Love, Lies, and Deception(48)

Slowly, she unfolded it and when her eyes met the words on the paper she gasped and put her hand over her mouth. Justin rushed over to her side and read the letter as well; he was appalled.

“Do you think this is the same person that killed the girl?” Justin asked us.

Alec nodded. “It has to be. They left a note with her body as well.”

Justin furrowed his brows. “Wait, I feel like I’m missing something here. What does all of this mean? What did you do that’d make someone this angry that they’d kill just to get to you?”

Justin peered back and forth from Alec to me, searching for answers, but I knew it wasn’t my place to say anything. Hesitantly, I glanced up at Alec and he sighed. “Why don’t you go pack and I’ll fill Justin in on everything. This’ll probably be the last time you’re going to be here with your friends for a while.”

“Okay,” I whispered softly.

Emily had tears in her eyes when she grabbed my hand and dragged me to my room. How long was I going to be gone? I wondered. Surely it wouldn’t be too long; I couldn’t stay away forever.

Emily slammed my bedroom door, leaned against it, and cried, “What am I going to do here without you? What about graduation and moving to Wilmington?”

Frowning, I explained, “I’m going to try and take all my exams tomorrow, or today actually since it’s morning already, except I don’t think I’ll be able to walk at graduation. Alec is taking me somewhere safe until we get a lead on who’s coming after me. This guy killed one girl already and I know he’ll try to kill me if he gets the chance. This is serious, Emily. I need you to make sure you have someone with you at all times, okay?”

Her eyes went wide with alarm. “Do you think I’m in danger, too?”

Grabbing my suitcase and duffle bag from my closet, I began piling the clothes into them, not caring what I packed. “I don’t know, Em. I just want you to stay safe. I’m not sure what this person is capable of.”

Emily went to my closet and started pulling shirts off their hangers. “How did it come to this? Everything was going great until now,” she whispered. “If anything happens to you, tell Alec he’d better watch his back because I’ll be coming for him.”

“Duly noted,” Alec cut in, opening the door.

Emily marched over to him and pointed a finger in his face. “I mean it, surf boy. Marissa is the only family I have and there’s no way in hell I’m gonna put up with anything happening to her. You understand?”

“Completely,” Alec agreed, and turned to me. “Are you ready? I already told Justin everything he needed to know. He knows to make sure Emily has someone with her at all times … just in case.”

Emily folded the last of my clothes—placing them in my suitcase—and slowly zipped it up. Her back was to me, but I could tell from her quivering shoulders that she was trying to hold in her sobs.

“Be safe, Em,” I cried, coming up behind her and wrapping my arms around her. “I’ll have my phone with me, okay? You can always text me or call.”

Sniffling, she nodded and whispered, “Okay.” She patted my arms that were around her waist, and turned to hug me one last time. “Stay safe, Rissa. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Em.”

Alec took my bags and left the room, followed by Emily who let me go and kissed me on the cheek. My throat tightened up when my gaze landed on the picture of my family sitting on my dresser. It was of my parents, my sister, and me when we were vacationing at the beach when I was a little girl. Picking it up, I held it tightly to my chest and cried.

“Mom, I need you so much right now! Daddy, I need your strength and courage to help me through this. I just don’t know how things went so wrong.” I was hoping with all the hope in my body that I’d hear their voices in my head, reassuring me that everything would be all right, but I was met with silence until a voice spoke out behind me.

“Marissa?” Alec whispered.

Wiping the tears away, I clutched the picture to my heart and turned to face him. “Sorry for taking so long. I just needed to breathe,” I told him sadly.

“I know, baby, but we need to go.”

Alec took my hand and guided me into the living room; Emily tackled me in another hug. “Don’t forget to call your sister and Kristian. They’re going to want to know what’s going on.”

I nodded. “I know. I’ll call them after we talk to the detective and figure everything out.”

After she let me go, Justin hugged me as well. “Be safe, wherever you go, Rissa. You do know Kristian’s going to be pissed, right?”

“I know,” I said, voicing my fears and biting my lip. “Please don’t tell him yet. I’d like to be the one that does it.”

“Okay,” Justin agreed. “Just do it soon before he starts going crazy asking where you’re at.”

“I will.”

Alec picked up my bags and smiled at Emily and Justin before walking out the door. Before I strolled out, I turned and looked at them one last time. “I’m going to miss you guys so much. Once this is all over we’re going apartment hunting in Wilmington, okay?”

They both smiled and Emily nodded. “I look forward to it,” she cried, tears running down her cheeks. “Just promise me that you’ll be back.”