We are not going back

Chapter seventy-eight

The night had taken an unexpected turn, and for a while, it felt almost like the old days. Tyler and Doug had shown up out of nowhere, bringing their usual easygoing energy with them, and before I knew it, the kitchen was buzzing with laughter and conversation. Everyone except Kamala and me had drinks in their hands- Kamala, as always, respected my sobriety, and that meant the world to me. It made it easier to pretend, just for a few hours, that everything was fine.

Evelyne fit right in. She was charming, of course, with her quick wit and effortless way of weaving herself into the group dynamic. I watched her, leaning back against the counter, and wondered how someone who had been hired to dig up dirt on my life could slip so easily into it. Like she belonged here. Like she wasn't part of the chaos unraveling in the background.

Doug laughed as he poured another round of drinks for Tyler and Evelyne, the room filling with the sound of clinking glasses and the soft murmur of conversation. It almost felt normal, like there weren't layers of secrets tangled up in this moment, like the truth wasn't lurking just beneath the surface.

Eventually, the idea of jumping into the pool came up- Tyler's idea, of course, and before I could protest, everyone was out on the deck, peeling off shoes and rolling up pants to wade into the water. I stayed back for a moment, standing near the edge of the pool as I watched them splash around, laughing and pushing each other like carefree kids.

Kamala caught my eye from across the pool, her smile warm, inviting me to join them. For a second, I thought about diving in, about letting go of all the tension that had been building inside me for weeks. But I couldn't. The lies, the secrets- they were all I could think about.

I stepped closer to the water's edge, dipping my toes in, and something inside me snapped.

"I can't keep up with the lies anymore."

The words spilled out of my mouth before I could stop them. The laughter died down instantly, the sound of splashing water fading as everyone turned to look at me, confusion flickering across their faces.

"What?" Tyler asked, blinking as he waded toward me. "What are you talking about?"

I felt my chest tighten, the weight of everything pressing down on me like I couldn't breathe. My heart was pounding, but I couldn't stop now. I couldn't keep pretending. Not anymore.

"I know you're all lying," I said, my voice trembling, but growing stronger with every word. "All of you. Evelyne isn't just some old friend- she's a private investigator. Her name isn't Marie- whatever the fuck she came up with. I hired her because I couldn't figure out what the hell was going on anymore."

Evelyne, floating casually on her back, looked more amused than surprised, like she'd been expecting this all along. Kamala, though- her face softened, her eyes wide with concern as she stepped out of the pool and moved toward me.

"Eleonora," Kamala started, her voice low, steady. "What are you talking about?"

I shook my head, taking a step back. "Don't. Don't act like you don't know. I've seen Olivia. She's alive and Evelyne proved it."

The silence that followed was deafening. Tyler and Doug exchanged a look, their expressions frozen in shock, while Evelyne finally stood up, smoothing her wet hair back, watching the scene unfold with that same calm detachment she always had.

Kamala's face paled. She took another step closer, her hand outstretched like she was trying to reach me, but I wasn't having it. "I talked to her, Kamala," I continued, my voice louder now, breaking with emotion. "She's been alive this whole time. And I've been living with these secrets, these half-truths- while you, Tyler, Doug, you've all been part of it. I know it."