“The morning after the fight in Chicago. This whole time we’ve been hiding from killers who want us dead, Maya. Did you know we had a hitman in our apartment? Did you know they were looking for you, and thought I was you?”
“That’s not my fault they got the wrong person.” The casualness in her voice sent signals to my brain that screamed Run now! And still, I didn’t listen to those warnings. I was too pissed off to think clearly.
“You purposefully changed your looks to mimic mine a few days before the fight, knowing whoever was after you would come after me instead. You and Jess set Krew and me up for the fall. Tell me I’m wrong.”
“You’re wrong.” Maya smiled, and casually walked around her father’s desk, and then picked up the letter opener that was an exact replica of the sword that hung over the fireplace in the living room, only much smaller. She flipped the knife around in her right hand like an expert sword wielder. “You know, I could use that hundred grand about now.”
I gasped—there was only one way she knew the amount, and I stepped backward until my back hit the door again. “Maya—” I said cautiously as I reached behind me for the door handle.
Before I was able to twist the knob, Maya launched herself at me and she held the blade against my throat. “Don’t fucking move. Now you’re going to listen. I didn’t think I had to do this, but I don’t have a choice now.”
“You always have a choice,” I uttered, then swallowed hard as she pressed the edge of the blade harder against my jugular. I flinched as I felt a slight sting across my skin.
“Oops, I cut you.” Maya’s eyes were glued to my neck as she pulled the blade back enough for me to see my blood on its edge. “I’d suggest you don’t move.”
“What happened to you?” I asked, trying to distract her from focusing on the knife.
Maya chuckled, tilted her head back slightly and I knew—cut or not, this was my chance to get the letter opener away from her. I had only a second to get the advantage and use what I’d learned in the self-defense classes I took.
I grabbed her right wrist with both hands and twisted it to the left at the same time I moved away from the door. I had her bent over, her right arm—and the knife, pointing away from me.
Maya started fighting me. “Bitch,” she hissed and tried to wrangle her wrist out of my hold. I dug in and tightened my grip.
“Drop the letter opener, Maya.” I twisted her wrist more, which had her screaming.
“Fuck you, Regi. You’re dead to me.” Maya twisted, and punched my stomach with her free hand. I gasped in pain, but I still didn’t release her right arm.
“Let go of the knife,” I grated out, feeling my grip begin to loosen. “Maya!”
I wrestled with her until we were by her father’s desk. Without a second thought, I slammed her knife-wielding hand down onto the desktop twice. Maya screamed and released the letter opener. It dropped to the floor and we fought against each other to get to the weapon.
I was there first and got a hold of the handle. Maya was on top of me and started punching wildly—not caring what part of my body her fist landed on. My head, my back, my arm—anywhere she could do damage, while a litany of curses and excuses flew out of her mouth.
“This is for all the times I had to protect you.” Punch. “This is for taking what I wanted the most.” Punch. “This is for Teke.” Teke? “This is for my father. This is for the hatred I have for you, Regina Morton. My best friend—not.”
No matter what she said and did, I was determined to not relinquish the letter opener. I finally got to my knees—ready to stand to defend myself, when Maya flipped around. We were face to face—so close that I saw her pupils swallow up the brown. Her eyes went wide—wider than I’d ever seen them, and her mouth was a gaping maw of silence.
I slowly looked down and realized that the letter opener was embedded her left shoulder and blood began to seep out.
“Oh my god,” I uttered, releasing the handle and stumbling backward.
There was a loud thud, then the den door flew open and crashed against the wall. My eyes darted that way and I saw Krew and Decker storm into the room.
“Regi,” Krew shouted.
My eyes riveted back to the still-silent Maya, who was now looking at the embedded letter opener protruding from her shoulder. Then she looked at Krew and Deck before her eyes shifted to me. “You tried to kill me.”
“I didn’t—I swear,” I said in a shudder. Decker and Krew, who were squatting beside me nodded. “I was defending myself and she came at me.”
“I’m calling the police,” I heard Briney Darvy declare.
“Come on,” Decker urged, and he and Krew grabbed my arms and lifted me onto my feet. My eyes dropped to my hand, which somehow become covered in Maya’s blood. My attention shifted to Maya, who was laying on the floor, clutching at her bloody chest, screaming that I was trying to kill her.
The world around me turned into a cyclone. My vision spun and spun until everything went black.
Regina’a Diary
September 5th, 2025
