The Tape

Chapter 25

Josie's POV: I sighed in relief as Hope slowly opened her eyes. "Lizzie", she muttered as Penelope took her hand. "Liz...", she croaked as my stomach twist painfully.

"Hope", I said uncertainly, gaining the girl's attention as she sent me a small smile.

"Hey", she greeted softly.

"Hey, you had us worried", Penelope smiled. "Are you alright", she questioned, squeezing her hand gently.

"How can I not be when my two favorite people are here with me", she asked, sending me another smile as she took my hand in her free one. I shifted in my seat as she pressed her lips against my knuckles before sending Penelope a confused look. "I just wanted to tell how sorry I am", she admitted as a thin layer of sweat trailed down the side of her face. "You work so hard, and all I can do is push you away", she said as I swallowed thickly.

"Hope", I frowned, my voice shaking with concern. "Hope, it's Josie", I told her as she squinted her eyes in confusion.

"Josie", she said in confusion before glancing over at Penelope as she pulled her hand away from me. "No. I-I don't know you. I don't know a Josie", she stammered before looking over at Penelope helplessly. "Pen...", she whined, causing Penelope to smile back at her tearfully. 

"I'm here", she promised.

"Where is she", she asked. "Where's Lizzie? She said...", she trailed off, licking her lips. "She said that she wouldn't leave me. That we were in this together", she told us I felt my throat tighten as I attempted to push down my tears.

I swallowed thickly at the loving way she said my sister's name, or the way her eyes lit up at the simple thought of being in the same room as her. It made me yearn for the days where I would come home to find her attempting to cook some kind of cake for my first days of school, or staying up all night watching movies on TV.

It made me regret all the time I wasted being mad at her. I could still remember the feeling. The feeling I always got when she was around. Why didn't I just call her? A few months ago, if Lizzie would've called I would've refused to talk to her. I shut her out, and now...all I want is just to hear her voice. To pick up the phone and just call her...

But I can't. 

I can't, and it's not fair. This wasn't supposed to happen. Her story wasn't suppose to end here. She was supposed to have her prefect wedding. I was supposed to be at her side when she walked down the aisle. She was supposed to tease me about Penelope and how we'd be cute together. I was supposed to be the favorite aunt who would spoil Lizzie's kids. We were meant to grow old together, and joke about the 'younger days'.

"Hope", Penelope whispered, snapping me out of my thoughts as Hope continued to search the room as if Lizzie would just walk in at any minute. "Hope", Penelope repeated, squeezing her hand gently as she met her gaze. "I'm...I'm sorry, but...", she trailed off, sparing me a small glance. "Lizzie's...", she paused as her voice cracked. "She's dead, Hope", she finished as Hope's face fell. 

I felt my breath catch as pain bloomed in my chest. Fighting back the tears swimming in my eyes, I watched Hope shake her head in denial as tears made their way to her eyes.

"She died", Penelope continued. "About two months ago. Remember", she asked.

"I don't...", Hope whispered, pulling her hand away from her as if she had been burned. "N-no...", she muttered. "You're lying. Lizzie...she wouldn't...she wouldn't leave me", I denied. 

  "Hope-"

"No", she shouted, covering her ears tearfully. "She's not-she can't be dead", she exclaimed as the tears threatened to fall from her eyes. "S-she's can't be...", she cried, looking up at us brokenly. "We never got to have our 'prefect wedding'. She never got to take my last name. I never...", she choked out as a tear slipped down my face. "I never got to tell her how sorry I was", she cried as I struggled to keep myself together.

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Penelope's POV: I shook my head tearfully as Hope's sobs took me back to that night. I could still see it. The blood. Could...still hear the screaming. It was as if the memory was playing over and over in my mind like a broken record. 

"Satan", she frowned, wiping at her eyes. "Who are those two", she frowned, pointing to the two other people walking beside me.

"What? Oh...", I laughed, throwing my arms over their shoulders lazily. "I don't know", I shrugged. "But they're cute, right", I smiled, wiggling my eyebrows, causing the other two to giggle as Lizzie looked disgusted.

"I think I'm gonna be sick", she scowled before running off as I rolled my eyes.

"Drama Queen", I scoffed before grinning over at the two ladies in my arms. "What do we say we take this back to my place", I suggested.

"What...what happened", Josie asked us tearfully, causing me to look away.

"Hope, look at me. None of this is your fault, okay? If anything...it's mine", I admitted guiltily.

"No, Penelope-"

"I should've never let her leave that night", I admitted, causing her to step forward to pull me into a hug.

"What happened to Lizzie is not your fault, Penelope", Hope whispered.

"I could've saved her", I cried silently. "God, Hope, I'm...I'm so sorry", I sobbed into her chest.

Josie looked over at me as I attempted to hide the guilt in my eyes. The crushing weight off the secret that I've somehow have kept all this time. The lies that I've told myself and everyone else...

"If you weren't out living your perfect life, drinking and partying with your stupid friends, then maybe you would've been able to do something", I pointed out angrily.

"It was you", she whispered, causing my head to shoot up in alarm.

"What", I gaped.

"You were the last person to see my sister alive", she said, causing me to swallow thickly. "You weren't accusing me of not being there for my sister. You were beating yourself up for not being there for her", she noted, causing me to look her over weirdly. 

"Penelope", Josie called, causing me to look up before Hope gasped, covering her mouth in horror.

"No...", Hope gaped. "Oh God...", she breathed, causing Josie to look between us in confusion.

"What", she questioned.

"Josie, the night that Lizzie died...", I trailed off, meeting the brunette's gaze.