I didn't choose her, my heart did

The panic

Keira's POV:

The knock on the door echoed through the silence. Lucy and I looked at each other, our breathing audible in the chilly air. It was as if my whole body was on pause. Something in that knock felt... wrong.

Lucy was the first to move. She took a step towards the door, but I grabbed her arm. 'Luce, wait,' I whispered, my voice trembling. 'What if... what if it's them?'

Her jaw tightened, but she didn't turn around. 'That's precisely why I have to go and look.'

I wanted to protest, but my words stuck in my throat. Lucy pulled her arm free and walked slowly towards the door, her footsteps soft on the concrete. I followed her, my heart pounding in my chest.

She opened the door cautiously, but there was no one there. Only the empty night greeted us.

Lucy stepped outside, her eyes scanning the surroundings.

Then I saw it. Something was lying on the ground in front of the door. A small envelope, sealed with a red stamp.

Lucy picked it up and held it up. 'Kei...' Her voice sounded hoarse.

'What is it?' I asked, stepping closer.

She tore open the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper. As she read it, her whole demeanour changed. Her back stiffened, her breath stopped.

I snatched the paper from her hands and read it myself. It was handwritten, the ink sloppy, as if it had been written in haste.

'One of you lied. Ask yourself who you can really trust. The game has only just begun.'

My breathing quickened. Lucy slowly turned to me, her gaze cold and sharp. 'What does this mean, Keira? Who is lying here?'

_

'I don't know!' I shouted, my voice higher than I wanted. 'I have no idea who is doing this, or what they mean!'

Lucy stared at me, her gaze inquisitive. 'Keira, there's something you're not telling me. I know that for sure. Why do you keep circling the truth?'

'I'm telling you everything I know!' I lied, my hands shaking.

Her eyes narrowed. 'Really, because this is starting to look suspiciously like something you know more about than I do. Who is this person following us? What does that person want from us? And what do they have on you?'

I felt the walls collapsing around me. How could I tell her about the emails, the videos, the photos? How could I tell her that someone was following us closely, threatening our lives, and that I had hidden it?

Just as I opened my mouth to say something, my phone vibrated again. Lucy shot a glance at the screen. 'Who is it this time?' she asked, her voice sharp.

I glanced at the screen. It wasn't an email this time, but an incoming call. The same unknown number.

Lucy grabbed my phone before I could respond and picked up. 'Listen here, whoever you are, leave us alone!' she shouted.

A soft laugh sounded at the other end of the line. 'Lucy, Lucy,' the voice said, and my stomach turned over. It was the same voice as in her earlier phone call. 'Always so protective. Always so strong. But are you sure you're making the right choice by trusting her?'

Lucy's eyes shot to me, her grip on the phone tightening. 'What do you mean?' she asked, her voice trembling with anger.

'You'll find out on your own,' the voice said. 'But be careful, Lucy. Not everyone is who they seem.'

And then the line broke.

_

Lucy threw the phone on the floor, her breathing irregular. 'Keira, I want the truth. Now.'

'Lucy, I don't know what they mean!' I said desperately, but my voice sounded weak, as if even I didn't believe in it.

She stepped closer to me, her eyes filled with distrust. 'Keira, if you're hiding something from me, you have to say it now. Because if you don't, I don't know if I can do this anymore.'

Those words cut through my soul. Lucy, my Lucy, was about to lose her trust in me, and it was my fault.

'I...' I began, but before I could continue, our attention was caught by a noise outside. A car screeching to a halt.

Lucy immediately turned and walked towards the door, her fists clenched. I followed her, my heart in my throat again.

Outside was a black SUV, its engine still running. The lights were bright, blinding almost. The doors opened, and two men in dark suits stepped out.

'Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh?' one of them asked in an authoritative voice.

Lucy stepped forward, her posture defensive. 'Who's asking?'

The man pulled out a badge. 'Special unit sports security. We have received indications of a threat to your safety.'

My head was spinning. Threat? Special unit? Lucy looked at me, her eyes narrow. 'Do you have anything to do with this?'

Before I could reply, the second man spoke. 'We would like to ask you to come with us. It is important that we resolve this as soon as possible.'

'And why should we trust you?' asked Lucy sharply.

The man smiled coldly. 'Because the person threatening you is closer than you think.'

_

My breath stopped. Lucy slowly turned to me, her face full of questions. 'Keira... what do they know that I don't?'

I felt the blood draining from my face. Before I could answer, one of the men stepped forward and held up a picture. It was a picture of me. I was standing in a corridor, and next to me...

Lucy's eyes filled with shock and anger. 'What is this?' she asked, her voice icy cold.

I did not know. I didn't know who the person next to me was, or why this picture existed. But one thing I knew for sure: everything Lucy and I had built was now about to break.

'Keira,' she said, her voice now just a whisper. 'What have you done?'

I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, a loud bang sounded in the distance. The men drew their weapons, Lucy grabbed my arm, and the night exploded into chaos.