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Adora Riley had spent most of her Sunday at the police station. Casey's parents had found the two of them: their own daughter murdered in cold blood and her best friend knocked out on the floor, a large bruise on her temple.

The news about Casey Becker's death had spread around town like wildfire. It reminded her of that time with Sidney's mother and Adora was sure it was doing the same with Sidney.

After a quick check-up in the hospital, because her father had insisted that she would, to make sure that the killer hadn't also hurt her with something, even though she had told him she felt fine, at least physically.

Mentally, she was a living wreck. When two police officers had taken a shaken up Adora out of the house, her body had frozen at the sight in front of her: Casey was hanging from one tree, and her insides were on the outside. The caller had displayed her like some kind of gruesome artwork, a warning for the entire town to see.

She had wanted to, but she couldn't look away. Casey, her best friend, was gone, and no matter how hard she tried to convince herself otherwise, the image would be burned into her mind forever with only the caller to blame.

The Sheriff had asked her quite some questions at the police station, in one of the rooms more to the back, knowing that the girl would want some privacy and not have every person passing by look at her like they had done when they found her.

Her dad had been there for her, encouraging her to answer every question Sheriff Burke was acting, but half the time, the words that had formed in her mind didn't come out. It was like something was blocking her throat from time to time.

Adora told him everything she could remember about the phone call with a trembling voice. How he had been watching them, how he had killed right in front of them and how she had been forced to switch off the lights. Maybe if she hadn't done that, he wouldn't have been dead, but she had been so scared for Casey and herself, and where had it brought her?

Absolutely nowhere. Her best friend was dead and part of it was her fault for picking up that stupid phone. They should've just let it ring. The man probably would've backed off anyways if they had just done that.

All she wanted every time Burke fired another question her way, was to just get out. Get out of that stupid room, the stupid police station, she just wanted to crawl in her bed and never come out of her room again. That was what she had been doing ever since her father had brought her home.

He hadn't even turned off the engine yet when his daughter jumped out of the car, passing by her grandmother and cousin in a hurry, locking the door behind her when she finally got to her room, letting herself fall against it, but wherever she looked, she saw Casey.

Casey had been over at the Riley household so many times that Adora had lost count of it. Her friend had been in the room so many times... she had helped Adora decorate her room every almost every single time - because the girl that from time to time -, every movie on her shelf had been watched with her friend, from the comedies to the chick flicks.

The girl was laying face down on her bed, multiple blankets covering her entirely. The girl wanted to disappear in it. She had heard her family come in from time to time, but the girl didn't move a muscle, wanting them to just go away.

But the next time she heard a knock, it wasn't coming from her door, it was coming from the window. Adora had just planned to ignore whoever it was, but that became difficult when they kept knocking and knocking.

With an annoyed sigh, the girl pushed all the blankets off her - which was more difficult than she had expected since there were so many -. When she passed the mirror, her eyes looked at her broken reflection for just a few seconds.

The mascara from yesterday was still smeared under her eyes, making her look even more exhausted than she already felt. Her eyes were puffy and red from all the crying that she had been doing and she didn't even have to look down to know that her legs and hands were shaking.

If she already felt like the world was crumbling down, how in hell where Casey's and Steve's parents feeling?

"Adora." A voice called out softly, pulling her from her thoughts when she opened her window to let in whoever was standing on the other side. She hadn't even bothered to look who it was and was already walking back to her bed, letting herself fall on it without a care in the world. Because right now, it felt like she didn't have to care about anything. She didn't.

She felt the bed dip slightly on both sides of her, letting her know that it hadn't been just one person waiting for her outside, but two. She still didn't look to know who it was. She didn't have to. She already knew who it was.

"Hey." Stu softly muttered, his hand pushing a hair out of her face. His touch was unusually gentle, so unlike his usual loud and obnoxious self. Adora squeezed her eyes shut at the feeling, trying to push away the overwhelming wave of emotions rising in her chest.

Billy sat down beside her too, his presence quieter but just as heavy. She could feel his eyes on her, studying her, but she still refused to look up. What was there to say? What could she even say? That she felt like she was drowning? That every time she closed her eyes, she saw Casey's lifeless body hanging from that tree?

"You don't have to talk." Billy finally spoke, his voice lower than usual. "We just—" He hesitated for a second, something rare for him. "We just didn't want you to be alone."

Adora swallowed hard. It was such a simple thing to say, but it broke something inside her. She let out a shaky breath, gripping the blanket tightly in her fist.

"I keep seeing her." She whispered, her voice barely audible, but the boys had heard her loud and clear. "Everywhere. Every time I close my eyes, she's just—" Her breath hitched, and she didn't finish her sentence. She didn't have to. They knew what she wanted to say. That's how well they knew her.

Stu sighed, lying down beside her, his arm draping lazily over her waist. "I know." He muttered. "It's fucked."

Billy didn't say anything, but she felt him shift closer. They were warm, solid, real.

Billy reached out, his fingers brushing her arm gently. "You're not alone, Adora," he said, his tone so soft it almost felt like a secret. "You've got us. We're here."

Adora didn't respond. She didn't know how to. The weight of everything pressing on her chest felt suffocating, like she was drowning in a sea of guilt and grief. She had failed to protect Casey. She had failed her best friend.

Stu's voice broke through her spiraling thoughts. "It's not your fault," he murmured, pulling her closer to him as he lay back, his body warm against hers. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I should have..." She whispered, her voice breaking again. "I should have been stronger. I should haven't picked up. I should've tried to fight the guy more. I—"

"You were scared." Billy cut in, his voice rough. "You did what you thought was right in the moment and I'm sure you tried everything you could to get yourself and Casey out of there alive.. You're not responsible for what happened." But the words felt hollow, as if they couldn't reach the dark hole in her heart. Casey was gone. No matter what they said, that fact remained.

Adora curled up tighter, trying to find some comfort in their presence, but nothing could fill the void left by her best friend's death. She felt empty, like she was just existing in a world that didn't make sense anymore.

The silence between them stretched on, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It felt like they were all just waiting for her to be ready to talk, or to cry, or to do whatever it was she needed to do.

Eventually, Adora spoke again, her voice barely audible, but steady. "I'm scared... What if he comes for me next?"

Stu squeezed her hand, his voice softer now. "We won't let that happen. We'll protect you, Adora. We've got you."

Billy nodded in agreement, though his expression was unreadable. "Yeah. You're not alone in this. Not now, not ever."

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Words: 1521

Posted:  Friday February 21, 2024

Written: Friday February 21, 2024

Thank you so much for reading again! Be sure to comment and vote! Love you guys!!

xoxo Katherine