I didn't choose her, my heart did

The confusion

Keira's POV:

The bang seemed to thump through my entire body. My ears were ringing, and I could barely think. Lucy's grip on my arm was strong as she pulled me inside, away from the men getting ready to spring into action.

'Stay here!' growled Lucy, as she quickly locked the door. Her gaze was sharp, her whole demeanour changed. I had never seen her so tense, almost protective, but also... angry.

'Lucy, what's happening?' I asked, my voice trembling.

'I wonder that too,' she bit back. 'And I have such a feeling you know more about that than I do.'

The men outside shouted something through a walkie-talkie. The words didn't quite come through, but I caught something about 'gunmen in the area.' My stomach turned. This was no longer a game, if it ever was.

_

Lucy turned to me, her eyes twinkling with anger and distrust. 'Keira, this is your last chance. What have you done? And who is that person in the picture?'

'Lucy, I don't know!' I cried, as panic welled up inside me. 'I swear, I really don't know!'

She shook her head, as if she couldn't believe me. 'Keira, you've been holding something back. All those phone calls, the tension... you know more than you're saying.'

'I told you everything I know!' I lied, again. But this time, even to me, my own voice did not sound convincing.

Her eyes narrowed. 'Do you know what I find worst? That I trusted you. I thought we could handle anything together. But now I don't know what's real and what's not.'

Those words cut deeper than I expected. I wanted to scream, to grab her, to beg her to believe me. But before I could say anything, there was another knock on the door.

'Lucy! Keira!' shouted one of the men outside. 'We have to leave now. The situation is getting too dangerous.'

_

Lucy hesitated. She looked at me, her gaze now more confusion than anger. 'We are going. But this conversation is not over,' she said, her voice cold.

She opened the door, and the men were ready with a vehicle.

One of them beckoned us hurriedly. 'We have received information that the threat is specifically targeting you. We need to take you to a safe location.'

Lucy looked at them suspiciously. 'How do we know we can trust you?'

The man pulled out a tablet and tapped on the screen. A video appeared, clearly recorded from a security camera. It showed our flat, just a few days ago. A figure dressed in a dark hoodie stood outside, clearly waiting and observing.

'This person has been seen around your flat. We have strong indications that he is responsible for the photos and threats,' the man said. 'And he has been spotted in the neighbourhood.'

I felt my throat clench. Who was this person? And why was he targeting us specifically?

Lucy looked at me, and I saw the question in her eyes: Is this someone you know?

I could only shake my head. But deep inside, another question began to arise. What if this all started because of me?

_

We were hastily ushered into the vehicle. Lucy sat next to me, her jaw tight, her arms crossed.

She said nothing, but her silence spoke volumes. The car drove away, the streets flashing by.

The men in front spoke in a hurried tone through their radios, but I could barely follow. My thoughts were spinning in circles.

Suddenly, I heard Lucy whisper softly. "Keira, if you know anything... please, tell me now. Before it's too late."

I looked at her, her eyes filled with a mix of anger, sadness, and... something else. Hope, maybe?

But before I could respond, the car suddenly shot into an alley.

The driver cursed loudly. "They've found us! Hold on!"

A second car, black and with tinted windows, appeared behind us. The vehicle accelerated, an intense chase through the streets of the city.

I felt Lucy's hand on my arm, this time not angry, but protective. "We'll get through this," she said softly, almost more to herself than to me. But I knew this was more than a simple chase.

This was a game that had long since gotten out of hand.

_

The chase ended abruptly when our car turned into a narrow side street. The black SUV stopped behind us, and before anyone could react, two figures jumped out of the vehicle. They were armed, and their faces were covered.

One of them shouted, "Get out, now!"

Lucy looked at me, her eyes wide with panic. "Keira, stay with me," she whispered.

The men in front hesitated. "We can't just hand them over," one of them said.

The figures outside moved forward, their guns aimed. And then, suddenly, the unthinkable happened. One of the men pulled off his mask, and my breath caught.

"Keira," he said with a chilling smile. "You could have prevented this."

Lucy looked at me, her eyes full of questions. But I couldn't say anything. I knew this man. And that made it all the worse.

_

Lucy's gaze shifted from confusion to pure anger.

"Keira, who is this? Why does he know you?"

I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn't come. How could I explain this to her? How could I tell her that this was all my fault?

The man chuckled softly. "Don't worry, Lucy. You'll learn everything... in time."