CHAPTER 5:THE TRUTH

“We did.”

Blake's words echoed inside the closet.

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.

I looked at Aria.

She was standing in the middle of the room, her face pale.

Blake ran a hand through his hair.

“Aria, you weren't supposed to tell her.”

“I didn't know she was in here!”

My hand flew to my mouth.

The door suddenly opened.

Blake looked directly at me.

“Chloe…”

I stepped out.

“What did you do?”

Aria's eyes filled with tears.

“Chloe, please.”

“No.” I shook my head. “Don't please me. Tell me what happened.”

Blake exchanged a look with his sister.

Then he sighed.

“Three years ago, Aria and I were driving home from a party.”

Aria lowered her head.

“We were arguing,” Blake continued. “I was angry. I drove too fast.”

My heart tightened.

“Then we saw someone crossing the road.”

I stared at him.

“Her?”

He nodded.

“She was badly injured.”

“And you left her?”

“No.”

Blake's voice cracked.

“We called an ambulance. We stayed until they arrived.”

“Then why did you say you killed her?”

“I said we thought we'd killed her.”

Aria wiped her eyes.

“The doctors weren't sure she'd survive.”

I looked between them.

“But she did?”

Blake nodded.

“She survived.”

I released a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.

“So why hide all of this?”

“Because her family blamed us,” Blake said. “There was an investigation. My parents sent me away for a while because everything became too complicated.”

He looked at me.

“I never wanted you dragged into it.”

I stared at him.

“You could have just told me.”

“I know.”

For once, Blake didn't have a clever answer.

He simply looked tired.

And human.

I glanced at Aria.

“You knew all this?”

She nodded.

“I was there.”

I sighed.

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“Because I was scared you'd hate me.”

I walked toward her.

“I could never hate you.”

She hugged me immediately.

I hugged her back.

For the first time in days, the tension in my chest eased.

Then I felt someone watching us.

I looked over Aria's shoulder.

Blake.

His eyes were on me.

Not Aria.

Me.

And there was something in his expression that made my heart beat faster.

Something I didn't understand.

Something I wasn't ready to name.

---

Later that night, I stepped outside for some fresh air.

The backyard was quiet.

I sat on the wooden swing and stared at the sky.

“Can't sleep?”

I didn't need to turn around.

“Do you ever knock?”

Blake chuckled.

“I wasn't entering a room.”

“You're still annoying.”

“And you're still avoiding me.”

I looked at him.

“I'm not.”

He sat beside me.

For a while, neither of us spoke.

Then he said quietly, “I'm sorry.”

“For what?”

“For scaring you.”

I nodded.

“Apology accepted.”

He smiled.

“That's it?”

“What else do you want?”

“I don't know.”

His gaze met mine.

“Maybe you could stop looking at me like I'm a stranger.”

I frowned.

“You've been gone for three years.”

“I know.”

“You came back different.”

“So did you.”

I looked away.

“People change.”

“Some things don't.”

“What things?”

He leaned back against the swing.

“Feelings.”

My heart skipped.

I turned toward him.

“Blake…”

He looked at me.

For once, he wasn't teasing.

He looked completely serious.

“I should tell you something.”

My stomach twisted.

“What?”

He opened his mouth.

Then the back door flew open.

“Chloe!”

Aria stood there.

I jumped.

“What?”

She pointed toward the driveway.

“You need to see this.”

I stood.

“What happened?”

“I don't know.”

She looked nervous.

“There's someone outside asking for you.”

My stomach dropped.

“Me?”

Aria nodded.

Blake immediately stood beside me.

“Who?”

Aria shook her head.

“I don't know.”

We walked toward the driveway.

A man stood beside a black car.

He looked at me.

Then at Blake.

His expression changed.

“Chloe?”

I stopped.

“Yes?”

He reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope.

“This belongs to you.”

I stared at it.

“Who are you?”

He didn't answer.

Instead, he held the envelope toward me.

“Your mother asked me to give you this.”

My heart stopped.

“My mother?”

I took the envelope with trembling fingers.

There was only one sentence written across the front.

For Chloe. Read this before you trust anyone in this house.

I looked up.

The man was already getting back into his car.

Blake stepped closer.

“Chloe, don't open that.”

I stared at him.

“Why?”

His face had gone pale.

Because he knew something.

Something about that letter.

And suddenly, I wasn't sure who I could trust anymore.