Chapter44

Chapter 44 MAX POINT OF VIEW  The sun is setting outside my study. Its light makes long shadows on my floor. I sit at my desk, tapping my fingers on the wood. The quiet in here feels heavy, like it's hard to breathe. My eyes keep going to her picture in the corner. Eva's picture. No one has touched it since everything happened. She looks so innocent there, with her bright eyes and soft smile. I was such a fool. "Look at you," I say. The words come out ugly and bitter. "You're dead, and here I am, stuck cleaning up your mess." My voice bounces off the walls, harsh and angry. When I first heard she died, I felt happy. I know that's wrong, but it's true. Then I got angry because even in death, she got away easy. "You got off too easy, Eva," I say through clenched teeth. "You should have suffered more." I get up and walk to her picture. Those eyes that told so many lies. "You think it's over? You think dying makes everything okay?" My heart pounds hard in my chest. "You ruined everything!