Chapter 12

Contains spoilers

Overview

Evie and Ryan share a domestic errand that is interrupted when they run into James and the impostor, Lucca. Ryan visibly notices Lucca’s resemblance to Evie, and Evie seizes the moment by inviting them to dinner. The move shifts Evie from passive surveillance to active engagement amid continued silence from the mailbox.

Summary

On a bright morning, Evie lounges outside while Ryan pronounces his broken lawn mower beyond repair, prompting a trip to Home Depot. Evie notes it has been days since she spied on Ryan at the warehouse and the mailbox remains empty, even as social media shows James and the impostor frequenting local hotspots. She reflects on Ryan’s routines and her late mother’s dreams of a better life.

At the store, Ryan compares mowers while Evie wanders to the garden section, imagining plantings she cannot truly claim. Her cart clips another, revealing James with the woman posing as Evie. The woman feigns a casual reintroduction from the Derby, and Evie masks her tension, wondering whether the impostor recognizes her adversary.

Ryan arrives, greets James, and acknowledges the woman as Lucca, his reaction betraying that he sees the striking resemblance between Lucca and Evie. James makes small talk about buying plants for his parents, while Evie gauges Lucca’s performance and composure.

Determined to draw them closer and gain control, Evie invites James and Lucca to dinner that night. They accept, signaling a shift from Evie’s passive watching to an active test inside her and Ryan’s home, even as the lack of mail delivery keeps other uncertainties unresolved.

Who Appears

  • Evie
    Narrator; maintains cover with Ryan, spots James and Lucca at Home Depot, and invites them to dinner to probe them.
  • Ryan
    Evie’s mark/boyfriend; replaces a dead mower, notices Lucca’s resemblance to Evie, supports the domestic front.
  • James
    Ryan’s old friend; appears with Lucca, makes small talk, accepts Evie’s dinner invitation.
  • Lucca
    Impostor mirroring Evie; acts friendly and unruffled, meets Evie and Ryan, accepts dinner invitation.
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