An awkward silence stretches on as I continue to eye Justine with disbelief. I note that she's holding three bags. One of them is hers, the other one Mark's, and the last one mine.

"What are you doing here?" I demand.

"So I'm assuming they haven't told you yet?" Justine stares blankly at me before letting out a long sigh. She walks past me and into the living room, plonking herself where I had sat moments earlier, muttering under her breath. She drops the three bags beside her and sighs with relief.

"What the hell do you guys keep in these bags?" Justine mutters, rubbing her shoulders. She catches my stare and motions towards the three bags on the carpeted floor.

"I figured you went looking for me in the bathroom. After the teachers let us out, I ran straight there and found just your bags," she explains.

When I don't answer, she mumbles something incoherently.

"The three of us have tried to protect you, Audrey. But now it's become too dangerous to keep you in the dark." Erik's words ring in my mind.

"So," I say slowly, "You've been my 'protector' from the start?"

"Yeah I guess you could say that. Your father asked me to keep an eye on you a long time ago, just in case." Justine inspects one long, perfectly manicured fingernail.

"So let me get this straight. The reason we became friends was so you could keep an eye out for me?" I'm trying to sound casual, but it's hard masking the hurt and rage I feel inside. I've known Justine since as long as I can remember. We've shared so many secrets and jokes together. Justine was almost like a part of me. Everything we did, we did together. Now she's telling me it was all so she could get close to me?

"Yeah, well, your dad asked me to. Actually..." Justine stops as Mark casts her a warning glance.

"Right, right," she mumbles. "Sorry. One thing at a time. Though to be honest, I don't see what the problem is. Your dad was an amazing thief, Audrey..."

"So," I interrupt again, my voice trembling slightly. "When we met for the first time in grade one, that was all planned?"

Justine opens her mouth to speak.

"No," I say, cutting her off before she can. "I want to make sure I've got this right. The reason we met, the reason why we're best friends, why we go to the same school together, is so you could keep me in the dark about this huge secret?"

Justine hesitates. "Well, when you say it like that..."

"So all those secrets, all the jokes we shared, it was all just to get close to me? To make sure I was still clueless in all this?" I don't give her time to answer. I'm too scared of the response. Though deep down, I know already it's the truth.

"Audrey, please," Justine sighs. "Just think for a second and stop being so stubborn. Sure, we didn't meet out of chance, but I'm still your best friend. You can trust me," she shrugs. "I know you. You just need some time to cool off."

"Oh, you know me, do you?" Something finally snaps, and nothing can stop the words that were about to escape from my mouth.

"I'm just supposed to trust you am I?" I let out a cold laugh. "If everything you guys have said so far is true, then you, Justine, have been lying to me the longest! If you were a real friend, you would have told me the truth!"

Justine stands up. "Audrey, calm down. You don't understand..."

I shake my head furiously, blinded by anger and so many other emotions I couldn't keep track of which ones hit me first. Hurt. Betrayal. Rage.

"No, you're right. I don't understand," I know that the waterfall of tears is coming soon, and I try my hardest to keep them at bay.

"Listen, you don't know how hard it was to keep something so big from you," Justine takes a step towards me.

"Could've fooled me," I scoff. "You didn't think I had the right to know the truth about my father?"

My voice shakes with fury, and all the painful thoughts and memories swimming in my mind seem to merge as one.

Dad's dead. Anita's dead. My best friend is a liar.

I recall Anita's eyes, wide with terror, as she fell to the ground. Her blood-stained shirt. Her limp hand.

"Audrey, I know you're upset..." Justine begins.

"You don't know anything!" I shout angrily.

"I know more than you," Justine snaps. "So can you just shut up for one second and listen to me?"

"Right, because you know everything," I retort. "Tell me, Justine, seeing as you claim to know so much. If you were such a great protector," I walk up to her, my face inches from hers. "Where were you when those assassins came?"

"Look, I was just as clueless as you okay? As soon as I understood what was going to happen, I was going to get you, but a teacher caught me before I could and dragged me to safety. I'll admit, I shouldn't have left you alone. It was my mistake." Justine crosses her arms and her stubbornness only annoy me more.

"You're right," I glower. "It's your mistake, and it's one you'll have to live with for the rest of your life."

I know it's not Justine's fault, but I can't seem to stop the words from tumbling out.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Justine asks in puzzlement.

Judging by her expression, she has no clue what happened to Anita, meaning the assassins must have already cleaned up their 'mess' before she was let out. Still, that doesn't stop what I'm about to say next.

"Oh, you don't know?" I say coldly. "How shocking, something that Justine doesn't know."

"Audrey, don't," Mark warns.

"Anita's dead, Justine," I spit before I can stop myself.

I know I hurt her. I can tell by the way her eyes widen in shock. Anita was like a sister to us. The three of us have been inseparable since primary school. I had hit the nail on the head. Hard.

Justine blinks slowly. "What? But... I didn't see a body out there..." her voice is strangely detached as she stares at me.

I don't answer her. I don't trust myself to speak any longer.

What have I done? I think to myself, the guilt hitting me like a massive wave.

I turn, walking towards the door and Erik steps out of the way.

"Get some fresh air." He opens the door for me.

I walk outside wordlessly, planning to go home. After all, it's only a couple of minutes away. There's a faint click as the door closes behind me, and before I know it, I find myself tripping over my own feet. I fall onto the soft lawn beneath me, breaking into a fit of sobs, no longer able to contain myself.

Looks like what I said to Justine hurt me more than it hurt her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

| Dedicated to alinathaykayjosi |

Thank you so so much for the banner!! It's amazing and I can't thank you enough <333

So these last two chapters haven't been action-filled, but some answers are finally being revealed. Of course, with one question answered, another question arises.

What are your thoughts on Justine, Erik and Mark? Do you trust them?

Don't forget to comment/vote!

EDITED ✔