I didn't choose her, my heart did

The distrust

Keira's POV:

The training went like a blur. I struggled to concentrate, my mind constantly on the emails and the video. The more I thought about it, the more it felt like I was caught in a web - a web I didn't understand and which I couldn't possibly get out of.

Lucy noticed my absence, of course. During a drinking session, she came up to me, her eyes worried. 'Kei, what's the matter? You're not quite there today.'

'I'm just tired,' I replied weakly, but I felt her gaze burning on me. Lucy knew me too well to just settle for that answer, but for now she let it go.

I hated that I was lying to her, but what was I supposed to do? If she saw the video, if she knew what I knew, it would only make everything worse. I had to solve this myself.

_

When we arrived home after practice, I felt my heart pounding in my throat again. Lucy parked the car and remained seated for a moment before looking at me. 'Keira, you've been different for days. If there's anything, if you're worried about anything, tell me. We can handle this together.'

I wanted nothing more than to tell her everything. But at that moment, my phone rang again. I was so startled that I almost lost my grip on it. Lucy frowned. 'Who is that?' she asked.

'Probably spam,' I lied quickly, opening the email. The sender was the same as before.

This time there was only one sentence: 'It's time you tell the truth, Keira.'

I felt my blood run cold. Lucy's gaze drilled into my side, but I couldn't look at her. 'I'm going to the toilet,' I muttered, slipping in quickly.

In the bathroom, I opened the e-mail again. It contained another attachment. It was a picture of Lucy and me, hand in hand in the park. But this time there was more: in the background was a silhouette. Someone had been following us, someone was there that day, and we hadn't even noticed.

_

When I returned to the living room, Lucy was still sitting on the sofa. She looked up as I entered, her face a mixture of frustration and concern. 'Keira, I know there is something. Why don't you tell me?'

I swallowed. 'There's nothing, Luce. I'm just a bit stressed.'

'Stressed?' She stood up and walked towards me. 'Keira, I see how you look away when your phone rings. I see how you become self-absorbed. This is more than just being stressed. What's going on?'

I felt the words on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't say it. Not now. Instead, I shook my head. 'I can't explain.'

Lucy's eyes filled with pain. 'Keira, I'm trying to help you. But how can I do that if you don't trust me?'

Her words cut through me. Of course I trusted her. But how could I tell her that someone was destroying our lives? That there was someone who seemed to know everything and was haunting us?

'It's not that I don't trust you,' I whispered. 'It's just that I'm trying to protect you.'

She frowned. 'Protect me? From what?'

Before I could answer, Lucy's phone went off. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the screen. Her face stiffened. 'Unknown number,' she muttered.

_

She hesitated for a moment before answering. 'Hello?'

I saw her face change as the voice on the other end started talking. Her eyes narrowed, and I knew this was not just any phone call.

'Who are you?' she asked sharply.

There was no answer, only soft laughter. Then the voice spoke, 'It's interesting, isn't it, Lucy? How people can have secrets, even from those they love.'

I felt my breath catch. Lucy's gaze shot to me, her eyes filled with questions. 'What do you mean?' she asked, her voice now icy cold.

'Ask her yourself,' the voice said with a sadistic tone. 'Maybe then she will finally tell you the truth.'

The line went dead. Lucy stared at the phone as if she wanted to shatter it. 'What the hell was that?' she asked, her voice shaky with anger and confusion.

I felt my throat clench. This was the moment. I had to tell everything. But just as I opened my mouth, my phone rang again. A new e-mail.

_

I opened the e-mail with trembling hands, Lucy now close beside me. This time it wasn't a photograph. It was an address.

Lucy leaned over my shoulder and read it along. 'What's that?' she asked, her voice now less angry and more strained.

'I don't know,' I whispered, but I knew that was a lie. This address was familiar. It was a place where Lucy and I often went - a secluded training ground where we sometimes went to play football together to escape the crowds.

'They want us to go there,' Lucy said, her voice now calm but icy. 'They're trying to lure us somewhere.'

'And we're not going,' I said quickly. 'It's a trap.'

But Lucy shook her head. 'Keira, this isn't going to stop. Not if we keep running away.'

I wanted to protest, but I saw the determination in her eyes. There was no way to dissuade her from this.

_

Later that evening, we stood together on the training field. The cold wind cut through our coats, and the silence felt ominous. The field was deserted, but I felt as if we were being watched.

'Do you see anything?' I asked softly, my eyes scrutinising the surroundings.

Lucy shook her head, but her body tensed. 'They are here somewhere. I'm sure they are.'

Suddenly, a phone rang. Not ours. The sound came from behind the trees. Lucy immediately turned and ran towards it.

'Lucy, wait!' I shouted, but she was already gone.

I ran after her, my heart pounding in my chest. When I finally reached her, she stood still, her breath heavy. In front of us on the ground was a phone, vibrating from an incoming call.

Lucy bent down and picked it up. She pressed 'answer' and held the phone to her ear.

'Hello?' she said sharply.

The voice on the other end was the same. Calmly, as if this was a game. 'Well done, Lucy. But it's not over yet. Look behind you.'

My blood congealed. Lucy turned immediately, and I followed her movement. Behind us stood someone - a silhouette, unrecognisable in the darkness.

'Who are you?' asked Lucy, taking a step forward.

But the person said nothing. Instead, he raised his arm, and a flash of light blinded us. When I could see again, he had disappeared, and all that remained was a piece of paper on the ground.

Lucy picked it up and read it aloud. 'Your secrets are not safe yet. This is only the beginning.'

_

I felt my legs trembling. Lucy looked at me, her gaze filled with despair and anger. 'Keira, what is going on here? What do they know about us?'

I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could say anything, we heard a siren in the distance.

The sound came closer, louder and louder. It felt like the world was collapsing around us.

And then, just before the siren stopped, I felt my phone vibrate again. Another e-mail. Lucy's eyes bore into mine as I opened the message.

This time there was only one sentence: 'You can't hide it from her anymore, Keira. The truth will come out, whether you want it to or not.'

I looked up, my heart heavier than ever. Lucy's face was a mixture of pain and distrust. 'What does this mean, Keira?'

I knew I could no longer escape. But just as I was about to answer, a loud knock sounded on the clubhouse door, and everything around us seemed to fall silent.