Elliot rubbed the back of his neck before answering. "I was working for your mother. She hired me to get close to you, learn about your life, and report back to her. I'm sorry, Sage, but I was never actually a student here. The classes and everything else were part of the cover."
Sage stared at him, her phone clenched in her hand.
"So it was a job all along?" she asked, her voice trembling despite her efforts to keep it steady. "Every conversation we had, every time you asked how I was doing, every time you acted like you wanted to spend time with me, you were being paid to do it?"
Elliot lowered his eyes. "Yes. I know how bad that sounds, and I'm not going to pretend I didn't make a terrible choice. Your mother said she was worried about you and wanted someone close enough to understan
