Her words cut something loose inside Haley. She jerked her arm away, and her sneer distorted her mouth. "Friends! Yeah, you were a friend, all right."

The wind picked up. An animal scuttled in the brush. Meg finally understood. "This is because of Ted ..."

Haley's face crumpled with fury. "You told me you weren't in love with him. You told me you were just saying that to get rid of Spence. And I believed you. I was so stupid. I believed you until that night I saw you together."

The night Meg and Ted had made love at the church and Meg had seen those headlights. Her stomach twisted. "You spied on us."

"I didn't spy!" Haley cried. "It wasn't like that! I was driving around, and I saw Ted's truck go by. He'd been out of town, and I wanted to talk to him."

"So you followed him here."

She shook her head, the movement jerky. "I didn't know where he was going. I just wanted to talk to him."

"And you accomplished that by spying on us through the window."

Tears of rage spilled over her lids. "You lied to me! You told me it was all fake!"

"I didn't lie. That's the way it started out. But things changed, and I sure as h.e.l.l wasn't going to make a big announcement about it." Meg regarded her with disgust. "I can't believe you did those things to me. Do you have any idea how it felt?"

Haley swiped at her nose with the back of her hand. "I didn't hurt you. I only wanted you to go away. go away."

"What about Kyle? That's what I don't understand. I thought you were crazy about him. I've seen you together."

"I told him to leave me alone, but he kept showing up at work." Dirty mascara tears smeared her cheeks. "Last year, when I liked him, he wouldn't even talk to me. Then, when I stopped liking him, all of a sudden he wanted to go out."

The pieces came together. "You didn't change your mind about going to U.T. because of Kyle. All along, it was because of Ted. Because he and Lucy weren't getting married."

"So what?" Her nose was red, her skin blotchy.

"Did you do this kind of thing to her? Hara.s.s her like you've hara.s.sed me?"

"Lucy was different."

"She was going to marry him! But you left her alone and went after me. Why? I don't get that."

"I didn't love him then," she said fiercely. "Not the way I do now. Everything changed after she ran out on him. Before then-I had a crush on him like everybody else, but it was a kid thing. After she left, it was like I could see all the pain in his heart, and I wanted to make it go away. Like I understood him when n.o.body else did."

One more woman who thought she understood Ted Beaudine.

Haley's eyes were fierce. "I knew then that I'd never love anybody like I love him. And if you love somebody that much, they have to feel it back, don't they? I had to make him see me for who I am. It was working, too. I only needed more time. And then you went after him."

Haley was long overdue for a reality check, and Meg was angry enough to deliver it. "It was only working in your fantasies. Ted was never going to fall in love with you. You're too young, and he's too difficult."

"He's not difficult! How can you say that about him?"

"Because it's true." Meg stepped away from her in disgust. "You're a baby. Eighteen going on twelve. Real love makes you a better person. It doesn't turn you into a sneak and a vandal. Do you really think Ted could love someone who's been hurting another person the way you have?"

Her words. .h.i.t home, and Haley's face crumpled. "I didn't want to hurt you. I just wanted you to leave."

"Obviously. What were you planning to do to me today?"

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me!"

"I don't know!" she cried. "I- When I saw you swimming, I guess I was going to take your clothes. Maybe burn them."

"Real mature." Meg paused and rubbed her wrist where Spence had grabbed her. "Instead, you came out of hiding to protect me."

"I wanted you to go away, not get raped!"

Meg didn't think Spence would have raped her, but she tended to be an optimist.

The sound of tires on gravel interrupted their drama. They turned together and saw a powder blue pickup racing down the lane.

Chapter Nineteen.

Meg had forgotten the security camera, and Haley didn't know about it. Her head shot up in panic. "You're going to tell him what I've done, aren't you?"

"No. You're going to tell him." Haley had been spiteful and destructive, but she'd also protected Meg from Spence today, and Meg owed her something for that. She grabbed her by the shoulders. "Listen to me, Haley. Right now you have a chance to change the course of your life. To stop being a sneaky, destructive, love-struck child and start being a woman with a little character." Haley winced as Meg dug her fingers into her arms, but Meg didn't let go. "If you don't stand up right now and face the consequences of what you've done, you're going to be living your life in the shadows-always ashamed, always knowing you're a mean little rat who betrayed a friend."

Haley's face crumpled. "I can't do it."

"You can do whatever you set your mind to. Life doesn't give you many moments like this, and you know what I think? I think that how you act in the next few minutes will dictate the person you're going to be from now on."

"No, I-"

Ted jumped out of his truck and rushed toward Meg. "The security people called. They said Spence showed up. I got here as fast as I could."

"Spence is gone," Meg said. "He left when he saw Haley."

With one sweep of his eyes, he took in Meg's bare legs and the damp T-shirt that didn't quite cover her wet panties. "What happened? He gave you trouble, didn't he?"

"Let's just say he wasn't pleasant. But I haven't blown your big deal, if that's what you want to know." Of course it was what he wanted to know. "At least I don't think I have," she added.

Was the relief she saw on his face a reflection of his concern for her or for the town? She wanted more than anything to tell him what had happened, but that would put him in an impossible situation. No matter how hard it would be, she was going to bide her time, just for a few days.

He finally noticed Haley's red eyes and blotchy face. "What happened to you?"

Haley looked at Meg, waiting for Meg to bust her, but Meg stared right back. Haley dipped her head. "I-got a bee sting."

"A bee sting?" Ted said.

Haley gazed at Meg again, daring her to say something. Or maybe begging her to do what Haley couldn't manage for herself. Seconds ticked by, and when Meg didn't say anything, Haley began to pull at her bottom lip. "I've got to go," she finally mumbled in a small, coward's voice.

Ted knew something more than a bee sting had transpired. He looked at Meg for an explanation, but Meg kept her focus on Haley.

Haley dug into the pocket of her microscopic shorts for her car keys. She'd parked her Focus facing the lane, presumably to make a fast getaway after she'd burned Meg's clothes. She pulled her keys out and studied them for a moment, still waiting for Meg to expose her. When that didn't happen, she began taking short, tentative steps toward her car.

"Welcome to the rest of your life," Meg called out.

Ted regarded her curiously. Haley faltered, then stopped. When she finally turned around, her eyes were bleak, pleading.

Meg shook her head.

Haley's throat muscles worked. Meg held her breath.

Haley turned back toward her car. Took another step. Stopped and faced him. "It was me," she said in a rush. "I'm the one who did those things to Meg."

Ted stared at her. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm-I'm the one who vandalized the church."

Ted Beaudine wasn't often at a loss for words, but this was one of those moments. Haley twisted the keys in her hands. "I sent that letter. I put the b.u.mper stickers on her car and tried to break off the wipers and threw the rock at her windshield."

He shook his head, trying to take it all in. Then he rounded on Meg. "You told me a rock fell off a truck."

"I didn't want you to worry," Meg said. Or take it upon yourself to replace my Rustmobile with a Humvee, something you're perfectly capable of doing. Or take it upon yourself to replace my Rustmobile with a Humvee, something you're perfectly capable of doing.

He spun back to confront Haley. "Why? Why would you do all that?"

"To-to make her leave. I'm ... sorry."

For a genius, he was slow on the uptake. "What did she ever do to you?"

Once again, Haley faltered. This would be the hardest part for her, and she looked at Meg for help. But Meg wasn't giving it. Haley's fist curled around her keys. "I was jealous of her."

"Jealous of what what?"

Meg wished he didn't sound so incredulous.

Haley's voice dropped to a whisper. "Because of you."

"Me?" More incredulity.

"Because I fell in love with you," Haley said, each word wrapped in misery.

"That's the stupidest thing I ever heard." Ted's disgust was so palpable that Meg almost felt sorry for Haley. "How could tormenting Meg show your so-called love love?" The word was a snarl that sent Haley's fantasy world crashing around her.

She pressed her hands to her stomach. "I'm sorry." She started to cry. "I ... never meant for it to go so far. I'm-so sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it," he shot back. And then he delivered the final proof of exactly how unrequited her feelings for him were. "Get in your car. We're going to the police station. And you'd better call your mother on the way because you're going to need all the support you can get."

Tears rolled down Haley's cheeks, and small, choked sobs caught in her throat, but she kept her head up. She'd accepted her fate, and she didn't argue with him.

"Hold on." Meg blew air into her cheeks, and then released it. "I have to vote no on the police."

Haley stared at her. Ted waved her off. "I'm not arguing with you about this."

"Since I'm the victim, I get the final say."

"Like h.e.l.l you do," he said. "She terrorized you, and now she's going to pay."

"For whatever it cost you to put in my new windshield, that's for sure."

He was so furious that his skin had gone pale beneath his tan. "For more than that. She's broken at least a dozen laws. Trespa.s.sing, hara.s.sment, vandalism-"

"How many laws did you break," Meg said, "when you vandalized the Statue of Liberty?"

"I was nine. nine."

"And a genius," she pointed out, while Haley watched them, not sure what was going on or how it would affect her. "That means you were at least nineteen in IQ years. That's a year older than she is."

"Meg, think about what she did to you."

"I don't have to. Haley's the one who needs to think, and I could be wrong about this, but I have a feeling she's going to be doing a lot of that. Please, Ted. Everybody deserves a second chance."

Haley's future rested with Ted, but she was looking at Meg with an expression that combined shame and wonder.

Ted glared down at Haley. "You don't deserve this."

Haley wiped her cheeks with her fingers and gazed at Meg. "Thank you," she whispered. "I won't ever forget this. And I promise. Somehow I'll make it up to you."

"Don't worry about making it up to me," Meg said. "Make it up to yourself."

Haley took that in. Finally, she nodded-a small, hesitant motion-and then she nodded more decisively.

As Haley walked to her car, Meg remembered the nagging feeling that she'd let something important slip past her. This must be it. Somewhere in her subconscious, she must have suspected Haley, although she wasn't sure how she could have.

Haley drove away. Ted kicked the gravel with his heel. "You're too soft, do you know that? Too d.a.m.ned soft."

"I'm a spoiled celebrity child, remember? Being soft is all I know."

"This is no time for joking around."

"Hey, if you can think of a bigger joke than Ted Beaudine hooking up with a mere mortal like Meg-"

"Stop it!"

The day's tension was getting to her, but she didn't want him to see how vulnerable she felt. "I don't like it when you're crabby," she said. "It defies the laws of nature. If you can turn into a grouch, who knows what's next? The entire universe might blow up."

He ignored that. Instead, he hooked one of her wet curls behind her ear. "What did Spence want? Other than your rapt attention and an introduction to your celebrity friends?"