Truth be Told ✔️

Chapter 44

"Adeline?" Taylor sobbed.

The breath was knocked out me. I couldn't think straight. Even I believed my friends sick and twisted story that the girl had died that night, even if every part of me didn't want it to be true. But within the moments of finally learning their secret, it turns out she was alive? No. Not anymore. I needed to run. Because something told me this girl had more planned than a grand entrance, and something told me, it involved me.

"You're dead," Laurel sputtered.

"Am I? I guess I didn't notice."

If she was dead, she certainly looked the part. Pale and ghostly skin coupled with exotic red hair that looked untouched by man-made chemicals. In the dim moonlight, I had to admit she was breathtaking in a paranormal sort of way...but not while she boasted a gun in her hand.

She turned to us, Blake and I. A small smile grazed her lips. "We haven't met."

I shook my head. "H-hi."

"I don't care."

Suddenly, Seth stepped forward out of the shadows of the dock. My breath got caught in the back of my throat at the sheer stupidity he possessed and the very real possibility that if he attacked her like he looked like he wanted to do in his eyes, he might die. I didn't want him to die. "How?" He spat. "How is that possible?"

Adeline was unfazed. Once again, she turned back to Blake and I. "Jacob."

Blake's grip went slack at the lone answer. "What?" He repeated, words shaking on his tongue. "What did you just say?"

The girl blinked. "Jacob, Blake. When I fell into the water, I was sinking fast. But right as I was about to his bottom and pass out, I felt these arms wrap around my body and propel the both of us upwards. And my savior?" She smiled lovingly. "Jacob."

"But how did we not see you?" Taylor said. "God we searched that water for what felt like hours until Blake's parents made us come back to the dock. We thought Jacob got lost in the forest and starved."

"Well, by the time we reached the surface, I was unconscious from lack of oxygen. Jacob at least had a snorkel. He swam us to the nearest coast and performed CPR until I started breathing again."

"But how did we not see you?" Kyle repeated more forcefully.

Adeline turned to hear former boyfriend with dead eyes. Blank and emotionless. "It was pitch black that night with a thick cloud of fog settling over the lake. If you had really cared about finding me, you would've downed a bottle of water and found flashlights," she snapped at him. She composed herself quickly though. "But you didn't. You were too drunk and shocked to think straight. So you gave up rather quickly and ran."

I looked over to see my brother balling his fists.

But Kyle wasn't done with his turn speaking. "Addy," he said slowly, "how could you?"

Adeline scoffed. "How could I what ?"

Kyle growled. "How could you pretend to be dead for for three years?" He yelled suddenly, emotion welling up inside of him and boiling to the surface faster than . Seth wasn't the only one furious at the red head. "Why would you let us believe you were dead? God almighty, do you not know the guilt we've been tortured with all this time? The pain we felt having to answer questions that even we didn't fully comprehend?"