CHAPTER FORTY
A FRIEND OR A FOE
ALICE’S POV
I shivered, the cold air wrapping around me like a suffocating blanket. My ears strained at the faint sound of keys clicking against the door. Panic surged through my veins. Was someone trying to unlock the door? My throat tightened, and I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest. Instinct took over, and I grabbed the nearest object-a flower vase. My hands trembled as I clutched it tightly, slowly inching towards the door, my breath hitching with every step.
As soon as the door creaked open, I raised the vase above my head, ready to smash it against the intruder. But before I could even react, a hand suddenly grasped my waist, slamming me back against the door. The shock knocked the wind out of me, and the vase slipped from my grasp. My hands were pinned high above my head, held in place by a force much stronger than my own.
The intruder’s body pressed against mine, the weight of him suffocating, his presence overwhelming. I tried to twist away, but he was too close, too strong. His hand moved with deliberate slowness to my cheek, his fingers brushing against my skin in a mockery of tenderness. “You’re beautiful,” he muttered, his voice low and tainted with something dark.
My eyes snapped open, the realization crashing over me like icy water. I was in the grasp of a man, a stranger, and I was utterly defenseless. I struggled, my body writhing against his hold, but he only pulled me closer, his grip tightening. “Let me go,” I grunted, trying to push him away, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he smiled-a cruel, twisted smile that sent shivers down my spine.
“I love it when ladies plead,” he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. My stomach churned as he leaned in, his lips dangerously close to mine. Revulsion and fear mixed into a cocktail of dread. I turned my face away, my voice cracking as I yelled, “Elena, there’s an intruder in the house-!”
Before I could finish, his hand clamped over my mouth, stifling my scream. His other hand gestured for silence, his eyes locking onto mine with a warning. My eyes widened, my heart beating so fast it felt like it might burst. The fear was like a living thing inside me, twisting and writhing, making it hard to breathe.
And then, there it was-footsteps. Someone was coming down the stairs. Relief and terror clashed inside me as the intruder flung me aside like I was nothing. I hit the couch hard, the impact jarring me, but I barely registered the pain. My eyes darted to the doorway just as Elena stepped into view.
“That’s him! The intruder! He’s trying to kill us!” I stuttered, my voice shaking as I tried to steady my racing heart. But instead of the shock or concern I expected, Elena looked from me to the intruder, then back again. And then, to my utter confusion, she started laughing. So did he.
“What’s so funny?” I groaned, staring at them in disbelief, feeling a flush of embarrassment creeping up my neck. My hands shook as I clutched the couch for support.
“He’s my friend, Alice. You made a fuss over nothing, sweetheart,” Elena said, her voice laced with amusement. “Meet my friend, Gabriel.”
“Oh…” I muttered, feeling utterly foolish. My face burned with embarrassment, and I grabbed a pillow, burying my face in it to hide from their mocking smiles.
Elena chuckled softly before turning her attention to Gabriel. “What brings you here so late at night?” she asked, her tone suddenly serious.
Gabriel shot me a suspicious look, and I shrank further into the pillow, pretending not to notice. He stepped closer to Elena, lowering his voice. “The operation was successful, but I left a loophole. The police got there before I could escape, and they’re currently on my tail.”
Elena’s expression darkened, her eyes narrowing with anger as she stared at him. The tension between them was palpable, like the air before a storm. I tried to focus on anything else, but their conversation kept pulling me in, my anxiety building with every word.
“So you came to my house! Just tell me they’re off your pursuit!” Elena’s voice rose, anger simmering beneath the surface.
Gabriel shook his head, his expression grim. “Actually, they aren’t. Your house was close-it was the only place I could come to rest for a bit. It’ll take a while before the police get here,” he drawled, his tone casual, but the danger in his words was unmistakable.
“Shut it, motherfucker!” Elena groaned, running her hands through her hair in frustration. The sight of her, usually so composed, now unraveling, sent a new wave of fear through me.
I couldn’t stay quiet any longer. “Calm down, Lena. Why are you so tense about the police? You didn’t do anything wrong, right?” My voice dropped at the last word, the unspoken question hanging heavily between us. I prayed she hadn’t gotten herself involved in something dangerous, but the look on her face told me otherwise.
“Alice, you need to leave immediately,” Elena suddenly uttered, her voice cold and devoid of emotion.
“What?” I raised my brow, incredulous. “I’m not going anywhere, Elena. What’s wrong with you?” I yelled, my voice rising with my confusion and fear.
“Get the fuck out, Alice!” she barked at me, her voice harsh and unyielding. I flinched at her tone, the venom in her words striking deep.
“Where would I go? It’s midnight! I can’t go now, and where would I even go?” I argued, the fear and confusion tightening around me like a noose.
“Anywhere, Alice. Go anywhere, but get out of my house immediately,” Elena groaned, her tone indifferent, almost cruel. I stood there, stunned. What had happened to the friend I thought I knew?
“I won’t, Elena! I won’t leave you!” I protested, my voice firm despite the tremble in my legs. I couldn’t understand why she was acting this way, but I couldn’t abandon her.
“Don’t make me lose my mind, Alice,” she groaned again, her voice trembling with frustration.
“I said I won’t!” I repeated, adamant. Whatever this was, I couldn’t walk away from her. Not now.
Elena’s eyes hardened, and in a flash, she pulled out a gun from her back and pointed it directly at me. My heart nearly stopped, my mind struggling to process what was happening.
“Are you nuts, Elena? You’re going to shoot me because I don’t want to leave your house?” I yelled, the panic rising as I stared at the gun, disbelief coursing through me. “I know you won’t pull the trig-”
Before I could finish, a deafening crack filled the room. The bullet whizzed past my ear, embedding itself in the wall behind me. My body froze, fear gripping me like a vise.
“Get out!” she screamed, the sound of her voice slicing through the air like a knife. I didn’t need to be told again. I turned and bolted upstairs, my heart pounding in my chest.
I barely felt the stairs beneath my feet as I ran to my room, grabbing my luggage with shaking hands. My mind was a whirlwind of fear, confusion, and heartbreak. How had things gone so wrong? How had Elena changed so much?
Dragging my luggage down the stairs, I tried to calm the storm of emotions raging inside me. Elena was pacing when I reached the bottom, her eyes wild and full of something I didn’t recognize.
“Le…” I tried to speak, but the words caught in my throat.
“Move!” she barked, pointing the gun at me again, cutting off whatever I was going to say. I obeyed, my body moving on autopilot as she motioned me towards the back door.
I stepped outside, the night air cold against my tear-streaked face. I spun around, desperate for some explanation, some sign that this was all a mistake, that my friend was still in there somewhere. But the door slammed shut in my face, and I was left alone, standing in the darkness.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I slowly rolled my luggage away from the house. Sobs wracked my body as the memories of our childhood together flooded back. When had she changed? When had everything gone so wrong?
As I stumbled down the street, a flicker of blue and red caught my eye. I stopped, my breath hitching as I saw the police cars pulling up to the house I had just left. Panic surged through me again, and I froze in place.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out from inside the house, the sound echoing through the silent night. I gasped, my heart nearly stopping as I turned to look back at the house. My blood ran cold. Elena was in there!