Just the oppressive silence and the deep shadows of the woods.
But she knew someone was out there. Someone had followed her, chased her.
Her heart raced, but she stayed frozen in place, hoping the darkness would cloak her. She couldn’t outrun them now—not in the dense woods. Her only chance was to stay quiet, to disappear into the shadows.
She waited, her breath held tight in her chest, her body trembling as the seconds stretched into what felt like an eternity.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, the sound of footsteps faded into the distance. The car engine roared to life again, and she heard the tires screech as the vehicle sped away.
Lilia let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding, her entire body sagging in relief.
But the fear remained, lingering in her bones.
Whoever was following her wasn’t done yet.
Chapter Twenty-Five
9:30 p.m.
November 22nd, 2022
Delilah’s apartment
Mills Creek, Massachusetts
Lilia burst through Delilah’s apartment door, her hair disheveled, hoodie wrinkled from hours of tension. Her face was pale, the storm in her eyes clearly visible as they darted around the room before landing on Delilah, who was sitting on the couch.
“Someone tried to run me off the road,” Lilia blurted as she stepped in, her voice barely above a whisper, yet frantic.
Delilah, startled, looked up from her laptop. “Good evening to you too?”
“I nearly died, Delilah,” Lilia continued, ignoring the greeting and the way her voice wavered. Her breath hitched as she moved further into the apartment, pacing in her erratic state. “Someone tried to kill me.”
“Lilia—”
“They were coming right at me,” she gasped. “I—I couldn’t see who it was, but they were going to kill me.”
“Lilia—” Delilah tried again, moving closer, but Lilia seemed beyond hearing, her thoughts spinning out of control.
Before Delilah could say anything more, a voice called out from down the hallway. “Babe, have you seen my shirt?”
Both girls turned toward the voice. Standing in the middle of Delilah’s living room, entirely naked except for the air of confidence he usually carried, was Sebastian.
“Oh my God,” Lilia muttered, clapping her hands over her eyes in shock.
“Oh my God,” Sebastian yelped, grabbing a nearby blanket off the couch to cover himself. “Lilia, what the hell?”
“Oh my God,” Lilia repeated, peeking through her fingers before quickly covering her eyes again.
“I’m just going to—” Sebastian gestured vaguely toward the bedroom, face flushed. “Sorry, uh,” He turned around, making a quick escape. “I’ll go put on a shirt.”
Lilia, still standing in the middle of the room with her hands shielding her face, was mortified. “Delilah. Oh my God.”
“Would you stop saying that?” Delilah groaned, her own cheeks red.
Lilia peeked through her fingers again and caught a glimpse of Sebastian’s retreating backside. She couldn’t help herself. “Holy crap,” she whispered. “Oh my God.”
“Lilia!” Delilah threw a pillow at her, her face burning with embarrassment. “Can we please focus?”
