Andrea didn't tell them where she was going.
She just left.
Rain again — because of course it was rain — soaking her hair, her hoodie, her resolve. The streets of Berlin felt wrong under her feet. Too clean. Too safe. Atlanta had been sharper. Meaner. Honest.
The message buzzed again.
Bus station. You remember which one.
She did.
Tory was already there.
Leaning against a pillar like she owned the place. Leather jacket. Hair darker than Andrea remembered. Same eyes — sharp, feral, amused.
"Jesus," Tory said, smiling slowly. "You look like hell."
Andrea stopped a few feet away.
"You shouldn't be here."
Tory pushed off the pillar. "You don't get to decide that anymore."
Up close, the memories slammed in.
Bloodied knuckles side by side.
Back-to-back fights.
Shared silence after things went too far.
"You vanished," Tory continued. "No goodbye. No body. I was offended."
"I didn't owe you anything," Andrea snapped.
Tory laughed softly. "You owed me honesty."
Andrea's jaw clenched. "What do you want?"
Tory stepped closer. Too close.
"To see if the girl who begged me not to let her enjoy it is still in there."
Andrea's breath hitched — just once.
That was enough.
"You don't know me anymore," Andrea said.
Tory tilted her head. "Hit me."
"What."
"Hit me," Tory repeated calmly. "If you're really done with that life, you won't."
Andrea's hands curled into fists.
She didn't move.
Tory's smile faded — replaced with something darker. Something almost disappointed.
"Oh," she murmured. "You're lying to yourself now."
A hand grabbed Andrea's arm.
Tom.
He'd followed her.
"Get away from her," he said, voice tight with barely-contained fury.
Tory looked him over slowly. "You must be the reason she's pretending to be human again."
Andrea snapped, "Tory, stop."
Tory stepped back, hands raised mockingly.
"Relax. I'm not here to hurt her," she said. Then, softer, only for Andrea:
"I'm here to see who she chooses."
She leaned in, whispering:
"Because if you choose them… you better be ready to lose everything you were with me."
Tory turned and disappeared into the rain.
Andrea stood frozen.
Tom looked at her — really looked — and realized something terrifying.
This wasn't about the past coming for her.
It was about whether Andrea would go back to it willingly.