Page 12

Chapter 11

A fter wading back to shore and pushing the near-death experience to the back of my mind, I pause to steady myself, exhaling slowly as I turn to my best friend.

“Okay, I've been waiting for you to tell me what's going on.” My voice is sharp, but Allie’s behavior is driving me insane. “You've been acting so strange ever since we saw Eli at the coffee shop this morning,” I say to her while we dry off and gather our things. My eyes never leave her, my frustration simmering beneath the surface.

Sadness clouds her face, her expression turning distant. Finally, she meets my gaze, and I catch the shimmer of unshed tears.

Damn, am I being too harsh?

“Allie, you’re scaring me. You know you can talk to me about anything. We've been best friends since we were kids. You were the one I turned to when I first came to summer camp, and you’re the one I trusted with my past. But I can’t help if I don’t know what’s going on.”

She takes a deep breath before responding. “Alright. I’ve been keeping something from you for a while. I just didn’t want to burden you, and I don’t know where to start,” she says, her voice trembling.

“Start wherever you're comfortable.”

“I’ve lived here my entire life. In this town, everyone knows everyone—or at least knows about them. Eli and his friends were two grades above me in school. After graduation, they threw a big party one weekend while I was at camp. It was the summer you didn’t come. I missed having you around, but I wanted to go one last time. It was always the best part of my summer.”

I nod, urging her to continue.

“One night, my roommates and I snuck out to the woods near the lake to get drunk. I bribed the janitor to let us sneak in some Boone’s Farm. We were just planning to relax and have fun. I never thought anything bad would happen.”

“I had to pee, and I didn’t want to walk all the way back to the cabin, so I went behind some bushes by the lake—and that’s when I saw it. Something terrible.”

“What did you see, Allie?” I ask, my heart racing in my chest.

She meets my gaze, her face pale. “I saw someone being taken.”

“Taken?” I frown, confused. “Taken where?”

“I saw a girl being forced into a van by two men. She was fighting them off, but all I could do was stand there. My legs froze, Tess. I was going to call for help.” Her voice cracks, and tears spill from her eyes. “I swear I was going to call for help! But I couldn’t.”

“What happened?” A thousand scenarios swirl in my mind, none of them good.

“I guess one of the guys saw me. His face was hidden behind a terrifying mask. He grabbed me, held a knife to my throat, and threatened to kill me—and my family—if I told anyone. ”

“Oh my God, Allie!” My heart clenches. “You should've told me! Why didn't you come to me?”

“I was terrified. I didn’t know what to do. You were already in college, and I didn’t want to risk talking on the phone. This town... it has eyes and ears everywhere.”

“You must've been so scared, Allie. You’ve kept this to yourself all this time?”

“Yes,” she whispers, broken. “And I’ve regretted it for years.” She swallows hard, her voice faltering. “I haven’t even told you the worst part. The girl... was my cousin, Paisley. Eli’s little sister. Just a few miles from here, they found her—raped and murdered. She was only fourteen. And I did nothing. I’ll never forgive myself.”

I hold her tightly, offering what comfort I can as she sobs quietly. How could she have carried this burden alone for so long? I can almost sense the terror she must have experienced in that moment, and the isolation that comes with facing a difficult situation alone. If anyone can truly understand that, it’s me.

“Every time I see Eli, I remember how I failed his sister. And his family.” She swipes the tears from her cheeks. “That’s why I became a therapist. It probably sounds stupid, but I thought if I could help others, I could somehow make up for what I didn’t do.”

A frown creases my brow. “Allie, you were only seventeen. You’re not to blame for what happened. I can understand why you kept quiet, especially with how scared you were. Did you recognize either of the men?”

Her eyes flicker away, uncertainty clouding her face.

Before I can press her, her phone rings. She grabs it quickly, visibly relieved by the interruption .

“It’s probably Dalton, wondering where I am,” she mutters, answering the call.

My eyes narrow as I patiently wait for her to finish talking to the asshole. I wrestle with the guilt that surges through me. How had I missed this? I knew Allie was hiding something, I should have pushed her harder to open up. She hangs up, dropping the phone into her tote bag.

“What's the plan here?” I ask, my voice steady but urgent.

“What do you mean?” She stares at me, her eyes widening in fear as the realization hits. “You can’t tell anyone. How would that even help now? The damage is already done.”

“Okay, fine. But what do you know about the investigation? Was the killer ever caught?”

She shakes her head slowly, her face still streaked with dried tears. “She wasn’t the only one. Another girl went missing that night—close by. Victoria. She and Paisley didn’t know each other, even though they were the same age. Victoria was never found. It’s like she disappeared into thin air.”

I try to process everything, the weight of what Allie’s just told me settling in like a stone in my stomach. I can’t help but think about Eli— what he must have gone through, losing his sister like that. The grief he must have felt, the helplessness. And Allie, having carried the weight of this secret for so many years, pretending like everything was fine when it clearly wasn’t.

I scan her face, a puzzled look crossing my own. “What was Paisley doing out there alone that night?”

“Their parents were out of town. She was supposed to stay at home with Eli, but I guess she snuck out to meet a friend. The moment I heard Paisley was missing, I knew it was her I’d seen. And then they found her body...” Her voice cracks again as fresh tears well in her eyes.

I decide not to push further. For now.

“Alright,” I concede. “My lips are sealed. Let’s get out of here. A night out is exactly what we need, don’t you think? Let’s go to that bar, listen to some music, and get fucked up.”

“I’ll have to check with Dalton. He mentioned doing something special for me tonight to make up for—” She hesitates, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Well, he was in a mood earlier. It’s nothing.”

I force a smile, clenching my teeth. “I have an idea. Let’s invite him out with us.” It’s something I wouldn’t normally suggest, but Dalton’s a dickhead, and she needs this as badly as I do. If I have to deal with him for a few hours, I will, for Allie’s sake.

Her face lights up, a genuine smile spreading across her features as she picks up on my change in tone. “Okay, I’ll ask him and call you in a little while.”