Last Seen Dead | ONC 2023

11 | human lie detector

Once the food was done and everything had been cleared away, Kailani cleared her throat. "I know we haven't gotten the chance to properly get to know each other but this was nice."

"We've only seen each other twice, Kailani," he said. "It's to be expected."

"I'm surprised you remember my name," she said. "Do you think I'm memorable?"

Ethan was at a loss for words. He couldn't exactly say that it was because of Legacy that he knew her name. It was easy when you just saw a message yesterday with a picture and a name.

"Well you see..."

Kailani started laughing. "You don't have to explain. I know I'm hot, Ethan, and I'm flattered, but I'm very much taken. Hot real estate like me don't stay on the market for too long."

Ethan waited a beat before changing topics. "So... what did you want to talk about?"

Kailani sucked in a deep breath, as if she was preparing to talk about something heavy. "Have you spoken to Florence recently? She hasn't been picking up her phone or replying to my texts."

Ethan blinked at her, staring at her in silence. Didn't she know the truth already? She was a lot closer to Florence than he was. Last he had heard, the two were still on speaking terms.

"Well?" she asked, pushing him for an answer.

Ethan reached for his cup of water, forcibly drinking it and hoping it was enough to throw her off from whatever kind of question she was digging at. How could she not know Florence died?

And how, oh how, would he break the news to her?

"Ethan, I want you to look at me," Kailani said. "This is very serious."

He started choking on his water, setting down the glass, and took a second to catch his breath. It was very hard for him to look her in the face when she stared at him so seriously like that. He had forgotten this side of her and how she could be super intimidating when she wanted to be.

He opened his mouth to speak but instead of answering eloquently, the words sort of stumbled their way out. The more he tried to explain, the more he regretted every single word. "So... you see... uh... um... well... isn't she... er... dead? I mean, dead people can't really call or text..."

"Ah, so you do know that much." She sighed. "It's tragic what happened, honestly."

Ethan's face started burning, suddenly too aware of how fast his heart was racing. "Yeah... it's horrible. I mean, I know we all have to die eventually but it's sad she died at such a young age."

Was that a test, of some kind? He felt like he was under some kind of interrogation but he couldn't quite figure out why. It wasn't like he had any information— oh wait, there was Legacy.

"How did you find out?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "For someone so disconnected from the rest of the group, I wouldn't expect you to know she was dead and not this soon either."

"I saw it on the news," he said, regretting it as soon as the words were out of his mouth. He may not know much about Kailani but the fact she was a lawyer made her a human lie detector.

"It wasn't on the news, dude." She turned her chair so she was facing him directly. "Did you get any emails about Florence from a sender you don't recognize? Anything suspicious at all?"

Something told him that Kailani wasn't about to let this topic go but at the same time, was he even allowed to disclose to other people that he was Florence's post-mortem confidant?

"I'm not sure how much I can legally tell you," he said, hoping it would slow her down.

And it did, for a brief second, at least.

"Just nod your head once if the name Legacy Co. rings any bells," she said. "I've read through their terms of services and I know signing an NDA isn't a requirement for being a post-mortem confidant. So, you won't get in any trouble for letting me know this piece of information."

Ethan slowly nodded his head.

"Somehow, I knew she would pick you. The way she talked about you, it felt like she was always obsessing over what you said about her. Especially after the night you slept with her. I tried to tell her that other people's opinions of her, no matter who they were, didn't matter but alas."

"She told you about that?" he asked, his voice dropping. As much as he thought about that night, he never thought about the possibility of Florence telling anyone else that it happened.

"Yes, I'm her best friend. Of course I know," Kailani answered. "It's nothing to be embarrased about. I just worry about Florence. She's fragile and I would have cut your balls if you hurt her."

Ethan shuddered at the visual. "Good to know," he mumbled.

"Fortunately for you, Kevin doesn't know," she added. "It's none of my business to tell him."

"Thank you for that," he said.

It grew quiet again, and Ethan could tell that Kailani was in a fragile emotional state herself right now, so he wasn't sure what to say next. What could he even really say next? He already felt so lost with this conversation, with her. She was so unpredictable it was hard to know what to do.

Kailani sniffled, sounding as if she was on the verge of tears. "I thought knowing who she picked would clear things up but I'm feeling so fucking lost right now." She sighed, leaning back in her chair. "I've been visiting everyone Florence knew, trying to figure out who she picked and you were the last on my list, so it had to be you. I just don't know what to do with myself now."

Ethan looked down at the table, avoiding eye contact. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Fuck off with the sympathy," she said. "I just wish she wasn't dead."

The silence returned, much more suffocating this time. Ethan knew that she was going through a tough time — losing a best friend couldn't be easy — but he didn't appreciate her abrasive tone. Yet at the same time, did he even have the backbone needed to tell her that it wasn't okay?

"I'm sorry," she said, after a moment. "That was rude of me. It's not your fault she's dead."

Ethan nodded, lifting his head to find that Kailani was the one avoiding eye contact now. Tears silently rolled down her cheeks and as much of a stranger she was, it hurt him to see her cry.

"I can't imagine what you're going through right now," he said. "As cheesy as this is going to sound, you're not alone. And if showing up to my place to eat chicken helps, then I won't say no."

Kailani wiped away a few of her tears, laughing. "You know, I never thought of you as the sensitive type. I always thought you were cold and distant but I maybe I misjudged you."

"It's not just you," Ethan added. "Most people don't think I have any emotions."

"Well, that's dumb of them," she said. "You're human, just like anyone else is."

But was he really? As comforting as it was to hear Kailani say that, he still had doubts in the back of his head from time to time. Tonight, though, he set those doubts aside and let her words reassure her. It was nice to hear someone care. It had been so long since someone actually cared.

Florence was volatile but in her own way, she did care about him, too. She just had a lot going on in her life that made it hard for her to give emotional support back to those who supported her.

And Ethan was slowly beginning to realize that human relationships were rarely 50/50. Sometimes, you gave more than you got back, and that was okay. There was also a lot about her that he didn't know either and the more he uncovered, the more he realized how ignorant he was.

And if Florence was alive today, what would she think of all of this?