“… isn’t something we did,” Hanna finished for her. “The fall didn’t kill her.”
Aria blinked hard. The gears in her brain turned very slowly. “So … does that mean … someone else killed her?”
On the muted TV, reporters hurled questions at Mr. Clark. Aria attempted a smile. Hanna reached over and squeezed her hand. Spencer and Emily hugged, both of them bursting into tears. A strange mix of feelings flooded over Aria: relief, elation, but also paralyzing fear. Someone else had done this. They were innocent. The words were beautiful music in her ears.
And yet her hands were shaking badly and her heart was thudding hard. They’d been about to confess to a crime they didn’t commit. Ruin their lives. Destroy their relationships. They’d done it to get A off their backs, but maybe this was exactly what A wanted them to do all along. Because, perhaps, A was Tabitha’s real killer. Not them.
“Guys, Graham doesn’t make sense as A anymore,” she said slowly. “He had no reason to frame us before Jamaica. Whoever is doing this to us is someone we’ve known for a long, long time.”
Everyone exchanged a horrified glance, definitely thinking the same thing at the same time. “Real Ali,” Spencer whispered.
“It’s got to be,” Hanna gulped.
Suddenly, Aria’s cell phone bleated. At first, she thought it was the detective calling back, but then she saw the words on the screen. One new text message. Her stomach swirled. Any remaining notion that Graham was guilty was gone. People in comas didn’t send texts.
Hanna’s phone rang next. Spencer’s chimed. Emily’s let out a low-pitched buzz. Everyone looked at one another, the blood draining from their faces. Then Aria grabbed her phone and pressed READ.
You got me, bitches—I did it. And guess what? You’re next.
—A
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT …
Yep, I did it. And I’m only getting started. The rescue crew may have thrown the girls a lifeline, but these liars are still a sinking ship. It’s just a matter of time before they go down for good.
Spencer’s a little out of breath from chasing Reefer all over the main deck. She may have reeled him back in for now, but nothing with stoners is ever set in stone. If I have anything to say about it, their relationship will crumble before they ever reach the ivy gates of Princeton.
Poor little Hannakins, losing another friend thanks to moi. I guess no one ever told her that bridges over troubled water always get burned. Speaking of burns, I hear someone from the ship will be rehabbing in Rosewood’s very own burn clinic. And nothing soothes a guilty conscience like a little volunteer work!
The Preppy Thief stole Emily’s heart then swan-dived into the sunset, but Jordan’s postcard makes it sound like their love story’s not over quite yet. Or is it? For Emily, all roads lead back to Ali. And nothing’s harder to extinguish than an old flame....
As for Aria, Tabitha’s necklace isn’t the only thing she needs to keep buried. If a certain someone finds out about her starry, scary night last summer in Iceland, it’ll blow up a whole lot more than a cruise ship.
Enjoy the sunshine while you can, ladies. Tans fade so quickly when you’re behind bars.
Kisses!
—A