

I shifted s under the thin blanket “Two? Is—”

“It was Cody,” Lori said, shaking her head as she looked up at the ceiling “He passed away last night”

Last night? Sunday? “How?”

“We don’t know exactly I haven’t spoken to his parents since they were called to his roo mine “All I know is that he had severe head trauhly “I don’t think they ever expected him to wake up”

No He couldn’t be gone I re about stealing Sebastian’s keys and going for a ride There was no way he washe was dead Cody waswas the quarterback He’d be playing in Friday night’s gaside Chris and Phillip Ru toaround

But if Chris and Phillip ith us, too, that meantthat meant they didn’t

My mouth e in me to ask what I needed to I couldn’t face what I wanted to know A knot for my lips, but there was no sound