Chapter 19: Bring Your Zero

I read Lila's post at the kitchen table at half past midnight, with my father across from me and the kettle going cold.

It had four hundred words and a photograph of the two of us at the dress fitting.

She wrote that she had been the one grieving, and that I had been busy.

She wrote that I had known about the game from the first night, and had joked about sharing him in writing.

Under that came three screenshots, cropped to the words.

Take him, he's all yours.

You two deserve each other.

Honestly just keep him.

"None of that is a lie," I said.

"No," my father said. "It's just missing everything else."

"People will believe it."

"Some will."

Seventy people had liked it by one o'clock.

By two it was two hundred, and the first comment said: Wow. Poor Lila.

I went to bed and didn't sleep.

At six I got up and found my mother in the kitchen with her glasses on.

She was reading comments aloud to herself in a low, furious voice.

"Don't," I said.

"I'm only reading the ones I intend to answer."

"Mom."

"All right." She took her glasses off. "I'm going to make breakfast instead."

Darek texted at seven.

Are you okay? Don't reply to it. I'm coming over.

I wrote back: Not yet. Let me see what the day does.

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