Page 51 of The Debutantes
“Her parents told us in confidence,” Mom says, “so I know you won’t go sharing that around, but yes.”
“But…” I wrack my brain for a way to finish that sentence. But the email Lily sent us. But her necklace, abandoned in the Den. But the Jester. The Pierrot.
Not that I can tell them about those last two.
And then I remember Lily’s fight with Wyatt. What if she really did run away? Is that all it takes for a girl like Lily to fall apart?
No,shouts a voice deep inside me—but it’s not loud or brave enough for me to say it, too.
“But what about what happened at the ball?” I ask instead. “The videos, and the blood.”
“We’re still working on finding who did it,” Mom says. “But I think your instincts were right. It was probably another vandal like last year, trying to get their misguided point across.” She sighs. “We do get people like this every year, you know. People who don’t understand our traditions, who think we’re ‘elitist.’ I suppose they’ve just been getting more… reactive, lately.”
I want to argue, but again, the words won’t come out. Mom thinks it was a vandal. Two days ago, I was thinking the same thing, but now it feels so far from the truth.
“Aren’t y’all worried about her?” I ask. “Even if Lily ran away, that doesn’t mean she’s safe.”
“Of course we’re worried,” Dad says, placing a hand on Mom’s knee.
“But we’re also worried about you,” Mom adds, her steel softening only slightly. “And Wyatt.”
The texts I saw on his phone flash through my mind again, spiking my heart rate. Do they know that he lied?
“Wyatt?” I repeat. “Why?”
“His girlfriend is missing,” Mom says. “And if somethingdidhappen to her, god forbid, then you know exactly where everyone’s fingers will point.”
It’s what I thought when I first found the texts on Wyatt’s phone, but hearing it out loud, it sounds all wrong. Wyatt lied about what happened that night, andI’mthe one who’s in trouble for trying to find the truth? I know I’m supposed to be careful, to be more delicate, but suddenly, I’m too pissed to keep biting my tongue.
“Did you know he lied about driving her home?” I snap. “I saw his texts. Wyatt left without her, but he told Lily’s parents—”
“We know.”
I stare at Mom, like maybe I heard wrong. “What?”
“Wyatt told us. It was our idea for him to stick to the story that he drove Lily home.”
I’m too stunned—too enraged—to speak.
“We had to think about what’s best for our family,” Mom continues. “Not just for Wyatt, but all of us.”
“So that’s what’s most important, then?” I explode. “Making sure we look good? Not the fact that another Queen ismissing,one year after Margot—”
“Of course it’s important.” Her voice is glass, slicing sharp and clear. “We want what’s best for Lily, too. We want her safe as much as everyone else. But we have to think about how this looks.”
I cross my arms, feeling like a petulant child now, but I can’t stop it. “Why?”
“Why?” Mom looks at me like she can’t believe I’d even ask. “Because reputation is everything in this city.Everything.How else would your dad and I be doing well enough in our businesses to put a roof over your head and send you to Beaumont? How else would you have gotten into Vanderbilt? Because you work hard, you’ve built your reputation, and you know the right people. Period.”
It stings like spice to the eyes, making them water—even worse because she doesn’t know what I’ve been hiding from her, from everyone.
And she’s right. I know she’s right. But one Queen is dead, and now another is missing. How can our reputation be more important than that?
“Listen, peanut,” Dad steps in. “I know you’re only trying to help. You care about things, and that’s good. It’s none too common, these days.”
Despite everything, his words soften my anger the tiniest bit.
“And I know you want there to be some connection here,” he continues, “between what’s happening with Lily and what happened to Margot. Hell, I did the same thing myself last year, looking for some kind of explanation for why…” He stops, shaking his head. “But I’m sorry, peanut. There isn’t. Margot was a good kid, but she had a lot of problems. It’s tragic, but sometimes, things like this happen. And Lily… I know it’s hard, but she’ll be home soon. Iknowit. We just have to let the right people do their job.”
