Chapter 24 · His Mother's Name

The photo's still in my hand when Locke kicks the door shut behind Devin.

I don't look up. Can't. Because if I do I'm going to have to ask him if his mother really did it, if she walked into that warehouse twenty minutes before it went up and made sure nobody walked out.

"Ivy."

I flip the photo over. There's her handwriting. Neat. Controlled. The kind of writing teachers put gold stars on. Twenty minutes before the blast.

"Ivy, look at me."

I don't.

He crosses the room in three steps, takes the photo right out of my hand. I let him. My fingers are numb anyway.

He looks at it for maybe five seconds. Then he sets it down on the table, face down, like that'll make it go away.

"Your ex is a piece of shit," Locke says.

I laugh. It comes out wrong, too high. "That's your response? Devin's a piece of shit?"

"He is."

"He just showed me proof your mother was at the warehouse. Twenty minutes before—"

"I know.