Tim, Jasmine, and Georgia sat in the row behind them because they wanted to talk with him more. That left Lois and Zach to sit with me in the back. Lovely. The Lois part was fine. She’d finally thawed toward me, but Zach... Not so much. He drilled me with question after question about why I had to die. Why I stayed away. And his ever-annoying logic as to why I contacted him, despite knowing I shouldn’t. Sure. It might be some version of love that compelled me to be worried about him and check on him, but not the love-love like I felt for Nate. No, that fire with Zach was long out, but I was still responsible for him. I owed him at least that much. “Mandy?” Zach’s voice trickled through my thoughts. “Oh. Yeah?” I sat up. “I’m sorry about Nate.” “You are?” He nodded. “You’re sad. But I’m mad he hurt you.” “Didn’t mean to.” “But he did. And not just your face, arm, and whatever he punched or bruised.” Zach snatched up my hand in his. I was too tired to fight him on it.
