CHAPTER 7 – PART 1
5 days until Ari's birthday
WAITING TO WAKE UP
ARI
"What happened?" I asked, touching my hair as I looked around.
I turned to my side to see who was with me and found Jeff lying back, asleep, supported by two chairs.
I looked ahead and saw Liam sitting with his eyes closed, arms crossed, his posture tense and silent.
We were in a hospital waiting room, filled with an atmosphere of anxiety. The silence was broken only by the soft murmur of passing nurses and the ticking of clocks on the walls.
The guys from the party, who were also there, looked at me when they saw I had woken up, and I knew they were whispering about me.
But that wasn't what made me uneasy—it was what might happen.
My thoughts cleared, and I remembered them. Anger flooded me.
I turned to Jeff again and touched his leg to wake him up. He jerked his head up abruptly.
"I got scared when I saw you weren't waking up," Jeff said, sitting up beside me. "How do you feel? You were really bad."
"I have no strength, and I feel like my head is about to explode," I replied, directing my gaze toward the door where the police were arriving.
Among them was Officer García.
He didn't greet us. He simply threw us a glance and followed the doctor along with the other officers, whom I didn't recognize.
"Do you think he'll come talk to us?" Jeff asked. I nodded and leaned back in my seat.
"Liam was the one who called the police and Mr. García," I said, staring at the ceiling. I closed my eyes, hoping the pain would go away.
"Do you fully trust Liam?" Jeff asked.
I opened my eyes and looked forward, seeing Liam lightly asleep.
"No, I don't. But I'm trying to," I answered.
I looked at him and startled when a voice addressed us.
"Ari, didn't they hurt you?"
I turned to see who it was and lifted my gaze. It was Dylan, his expression clearly worried.
"I'm fine. Nothing happened to me," I said, trying to smile. Dylan bent down to my level, where I was sitting.
"Really? I'm sorry—I didn't even get to help you. I was with Alexander."
"It's okay. You're not obligated to take care of me. Besides, I wasn't the one who got hurt. Other girls were."
"When I saw that one of them tried to hurt Jeff, I went upstairs to get Alexander," Dylan said, rubbing his head, then looking at Jeff. "Sorry for not helping you."
"I didn't need anyone's help. I can defend myself," Jeff replied. Dylan nodded, still serious.
"When I came back down with Alexander, the other girl had that weapon. Then the shot went off, and we heard your screams," Dylan continued, while I took a deep breath. The scene wouldn't leave my mind, and I wanted to cry.
"Dylan, could you leave? This isn't the best moment to remember that," Jeff said.
I just lowered my gaze, trying to control myself.
"I didn't mean to make you feel bad," Dylan said to me.
"You heard Jeff. Leave," Liam's voice said, joining the conversation.
I lifted my gaze and saw that he was awake, his expression tired.
He was standing in front of me, intimidating Dylan, who stared back at him. They didn't get along. Dylan chose to ignore Liam and looked at me.
"Ari, if you need anything, you can talk to me anytime," Dylan said, giving Liam one last look before leaving through the hospital door.
"Did he only come to see you?" Jeff asked once it was just the three of us. "You've got competition, Liam."
"Shut up, idiot," Liam replied immediately.
"Both of you, shut up. Why are we in the hospital?" I asked, looking at Jeff. Then I saw Liam sit down beside me.
"Your parents gave me that order," Jeff answered.
"You called them?" I asked. My headache was getting worse.
"I had to. You're serious. You need help," Jeff said, just as a nurse approached us.
"Are you Miss Ari, and the young men Jeff and Liam?" the nurse asked. We looked at each other, confused.
"Yes, that's us," I answered.
"Could you come with me? Officer García is waiting for you in a room," she said.
I stood up immediately along with Jeff and Liam.
He had even asked for Jeff to be present, which seemed strange to me, since before he hadn't agreed to involve him.
His action now was a surprise.
I felt it wasn't just because Jeff had been at the scene—there were other reasons.
We followed the nurse through several hallways until she stopped in a room that looked like a cafeteria for hospital staff. She motioned for us to go in and closed the door before leaving.
Officer García was sitting in one of the chairs, drinking coffee. When he saw us, he asked us to sit down.
He set his cup down and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"Have they taken your statements yet?" García asked, and I felt his gaze on me.
He was analyzing the state I was in.
After so many things.
"No, you sent me a message that—" Liam began, but García interrupted him.
"That you should wait until I took you to the station. This is related to the case, so it's my duty," he said, stirring his coffee with a spoon.
"Your look changed," Officer García said to me.
"I'm scared. Is that abnormal to you?" I replied. For a moment I thought he would smile, but he hid it immediately.
"Yes, you're scared, like everyone else. But I see something more."
"Something more?" I asked, frowning.
"It's anger."
"You see me as angry?" I replied. The boys looked confused, as if they didn't understand the purpose of the conversation.
Neither did I. What was he trying to find?
"Of course you're angry. But you hide it very well. I wonder how you managed to hide it for so long."
My eyes widened in surprise.
Mr. García's attitude surprised me. He didn't seem to want to attack me, but rather to make me aware of something.
But I didn't need to realize it. I wasn't fooling myself.
Sometimes I try to fool myself, to help myself—but this wasn't one of those times.
"Wouldn't the real question be why I wouldn't be angry? Does this seem like something normal to you?"
"No, miss. Well, we're getting off topic. Jeff, could you tell me what you talked about with Ian? The false rumor."
Jeff looked at me as if he wanted to ask why the sudden change, but I shot him a look that made him cover it immediately.
"I talked to Ian. The guys who were in the cafeteria said he was the one who took the photos," Jeff began, and I noticed Liam paying close attention. "I thought he'd deny it, but he said he was threatened."
JEFF BROWN
"Money? We're supposed to be friends, and you're telling me you did it for money," I said to Ian while we were in the boxing gym. Training had ended, and I asked him to talk afterward.
"To be honest, I was angry. I lost Ari's friendship, and she pulled away from me. When I started getting messages saying you two were a couple and that's why she rejected me…" Ian replied. Every time he spoke, I felt more confused. Messages? Several people?
"Messages? Who sent you messages?" I asked. He sighed, went to his backpack, pulled out his phone, and typed for a while before showing it to me.
@20.10.24
Do you think it was bad luck that she rejected you? We saw it. She will never love you.
@18.12.22
Stay away from her before you regret it. Don't you want to see her cry? Suffer? Tell me this will all be your fault.
9:00 p.m.
Jeff and Ari. Jeff will be a problem. A problem that will end soon.
A problem that will end soon.
I saw Ian searching my face for something. So… they threatened him?
How pathetic.
Did he just tell me they're going to kill me?
"The messages kept coming. I don't know how, but he got personal information. He threatened me after I kept my word and stayed away from Ari. Then he asked me for the photos. I took them, and even though I asked what he wanted them for, he stopped replying. I found out about the post later too. I felt terrible, man," Ian said, trying to touch my shoulder, looking for understanding.
I tried to listen to every word, but I couldn't stop thinking about those damn words.
"Ian, get away from me," I said, and he immediately removed his hand from my shoulder. I handed him his phone after finishing reading.
Expose your secrets? Did I have secrets? We all do, but… something that serious?
"I swear, I didn't want to do it. You know you're my friend," he said. I looked at him, unsure.
I felt so much distrust—not just toward him, but toward the people who sent those messages.
Ari was insecure. I was too, but she couldn't handle this. And what did they want?
Fuck… the headache. I try to remember enemies, people who might have reasons, but I always reach the same conclusion.
She already has enough.
I worry about what decisions she might make, because it seems like she keeps so much inside.
She hasn't been well for a long time. Something always happens that hurts her.
And the worst part is that she's always kind to others.
When something makes her angry, she just lets it go.
"I understand you felt threatened, but didn't you think about Ari? About how she might take it? About how it could affect me? You didn't even try to tell me—I could have helped you," I said, while he looked at me as if he understood.
Truth is, I believed him.
I don't want anything to happen to Ari.
"You don't believe me?" he asked. I sighed and took a breath.
"I don't know, Ian. I know you're a good person, but… I was threatened with death. Didn't you worry? That they might do something to me?"
"Of course I worried. But I knew that person was close to me, and if I didn't accept, they could do something to me. I even made it a condition that they stay away from you, so nothing would happen to you. Despite everything, I care about you both… even if with Ari, you know it's not the same."
"They tried," I replied, remembering what everyone knew from the news.
"I know, and I'll never forgive myself," he answered.
"Neither will I. So you don't know anything about the attacker?" I asked at last.
I needed to leave and be alone—not just because of everything, but because I felt useless not having much information about who it could be.
"Actually, when he called me, one of the people with him didn't know the call was active. I heard two voices. He called them by name: Nay and Daisy. He shouted at them several times to leave the room. One of them answered, but he called her by a weird nickname… Blin."
"Blin?"
"But I don't know anyone with that name."
"I have to go, but if you get more information, please look for me or send me a message," I said. He nodded, and I didn't say goodbye with my usual enthusiasm.
I put my phone in my backpack, started running down the street, and put on my headphones. I ran until I reached a sidewalk, crossed the street, and noticed there weren't many people around.
So… I ran faster.
I need to find this Blin.
ARI
I understood it even more when he mentioned the serious threat. I knew he felt my gaze, but he decided not to look at me. He was worried.
My stalker was trying to hurt him, so he was crossing boundaries.
Maybe it was time to protect him, because even though I distrusted everyone, I knew I didn't distrust him.
I've heard many times that people think I'm very insecure about myself, but if I'm honest, I'm glad you think that.
I felt like a bad person for distancing myself from others, for being afraid they'd do what they always do—hurt me.
But I know very well this isn't just about love. It's about me.
If it were in my hands to change in a second just to please others, I would.
Do you think I don't hate myself?
Only to realize that it's not something bad in others, but in me. That I can't stand myself.
I wish I could see myself the way everyone else sees me.
And I wish that maybe they could understand me, at least a little, because that's what I expect from them.
I'm sorry.
Maybe it's better this way…
Because I will never be able to say these words without choking on my tears.
"That was the only thing he showed me, and honestly, I don't think he's lying," Jeff said when he finished speaking. He showed the messages Ian had shown him, and the officer nodded while taking notes. "I'll send you the photos, but look into the accounts—either they deleted them from Instagram, or they did it themselves."
"The investigation will move forward. We have that name now, so it will be very helpful if we find that person before the attacker acts," Officer García said.
Even though Nay lied to us when she said she didn't know anything, I'm not angry with her. And even though I thought I would be angry with Daisy as well, I knew it wasn't fair to blame her.
With a heavy weight on our shoulders: having been deceived, used, forced, drugged… and many other things no one knows, not even some that I myself still don't understand.
Why did she blame me? How many girls were there before me? And if any of them are still alive, I have to find them.
"So it's not someone from the school?" I asked.
Officer García shook his head.
Something in me rejected that idea, even though I couldn't find a concrete reason to think Officer García was lying.
He had helped me before, and I knew he wouldn't lie to me, despite his somewhat cold attitude, shaped by his job.
"I'm not completely sure," the officer replied, "but everything points to someone from outside. We're looking for someone at least a little older than you. The list of suspects is already being investigated, but that information can't be shared yet."
I saw Jeff nod, but Liam's expression was serious.
"Did you find the girls' families?" I asked, remembering what Nay had mentioned.
It sounded realistic. It could also have been an effect of the drugs they were forced to take, distorting their perception of reality.
Even so, it must have been painful to think you were abandoned just when you needed them most… when they needed them most.
"No, they're investigating to find them. Both girls had been reported missing for years, and it surprises me that they managed to stay alive…" the officer replied, taking a sip of his coffee. "And to think this was done by a young man…"
The officer looked at me, and I felt that look of pity that made me shudder.
I knew that expression well; in some way, it was the same one I saw on the woman who presented the news when other girls were found dead.
The only difference between those girls and me… was that I hadn't disappeared.
But maybe I would, even if I tried to avoid it.
Even if my mind filled with that thought.
I lowered my gaze.
"Will we have to give our statements?" Jeff asked.
I looked at him, worried, knowing he was thinking about his father… about getting in trouble again because of me.
"I'll try to talk to your father," I said, but he quickly shook his head.
"No, you won't," Jeff replied. "I don't want you to have problems with him. He'll get mad at you."
"Let him get mad at me, as long as he's not mad at you."
"It doesn't matter. He always is, especially with me. So don't worry. The last thing I want is for him to forbid me from seeing you."
"It's dangerous," I replied.
Jeff looked at me as if that answer caused an internal conflict.
"So you're suggesting I leave you alone? You'd be an idiot if you think I'm going to do that."
"I just think it would be good for you to distance yourself for now. You know very well the last thing I want is for you to get involved in this. He'll try to hurt me… and I don't want him doing it to the people I care about," I explained.
Jeff looked at Liam, searching for support, as if he needed help finding the right words.
"Jeff, I think it's for the best," Liam intervened. "I was deeply affected by that guy two years ago. I agree with Ari. I know you don't like the idea, but it would be best if no more people got hurt because of this situation."
"Now you're worried about me?" Jeff let out a bitter laugh. "Do you see this as an opportunity to be with her?"
Officer García looked surprised by the conversation unfolding. In response, Liam stood up from his seat and left the room, avoiding the question… avoiding the topic about me.
Jeff followed him outside to continue the conversation. I stood up quickly, thinking they might start fighting right there in the hospital.
I saw Liam walking calmly, but Jeff grabbed him forcefully by the arm, turned him abruptly, and forced him to look at him.
"Answer me," Jeff demanded.
Liam looked at him with a serious expression, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.
Then he lifted his gaze, looking at me over Jeff's shoulder. I looked away… and soon saw him bring his eyes back to Jeff.
"I said I wouldn't try to be with her again…" Liam's voice trembled slightly, even as he tried to stay firm. "I'm not playing with her feelings. I was clear—I told her that what we had was over. But at least… at least I have the courage to admit that I haven't stopped loving her."
He said the last part looking straight into my eyes, with an intensity that pierced me. It was as if every word had been held back for a long time.
But that didn't change anything.
He and I were meant to stay apart.
Because of everything surrounding us. Because of everything we had lost.
"So… you're still in love," Jeff snapped, as if those words were enough for him to release the grip he still had on Liam's arm. "And what makes us believe you're not the one responsible for all this?"
"Jeff, stop!" I intervened forcefully, my voice breaking for a moment as I moved closer to them. I felt everything slipping out of control. "Stop attacking him! He's not responsible for anything."
"Why are you so sure?" he shouted back, hurt. "Every time you defend him, it's like you blindly trust him. But you never give a reason—not a single one! The officer said it: we have to distrust everyone."
"You want me to distrust everyone? Even you?" I asked, a knot tightening in my throat.
"Would you distrust me? I'm your lifelong friend, Ari! You know me better than anyone…" Jeff replied.
I had hurt him.
"I don't," I said softly. "But just as I trust you, I also trust Liam. We've lived through things… things no one else would understand. We've had to hide so much… face the worst."
"What happened between you two?" Jeff asked tensely, looking at both of us.
"When no one believed me… when they shouted that I was crazy for thinking he wasn't responsible… we knew the truth," I replied, my voice choking with memories. "We discovered it was all because of those pills. Even so, Liam suffered. He had attacks. I had to investigate alone, because no one else was going to do it."
"And did you find out who it was?" Jeff murmured, holding his breath.
I looked to both sides. The hallway was empty. There was no sign of Officer García.
We had gone too far away.
"Yes…" I whispered, my voice heavy with pain. "But I can't give that information to the police."
"Ari, they can help us!" Jeff insisted, desperate.
I slowly shook my head, holding back tears.
"Not with the kind of monster we're dealing with," Liam intervened, his deep voice weighed down by dark memories.
"I don't understand… what's stopping you?" Jeff asked, confused—and for the first time… scared.
I took a deep breath, my gaze fixed on the floor. Then I looked at him, and my eyes spoke before my voice did.
"Because it's not just about catching him, Jeff. I want him to pay… with everything he has. I want him to feel every part of the hell he made us live through. He did it to me. He did it to Liam… and who knows how many more."
I took a step forward, my heart pounding with fury.
"I want to end him… with my own hands."