stars upon my face

chapter 30-never going back

I still can't believe what I just witnessed. I'm still trying to process what happened a few minutes ago. My mind is racing with questions, and my  emotions can't seem to fight the battle of my thoughts. I'm shaken, but I know I have to stay focused if I want to get to the bottom of what happened.

As I watched, Rachel stood up, Emily struggling and cursing beneath her. Rachel's eyes locked onto me, and for a moment, I thought I saw her slightly wink at me, but then she turned her attention back to Emily, who was still pinned to the ground.

"I'm taking her in," Rachel said, her voice low and steady. "You're safe, Nora."The question was ,was i really safe, or did she just say that so I could not panic.

I nodded, still trying to process everything that had just happened. I couldn't believe that Emily, my supposed to be  best friend, had been manipulating me all along. I couldn't believe that she had planned the whole thing, including the kidnapping and the escape, but at the same time, I was not surprised at all.

Rachel's eyes met mine again, and this time, i think she saw a glimmer of how i felt and my emotions.i felt like  She knew that I was struggling to come to terms with what had happened.

"What do you want to know?" Rachel asked, her voice gentle.

I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. "Who is Emily?" I asked. "Why did she do this to me?"

Rachel's expression turned serious. "Emily is a sociopathic killer," she said. "She's been using her charm and manipulation to get what she wants, including murder."

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. I couldn't believe that Emily, someone I thought I knew, was capable of such heinous crimes even though I wasn't so shocked, but I still couldn't believe it.

"What about James?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Rachel's eyes flickered, and for a moment, I thought I saw a  slight of  sadness appear. "James was one of Emily's victims," she said. "She's killed several people, including her own family members."

I felt like I was going to throw up. I couldn't believe that I'd been so blind, so trusting. I thought I knew Emily, but it turned out I didn't know her at all.

"We'll get to the bottom of this, Nora," she said. "We'll make sure Emily pays for what she's done."

I nodded, feeling a bit hopeful for the first time in what felt like hours. I knew that I still had a long way to go, but with Rachel's help, I felt like I could finally find some closure.

As we stood there, Emily still pinned to the ground, I couldn't help but think about the what-ifs. What if I'd been more suspicious? What if I'd seen the signs? What if I'd been able to stop her before it was too late?

But I knew that I couldn't change the past. All I could do was focus on the present and the future. And with Rachel by my side, I felt like I could face anything.

I took a deep breath, trying to let go of my emotions. I knew that I had a long road ahead of me, but I was ready to face it head-on.

"Let's get her to the police station," Rachel said, nodding towards Emily.

I nodded, We were going to bring Emily to justice, no matter what it took.

As we walked away from the clearing, I couldn't help but glance back at the spot where Emily had been. I knew that I would never forget this experience, this realization that everything I thought I knew about my life had been a lie.

I stood outside the police station, taking a deep breath of the fresh air after the chaos that had erupted on the other side of the door. I felt a sense of closure, knowing that Emily was finally getting the justice she deserved. But as I turned to walk away, I bumped into someone. Apologetic, I turned to see who it was,my head was still aching from the several headaches I had  ,I saw black a tall figure with black sweaters and takkies ,I stand up and with the looks if it it's James ,but how .

James. The guy Emily had shot.

I felt ny gut hit me  knowing that I had called him  a suspect earlier. But looking into his eyes now, I saw something that gave me pause. He looked... shocked.

"J-James..," I said, trying to process what I was seeing. "What happened at the park? Emily told me she shot you."

James's eyes widened in surprise, and he shook his head. "No, that's not true," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

I felt my chest harden at his words,did Emily hate me that much to lie about James being shot.

"Why would Emily say that, then?" I asked, trying to make sense of it all.

James's expression turned pained. "I don't know," he said, "but I think... I think we should talk about this later."

I hesitated, unsure of what to do. Part of me wanted to listen to James to hear his side of the story. But another part of me was still reeling from the what happened a few hours ago.

"And why would i want to have a conversation with you after what your sister did to me ,I can't even tell if you're telling the truth anymore, did she send you here to take me again".

I turned to leave, but James's grip on my wrist stopped me.

"Wait," he said, his eyes pleading. "Please. Just have a minute with me, okay?"

I felt his gaze as he looked into my eyes like he was telling me the truth , but something about James's expression made me nod. "Okay," I said. "I have to go now, though."

James nodded, and I quickly turned to leave. I didn't look back until I was safely inside the police station, feeling a mix of emotions about James and Emily.

As I walked away, I couldn't help but wonder what other secrets lay hidden beneath the surface.