Chapter 38

Dean's POV

2016

I climbed through Marie's bedroom window that afternoon because I wanted to surprise her.

She'd been in a bad mood for months by then — too quiet, snapping at small things, disappearing into herself for long stretches. She'd made it clear she didn't want to talk about whatever it was. DJing had become our thing instead, the safe thing, hours on end in her room with borrowed software and terrible mixes, and some days that felt like the only version of her I could still reach.

She had some extracurricular that ran late that day. I didn't. So I climbed up the trellis like an idiot, let myself in quietly through her window, and sat down at her desk to wait, already planning some stupid joke about breaking and entering.

I heard the front door open. Then Diane's voice, sharp, already raised.

"Where is it, Marcus? Where did it go?"

"I don't have to explain m