“Leave,” Amelia’s voice was low and dangerous, “or I swear I’ll call the police.”
Lilia’s hands shook, but she refused to back down. “Did you know she was trying to leave town?” she asked, her voice desperate, her words coming out in a rush.
Amelia froze, her face paling. “You’re lying. Leave.”
“I’m not!” Lilia insisted, her eyes wide with sincerity. “She was leaving town. She was scared, that’s why they found her backpack at the hotel. That’s where the cash came from. She was trying to get away.”
Amelia shook her head violently, stepping back from the door. “I’m calling the police,” she said, her voice shaking with disbelief and anger.
“Why did your dad wait two days to report her missing?” Lilia blurted out, the question hanging in the air like a dark cloud.
Amelia scoffed, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of something—fear? Doubt? “You’re insane,” she muttered, her voice tight.
“He waited two days to report his daughter missing,” Lilia pressed, trying to break through the wall of anger and grief Amelia had built up around herself.
“Just stop!” Amelia shouted, her voice echoing in the quiet night. “In the beginning, I was so convinced that you had nothing to do with this. But now?” She paused, looking Lilia up and down with disgust. “All I can see is exactly who Willow said you were. A jealous, manipulative little bitch. I hope you go to jail for what you’ve done.”
Lilia staggered back as if struck, her chest tightening with the weight of Amelia’s words. “Mellie, please,” she whispered, tears filling her eyes.
“Goodbye, Lilia.” Amelia’s voice was firm, her eyes cold as she slammed the door shut.
The sound of the door slamming echoed in Lilia’s ears, and she choked back a sob, her hands flying to her lips as she tried to stifle her emotions. She stood there for a moment, trembling, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn’t breathe.
Finally, she forced herself to turn away, her legs feeling like lead as she walked down the driveway. Her vision blurred with unshed tears, and she barely noticed the sleek black carparked across the street until something about it caught her eye. The windows were tinted, the darkened glass reflecting the streetlights, but the car itself was out of place—its presence made her uneasy.
Lilia hesitated, her gut telling her something wasn’t right. She shook her head and quickened her pace, her hoodie drawn tighter around her face. She didn’t have the energy for paranoia right now. She just needed to get home.
As she walked down the dimly lit street, the car’s engine roared to life behind her. Her breath caught in her throat, and she glanced back, her heart hammering in her chest. The car began to creep forward, trailing her at an unnerving speed.
Fear shot through her veins. She picked up her pace, her footsteps echoing in the still night. Her pulse raced as the car continued to follow her, the engine now a constant hum in her ears. She broke into a run, her feet pounding the pavement as panic set in.
The car accelerated.
Lilia’s breath came in short gasps, her mind racing. She darted toward an alley, her heart in her throat. But as she veered off the main road, the car followed, speeding up as if it meant to cut her off.
Terror gripped her. She had no choice. She sprinted toward the woods, the trees looming in front of her like dark sentinels. She heard the screech of tires behind her, the car skidding to a stop as she dashed off the road and into the woods.
The underbrush clawed at her legs as she tore through the trees, branches whipping her face and arms. Her lungs burned, but she didn’t dare stop. She could still hear the car, its engine revving as the driver searched for her.
She pushed deeper into the woods, her heart pounding in her ears. The darkness was disorienting, but she kept moving,ducking beneath low-hanging branches and dodging fallen logs. She had to get away. She had to?—
The sound of footsteps behind her.
Lilia’s breath hitched, and she stumbled, her foot catching on a root. She fell hard, her palms scraping against the forest floor as she caught herself. She glanced over her shoulder, but the trees were too thick, the shadows too deep. She couldn’t see anything—or anyone.
Her heart raced, and she scrambled to her feet, her entire body trembling. She couldn’t hear the footsteps anymore, but the fear gnawed at her, relentlessly.
She pressed herself against a tree, her breath shallow and uneven as she strained to listen. The forest was eerily quiet now, the only sound was the rustle of leaves in the breeze.
Had she lost them? Was she safe?
She closed her eyes, her chest heaving as she tried to calm herself. Her limbs were shaking, her mind a whirlwind of panic and exhaustion.
But then, a snap. A twig breaking somewhere close by.
Lilia’s eyes flew open, her heart lurching into her throat. She turned slowly, her back pressed to the rough bark of the tree, and peered into the darkness.
Nothing.
