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🌹

I don't know how I didn't see it before. It was so obvious; who else could've known about Teo's evidence wall in the garage?

"Teo?" I call out in the cave, hearing the words bounce back off the walls at me. I climb over the small campsite and keep going. "Teo?" I groan as I get no reply. I can't be wrong about this; I need to find Teo before it's too late.

"Teo—freaking—Hughes!"

Collapsing into the rocky ground with a sigh, I lean against the wall of the cave and continue calling out his name. Teo has to be in here. I know he is.

My mind drifts back to when we first met on the bay. He was sweet and oddly forward, and I was petrified of the ocean and deathly pale.

"Teo, if you can hear me, though I doubt you can, please just give me some sort of sign," I plead to the empty cavern. I sigh and lean my head back with my eyes closed.

Something gently brushes against my foot, making my eyes snap open. A small seagull pecks at my foot, and another one whooshes out from around a corner. I furrow my eyebrows and stand up to follow the direction they came from. I peer over at a place I haven't checked yet and gasp.

"TEO!"

I race towards his unconscious body lying on the ground, bloodied and bruised and surrounded by five curious seagulls. Falling to my knees, I cradle his blond head in my hands with teary eyes.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe it," I murmur, pulling my phone out of my back pocket (no, I didn't actually drop it; I just needed to check the rest of the cave out by myself) and dialing 9-1-1.

"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"

"I found a missing boy, and he's really hurt, and the person who did this to him is right outside," I rattle off, pressing two fingers to his bruised neck and mentally praising God that he has a pulse.

"Where are you?"

"Mångata Bay, right below the cliff."

"Help is on the way." The dispatcher hangs up and I drop my phone to the ground.

"Teo, can you hear me? It's going to be okay," I tell the unconscious boy in my lap as I feel tears build up in my eyes. His lip is swollen with fresh blood dripping from a harsh cut on his forehead. Bruises litter every part o his exposed skin. He must've put up more of a fight than the others, considering his injuries were a lot different than the ones inflicted on the psycho's other victims. But why did he bring Teo here?

"I told you to stay away or you'll be next," a voice speaks up behind me, making me turn around harshly to send  the psycho a glare.

If looks could kill . . .

"Will," I sneer, "don't you think you've done enough?"

"No, I think I haven't done enough."

He suddenly pulls a heavy looking rock from out of behind his back and brandishes it above his head. My eyes widen and I scoot backwards slightly, bringing Teo's limp body with me.

"Woah woah woah, slow your role," I stutter, waving my hands out in front of me. I just need to buy myself some time before the police arrive.

Will rolls his eyes at me. "What?"

"I don't think you want to do that, I mean, what would Aspen think? What about your dad?" I say, picking my brain for anything that could slow Will down.

He just stares at me with tired eyes. "I don't care what they think, they already think I'm a failure."

"What would Elena think?" I blurt, remembering Teo's sister and Will's first victim.

"How do you know about Elena?" Will hesitates, bringing the rock back down to hang at his side. His eyes suddenly look very far away like he's remembering something.

"Teo told me someone killed her," I say. Will tenses, making me fling back and cling to Teo's unconscious body.

Please don't wake up and freak out.

"No, no it was a suicide," Will presses. I shake my head.

"Teo and I don't think so."

"No, you don't understand,"

"Then make me understand."

"I was there. She tried jumping off the cliff and I tried to wrestle her off of it, but she pushed off of me and fell down and . . . " He pulls at his hair with one hand, clutching the rock in his other hand so hard his knuckles turn white. "Rachel and Howie weren't supposed to be there. They thought I pushed her, but I swear I didn't. If I didn't do something, then they'd testify against me and I'd go to jail. You don't understand!"

"What about Darcey Harrison?" I ask about his most recent victim. I know I'm pushing it, prying for all these answers, but I can't help but ask.

"She found out what happened to Rachel and Howie."

"You mean she found out you murdered them?"

"Shut up!"

Someone screams behind Will, catching us both off guard. I peer over his shoulder and see Aspen clutching onto my brother in fear. Andrew holds up a heavy rock much like Will's.

"Don't touch my sister," he growls.

Will jumps forward and tackles Andrew to the ground, shoving Apsen off to the side. A fire ignites in her eyes and she rears back and kicks Will where the sun don't shine. She screams obscenities at him and tackles him, punching his face over and over again. Andrew and I freeze as we watch her attack him.

"You—" punch, "freaking—" punch, "liar!"

I suddenly feel like she isn't just beating him up about Teo, but I don't know if I should break it up or . . . ?

"Aspen, hey, it's okay," Andrew says, prying her off of him and pulling her into his arms. She sobs and buries her head in his chest, her shaky hands hanging onto his arms for dear life.

I watch Will uneasily on the ground, but he doesn't move. Apsen must've knocked him out.

Police sirens suddenly echo throughout the cave, but they barely register in my brain as I feel movement beside me. I peer down at Teo and see his eyes flutter open, immediately locking with mine. Neither of us look away as cops and paramedics swarm the cavern.

🌙

"When does your plane leave?"

"In a couple hours. I don't know."

Teo nods and turns back to the mångata over the ocean. He was released from the hospital an hour ago, and we decided on coming here to say our goodbyes where it all started. After the whole situation happened and we were brought down to the police station, Mom and Dad demanded that we go back home on the first plane out of here. Apparently Mångata didn't turn out to be the best vacation destination.

I study the bandage on the side of Teo's head that disappears under his blond hair. My eyes rake over his face, engraving him into my memory so I won't forget him in Alaska. I'm obviously staring at him, and he knows, but he doesn't look at me or say anything.

"I'll miss you," I say. His jaw clenches and he drops his head. "Will you be okay?" I ask.

"I don't know. I didn't think the psycho-murderer could be Will, but I'll have to live with it now."

"I don't think I'll ever forget you or this place."

"How could you? You were almost killed by my brother."

"I mean, there are obvious reasons why I won't forget it, but I'll also remember this," I chuckle light heartedly, motioning to the beautiful mångata, "and I'll remember you."

He forces a small smile and faces me. His eyes wander off to the side an he smirks. I crane my neck to see what he's looking at and see Andrew and Aspen kissing. I turn back around and pretend to gag.

"About time if you ask me," Teo retorts with a genuine smile. We just sit there in the sand for a while in silence, the ocean water rushing up an barely brushing our heels before returning to the sea.

"Andrew, Rose! We've got to get going if we're going to make our flight!" Mom calls from up the beach. I roll my eyes and Lena forward to kiss Teo on the cheek. It's not awkward; he doesn't tense up or push me away; he simply smiles back at me as I stand up.

"I'll call you?" I say. He nods and salutes me, making me laugh. I turn around and walk up the wooden deck that leads off of the beach. A seagull sits on the Mångata Bay sign, watching me with curious eyes. I smile at the bird and step off the deck.

I never would've had an interesting summer if not for Teo.

The seagull beside me suddenly squawks obnoxiously loud, making me laugh.

And the seagulls.

🌙

A/N:

This is the end of Mångata Bay, so thanks for reading! I know that it was extremely short and fast paced, but it was just a summer romance-turned murder mystery I wanted to write over the summer.

Thanks to everyone who read, voted, and commented!