Dear Diary

39. REVELATIONS

J E R O M E

"You're lying," I say. Chace isn't a killer. He wouldn't.

He couldn't.

"Am I?" Cassie says. "I guess he told me he's stealing John Wilson's gun from his safe for the hell of it, then."

Samara shoots a concerned look at me as the front door to one of the houses opens up and a woman appears. "What's going on out there? Is everyone all right?"

That's when I'm made acutely aware of the police sirens blaring in the distance, growing closer with each passing second.

I look at Gio. "Give me your keys."

He looks puzzled. "What?"

"Your keys, give 'em to me now!"

He digs in his pocket with one hand and tosses them to me. "Okay, but where are you going? The police are on their way."

"Tell them to send a unit to my pops' house when they get here. I think I know what Chace is planning to do."

I rush to Gio's car, hopping into the driver's seat. The passenger door opens and Samara gets in too.

"What the hell are you doing?" I say.

"You're not going alone," she says.

"Cassie tried to kill you, you have to give your statement to the cops."

"That can wait."

"But—"

"You're wasting time—drive!"

I heave a frustrated sigh, but start the car, praying I make it to Pops in time.

***

Samara and I hop out the car, racing to the front door of Pops' house.

"Pops!" I call as we reach the unlocked door, bursting inside. Then I freeze.

Chace and Pops are in the middle of the living room, a mere few feet away from each other.

And Chace has Pops at gunpoint.

Chace's eyes land on me. "Rome?"

I look at Pops, fear riddled all over his face and his hands up in surrender.

"I opened the door for him and he pulled a gun on me. He's lost it," Pops says.

Chace cocks the gun. "I really wouldn't talk about me like that if I were you."

Pops shuts his mouth and swallows.

Chace redirects his attention to me and Samara. His red rimmed eyes well with tears. "You're not supposed to be here."

"Well, I am. And this isn't you," I say to him. He shakes his head as I take a tentative step forward. "It's not worth it, bruh."

"He left me with him," he says, turning back to Pops. "You left me with a man who didn't give a shit about me. You and Diana."

"I'll be sorry about that for the rest of my life," says Pops. He's so convincing that I'd actually believe him if I wasn't well aware that he's rarely sorry about anything. At this moment, though, as much as I hate to say it, his manipulation might work in our favor.

"What's left of it," Chace hisses.

"There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think about that huge mistake I made," Pops says.

"And you never bothered to correct it! I was miserable after Mom died. No friends, no real family. All I had was Rome. You let me get close to him. You allowed me into this house, acted like the father I never had when that's exactly what you were. Did it make you feel better about yourself?" When Pops doesn't respond Chace yells, "Did it?"