"What?" I ask him.
      "You can't ride off in a pumpkin carriage and never look back. That's not how the world works. Don't you see that? Sure, neither of you have a a family. But I do, my mother thinks I'm dead. I can't exactly go knocking on the door like 'hey I'm back!' Come on! Even if you move far away from Essie, the murderer will still find you. He's a genius." Jake expresses.

        "Of all the words you can use to describe the person who kidnapped you, convinced everyone you loved you were dead, and oh I don't know killed half your town is 'genius?' What the actual hell." Alex argues.

         "I never asked you. This guy kidnapped you, but you never said who it was. You know who is it. Don't you?" I ask. Jake laughs.
        "Of course I know who it is." He says.
       "Who?" Alex and I ask in unison.

       "You seriously don't know yet?" He asks, smiling wider than ever. When he says this, I know it's him. But, I've known him all my life. I loved him. So, I feel there's no way. Anything is possible, unfortunately.

        "How could you?" I find myself screaming. Alex reaches his hand back and knocks him with full force. I watch Jake fall down to the ground. He hits his head on the hard floor. At this moment, I sense the eyes of everyone on us. They must have to to to herd everything. We weren't exactly quiet.

       To my left a tan, blonde surfer gives me a look of pure horror. The cashier holds a customer's credit card but doesn't move. A tall woman in the back leans on the wall in shock. A small child bursts out in tears at the sight of Jake. I hadn't looked down yet. I glance down, Jake sits in a pool of his own blood.

        "Oh my god." Escapes—involuntarily—from my lips.
        "I just killed someone," Alex mutters, in denial. Or possibly shock. Maybe even fear.

❀ ❀ ❀

        It's been one year since the island. One full year. Alex and I had to sit in jail that night. It was horrible.

Avery had her baby five months ago. She kept him. An adorable baby boy, named Zach. I was honorary godmother.

Alex and I both got accepted into NYU. We live in this tiny apartment an hour from campus, but we are able to live together.

I suppose everything turned out in the end, but I have never felt so much betrayal, hatred, and shock as I did that day. My life will never be the same. Ever.

        With our murderer dead, I was finally free. I had forgotten what it felt like. I still find myself keeping a knife at a bedside, pepper spray on the subway, jumping when I get a phone call, panicking when Alex doesn't come home one time, and getting nervous when there's a knock on the door.

In reality, I'll never be free. There will always be the constant fear in the back of my head, but it feels good anyway.