The Smallest Part

It was a big lie. The biggest lie she'd ever told. It reverberated through her head as she said it, ringing eerily, and the girl behind her eyes-the girl who knew the truth-screamed, and her scream echoed along with the lie. "Are you in love with Noah, Mercedes?" Cora asked. "I mean . . . I know you love him. You've been friends forever. We all have. But are you in love with him?" If it had been anyone else-anyone-Mercedes would have stuck out her chest, folded her skinny arms, and let her ...