Whispered Shadows

Chapter Fourteen

Coffee and Confessions

Noa

The air is crisp as Lila and I step out of the café, the scent of roasted beans and sweet pastries clinging to my coat. The sunlight filters through the bare branches above, casting soft shadows on the cobblestone path.

Lila walks beside me, her hair bouncing slightly with every step. She's humming under her breath, a carefree tune that seems at odds with the weight I've been carrying around lately.

"You're unusually chipper," I tease, glancing at her out of the corner of my eye.

She grins, her warm brown eyes lighting up. "What can I say? Coffee and good company do wonders for the soul."

I snort, wrapping my hands tighter around my cup. "Glad I could provide a public service."

We walk in companionable silence for a moment, the sound of our boots crunching on the gravel filling the space. It's a rare moment of peace, and I find myself clinging to it, even as the shadows of everything I've been through threaten to creep back in.

"So," Lila says suddenly, breaking the quiet. She turns to me with a mischievous glint in her eye. "You never told me how you're settling in here. Graceland University living up to its mysterious reputation?"

I know what the mysterious reputation she is talking about is. I know she is subtly hinting about Gia. While her case may not have been in the news or the papers here at GU it's all over the place. After three years different versions of what happened to her are being spread everywhere.

I laugh softly, though there's a hollow edge to it. "You could say that. It's definitely been... eventful."

Lila raises an eyebrow, clearly picking up on the hesitation in my tone. "Eventful how? Spill."

I hesitate, my mind flashing to Paige's cryptic warning, Ryder's constant worry, and the endless questions swirling around my sister's disappearance. But I can't exactly dump all of that on Lila—not now, not when I'm barely keeping it together myself.

"Just... you know," I say vaguely, waving a hand. "Adjusting to classes, meeting people, trying not to get lost on campus."

Lila gives me a look, her brows knitting together. "Uh-huh. And that's why you look like you haven't slept in a week?"

I stiffen slightly, surprised by how easily she's seen through me. But before I can come up with a deflection, she changes the subject, her tone light again.

"You need a distraction," she declares, linking her arm through mine. "And lucky for you, I'm a pro at distractions."

"Oh really?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Really," she says firmly. "In fact, I have the perfect distraction in mind."

We end up back at her apartment, a cozy space filled with mismatched furniture, colorful throw pillows, and an impressive collection of houseplants. Lila flops onto her bed, pulling me down to sit on the edge.

"Okay," she says, sitting cross-legged and looking at me with a serious expression. "Here's what we're going to do: we're going to play a game."

"A game?" I repeat, skeptical.

"Truth or truth," she says with a grin. "No dares, just honesty. Think you can handle it?"

I hesitate, but the warmth in her smile is infectious, and I find myself nodding. "Fine. But you go first."

Lila leans back, tapping a finger to her chin as she thinks. "Okay, here's an easy one: What's your favorite memory of Gia?"

The question catches me off guard, and for a moment, I can't speak. Images of Gia flash through my mind—her laugh, her stubbornness, the way she used to braid my hair when I was little.