I turn around to see what Duncan thinks. At first he looks shocked, but when his gaze shifts to me, his features soften. He’s clearly remembering the kiss we just shared. I need someone who can help me—not kiss me. “I have to go.” My words sound abrupt, even to my own ears.
I climb down the tree and go inside the house, mentally berating myself. I’m not here to make out. I’ll splash some cold water on my face and then go back and mingle. Observe. Try to slip in questions.
But the bathroom is occupied, and Carly’s just taking a spot outside the door.
From behind it I hear a sound. Like choking. Or maybe sobbing.
“Who’s in there?” I whisper to Carly.
“Sam.”
“She must be really upset. It sounds like she’s crying.”
“Really? That’s what you think it sounds like?” Carly raises an eyebrow, not moving from where she leans against the wall. I realize she’s not quite sober. “How do you think she stays so thin?”
Understanding dawns. “Oh.” Sam’s not sobbing—she’s throwing up. She’s bulimic.
“My brother was trying to help her. Trying to get her to stop being obsessed with perfection.” Carly rolls her eyes. “A lost cause.”
The bathroom door opens, and I realize, too late, that the sounds inside ceased a minute ago.
Sam’s high cheekbones are flushed. “Your brother,” she hisses at Carly, “was the only one who tried to save me. Everyone else knew how bad things were at home, but he was the only one who cared. He even got between me and my dad once. I paid for it later, but still he stuck up for me in a way no one else ever had. But then he fell in love with Naomi, and it was like he didn’t even see me anymore.” Her face drops forward, and her blond hair swings over her eyes like a wing covering a sleeping bird.
“So are you saying that you hurt him?” Carly puts her hand to her mouth. “Him and Naomi?”
“Of course not.” Sam raises her chin. “But back then, I thought Terry must have killed her. And you know what? I didn’t care. If he had called and asked me to go away with him, I would have left in a minute. I wouldn’t have hesitated. All these years, I kept my old AOL address just in case. I kept thinking he would come back for me. Terry saved me, and then he just walked out of my life and left me all alone.” Her eyes glitter with unshed tears.