Chapter 16: Don't Sign It

The statement came in at four that afternoon.

Nate read it aloud to me on the library steps, in a flat voice.

It was two pages, typed, with a line at the bottom for his name.

It said I had sent him threatening messages about Brynn.

It said I had told him I would ruin her.

It said he was afraid for her safety.

Under it were six screenshots of a conversation between a phone with my name on it and a phone with his.

I took his hand and made him hold the screen still.

The messages were in my style, almost. The punctuation was mine. The jokes were not.

"I never wrote any of this," I said.

"I know."

"Look at the time stamps. Two of these are from Saturday, during the party. I was in an ambulance."

"I know, Cass."

"Then why are you shaking?"

He sat down on the step.

"Because there's something else," he said. "And I should have told you before the cabinet."

I waited.

He took a breath.

"The night you showed Tyler and me the pictures of the EpiPen in the lounge, I went to the bathroom."

He stared at his shoes.

"I took a photo of the picture on your phone. I sent it to Brynn."

The step was warm under my hand.

"You sent her the pictures."

"I sent them in about a minute. I told myself she had a right to explain."

His face was wet.

"That's how she knew you had proof. That's why she moved so fast. The bank, the video, the report. All of it came after."

"She didn't need you for the bank."

"No. But she needed me for everything after the bank."

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