“The end,” I said.
I thought, maybe, I could hear the ocean, but it was probably just the blood in my ears.
“I’m done emoting,” I told him.
He didn’t actually say,Thank God, but sometimes you can tell.
Then I asked, “Areyouokay?”
In the strawberry tree, the squirrels were still playing tag, barely more than shadows chasing each other now. The hum of tires faded. The light faded, and the world grew thinner.
“Yes,” Bobby said.
Because he was Bobby.
“I swear to God, if that’s all you say after I spilled my guts,” I told him.
He wasn’t exactly the eye-rolling type, but he did give my hand an amused little shake. “How did you put it? It made me feel feelings.”
“More,” I growled.
He actually laughed, which all things considered, was very rude. But the amusement dropped away, and when he spoke, his voice was heavy. “I’m…not happy.”
“Okay. This is good. Keep going.”
“I—” Bobby released my hand and rubbed his eyes. My heartbeats counted out his silence. He stopped rubbing his eyes and put one hand on the roof of the Pilot, and he looked off into the dark, and I didn’t know what he was seeing. “I tried to talk to him,” Bobby said, “and he looked at me like—like I was nobody. Like I wasn’t even a person. Everybody else who tried, he stared in the mirror, but helookedat me.” Bobby stopped again. I could feel him battling himself, fighting to control his emotions. “I should have—” But the words cut off. And then he said, voice tight, “I should have donesomething.”
“He’s scared,” I said. “And he doesn’t know what’s going on.”
“He knows. He’s scared, but he knows.”
“Bobby, he idolizes you. He was probably embarrassed you saw him like that.”
Bobby shook his head. “I should have done something.”
“Like what?”
He made an unhappy sound that wasn’t exactly a laugh. Then he looked at me. “I’m proud of you for taking a risk with Keme. I know that was hard for you. And I don’t think you should read too much into what Keme did. He loves you.”
“You realize this is a pot-and-kettle situation, right?”
“I’m kind of gathering that.”
“Well, I’m going to help him even if hedoesthink I’m the most annoying person in the world. Keme didn’t do this. I understand the sheriff is in a bad spot because there’s all this evidence, but I’m not going to let anyone pin this on Keme.”
I waited for the arguments, but what Bobby said was “I don’t know how much I’ll be able to help you. The sheriff is keeping me out of this.” Sourly, he added, “Rightly so.”
“I know.”
His jaw was tight, but he spoke with forced casualness. “What are you going to do?”
“Do we have any idea where Keme got those bruises?
Bobby shook his head.
“I think I should talk to Millie,” I said. “What did she say when she gave her statement?”
“She didn’t. She ran out of the station the minute you went with the sheriff. Louis too.”
