New York, June 2013.
8:30 PM.
Ever since Hannah heard her sister's plan, she has had a premonition that something bad is going to happen.
Out of the corner of her eye she glances at her twin. The girl starts yelling at Jin when he stops at a red light, letting the truck drive away. The boy patiently explains himself, trying to make her understand that he does not intend to kill them. Finally, he can't stand her screams and in a firm voice silences her:
— Stop screaming in my ear, Danielle! — She crinkles her eyebrows and grimaces like a child. — It seems to me that at this point you are exaggerating too much. The man turned right and did not follow the hired girl. It wasn't him.
— Intuition never fails me. I could cut my hand off, that it was the sucker.
Hannah brushes away the blonde strands of hair that overlap her face. She is disturbed by the whole situation and slowly begins to regret that she agreed to participate in it.
— And why are you panicking so much? We caught up with them. — Jin points with his hand to the car driven by Danielle's colleague.
— And there is another intersection ahead, and knowing your luck, the red light will come on, and they will drive away again.
Not only does Danielle act like a witch, but she has some kind of powers inside her if her words come true. Jin stops at a red light and the hired girl drives through the intersection, and then it all plays out in literally seconds. A speeding truck, which appears from the right, meticulously drives into a passenger car, and the worst part is that it centrally hits the passenger side.
According to the teenagers, the sight is so tragic that Hannah feels a strange tightening in her stomach and gets weak. She gets the impression that she can't catch her breath, so she opens the door and falls out into the street. Neither Jin nor her sister pay any attention to her, wide-eyed, staring at the massacred car. People panic and someone pulls a phone out of his pocket to call 911.
Hannah clenches her eyelids, from under which tears flow. As if in an amok, she rises from the street and walks ahead. With terrified eyes, she looks at the whole situation. He comes closer and pales in the face when he notices the trickles of blood. The girl's body is so massacred that it automatically makes her indigestion, and she vomits somewhere on the side of the street.
Her knees buckle under her as she takes a slow step backwards.
— Danielle, what have you done? — she whispers.
She lifts her gaze and looks at the perpetrator. The young man is semi-conscious, but manages to find Hannah's gaze. It seems to be the girl that it is the sight of her that shakes him more than causing a tragic accident.
Somewhere in the distance, an oncoming ambulance is heard. The 16-year-old sits down on the curb of the sidewalk and looks toward the car containing Jin and her sister. The boy gets out, and a diabolical smile appears on his face as his gaze finds Hannah.
*
— Why did you smile at me like that then? — The girl looks intently at Jin as he nervously plays with his toes.
— I didn't control it. I just couldn't believe for a moment that Danielle was such a lucky girl. Death took another person with her, so I told her at the time that she was so perfidious that even hell wouldn't take her in — he replies with a lowered head, staring at the floor. — I don't understand why I reacted that way. I guess I was relieved that it wasn't Danielle who was sitting in that car.
Hannah massages her forehead.
— My sister took advantage of the fact that this girl's body was massacred and posed her death.
— Yes. She assumed a new identity and left New York, and I helped her do it. We tricked everyone around us. For a long time, I couldn't look at her mother's suffering and wanted to confess the whole truth to her parents, but I was unable to do it since I promised Danielle that I would never betray her.
— So the fact that her mother left your father is another lie?
The boy nods his head in agreement.
— I'm sorry. — He looks at her with sad eyes. — Danielle is still not safe. The girl who died may not have had any family, but her boyfriend knew everything. He tried to reveal the truth, but no one believed his words. He was an ordinary gray man, while we protected ourselves behind my uncle's back.
The girl is shocked. Now everything is starting to come together.
— What happened to the boy who caused the accident?
— They decided that it was unintentional, and he got eight years in prison. He has already served half of his time.
— In that case, Danielle can't come back here. She has too many enemies.
Jin looks upset.
— She is planning to come back here, yet all the time I am holding her back, repeating that it is too soon. — Hannah crinkles her eyebrows. — The other day when we went camping... she was there. You saw her, and it wasn't because of a relapse.
Chills run through her body.
— What was Danielle doing there?
A nuisance knocking sounds at the door. Hannah gets out of bed and lets Joseph inside. This time he is not alone, as Jimmy accompanies him.
— Why do you have such depressed faces? You guys look like a truck ran over you.
Jimmy wants to lighten the atmosphere, but mentioning the truck is not the best idea. Nevertheless, Hannah forces a smile to stop thinking about the past at least for a moment and focus on the boy in front of her, completely silent.
— Are you all right? Why aren't you saying anything?
— I'm waiting for you to get your things. Can't you see that Jimmy came here for you to switch rooms with him?
Hannah looks at the boy's bag and sighs.
— I'll do it for the sake of holy peace.
Joseph squeezes her nose with his fingers.
— I like it when you are so obedient. — He smiles, but then something comes to mind, and his gaze becomes stern. — But only I can have power over you. Don't allow others to do so.
— Yes, yes, of course. Only you — she replies, rolling his eyes.
*
The nineteen-year-old now understands why she has been through so much. After all, their plan killed this girl. The worst part, however, is that this was no ordinary accident, but a murder that was planned by a — revenge-thirsty — young man. He used the truck of the company where he worked. He hated Danielle so much that he couldn't stand the thought of her walking happily down the street.
He wanted revenge, but Danielle, already at the age of sixteen, could be cunning and hired this girl, as if she sensed that something sinister was coming.
Hannah can't chase away the thoughts in which she accuses Danielle of murder. The words her sister said that day echo in her head:
— It's good that it happened, that she died. At least now, I will be able to free myself from a bossy, selfish mother and start living on my own. I have no remorse at all. Apparently, it's not my time. I'm supposed to live, and probably to a seedy old age.
The brunette bites her finger, wondering if there is a possibility that Danielle's plan looked entirely different in her head? Perhaps she hid something from her and Jin? Is she actually such a monster that she can use people for her purposes without regard for the harm she causes them?
It's possible.
She lies on the bed and stares at a single point on the ceiling, and only Joseph's boxers, which land on her face, bring her back to reality.
— Why are you throwing your panties at me? — She looks at him with visible indignation on her face, making sure he is dressed.
— Because I've been talking to you for three minutes, and you don't respond at all. — He folds his arms over his chest and smiles half-heartedly. — They smell nice, don't they? Can you smell the lily of the valley?
She feels like killing him. Does he really have to make a joke at this very moment, when Hannah can't think about anything but her sister and her problematic past? She doesn't have the right humor to put up with his taunts this time.
She uses all her strength and aggressively throws her panties at him. He starts laughing, seeing how furious she is.
— Small, and what rage she has. Jin has wasted you in this room. You're so depressed, you're starting to transfer that aura to me, and I'm not going to sit and stare at the wall like you did.
— Then go to your friends and give me a holy peace of mind.
— Chimeras? — He raises an eyebrow as she lies on her side, turning her back to him. — Are you angry that you have to sit here with me because you prefer Jin's company?
The girl doesn't answer. She ignores him and closes her eyes, but this is a bad idea because he is not going to let her go. He grabs her legs and pulls her to him, and the girl screams as he throws her over his shoulder and starts spinning her around her axis.
— Put me on the ground!
— Not until I make you feel better. I have no intention of staying here with a mummy.
— A mummy? Can't I just relax for a while?
He starts to feel dizzy and falls down with her on the bed. He lies on top of her, his elbows resting on the mattress. He is pleased when he sees that Hannah is finally smiling.
— Better?
— I don't know because I feel sick.
To her surprise, he gives her a kiss.
— Is it better now?
— Are you possessed by some good spirit?
— Good? — he repeats in an amused voice. — Do you think he acts like a monster twenty-four hours a day?
— Don't you?
— Okay, let it be. I behave like that, but only in the presence of other people. In front of you, I am emotional.
— All too much so. Something doesn't feel right to me here.
Hannah squints as she looks closely at his face. He doesn't look away, and his gaze is so happy that she can't believe it's the same boy. Currently, he certainly doesn't resemble the devil. Nothing, and nothing at all.
— I'm just happy — he says. — He sees the girl open her eyes wider as he pulls her hair away from her face and kisses her on the tip of her nose. — Because we are together.
— This isn't the first time we've been together.
The girl realizes what Joseph is talking about, but wants to make sure that he actually means that they are a couple.
— Your empty head. — He presses his finger to her forehead, smirking with displeasure. — Sometimes I wonder what size your brain is.
— Are you insulting me? You got over it quickly.
— And how am I supposed to react when you can spoil every moment, and then you're surprised that I don't want to talk to you about anything? — he says, offended, but he looks so cute with this teased face that Hannah starts giggling and puts her hand to his cheek. — We are in a relationship. Satisfied?
He pretends to be furious, but his gaze is gentle and Hannah can't hold back her laughter. She runs her hand through his hair, watching every millimeter of his face. She still can't believe that this is really happening, and that Joseph has completely opened up to her.
He said they were together. Is there anything that will stir her heart more?
— So I'm your girlfriend?
— No, a boyfriend — he replies sarcastically, forcing a smile. — I don't like it. Boyfriend and girlfriend... it seems childish to me.
Hannah can't hide her smile.
— After all, I'm just teasing you, nervous. — She squeezes his cheeks, which he does not like. — And now I know a way to calm you down when you're a ticking bomb.
— You can only make me explode faster.
The teenager puts her arms around his neck and pulls him close, placing a kiss on his lips.
— Do you think you'll settle this with a kiss? Weakly.
— So I should use stronger practice? — She grabs him by the hair and pulls him with such force that a scream comes out of his mouth.
— What's wrong with you!
— Halsey confessed to me that it works, and since I'm psychic, I like this way better.
*
The girls hold hands as they slide down the slope together, shouting so loudly that they draw special attention to themselves. Bella loses her balance and falls on her butt, dragging her friend behind her. They both burst into laughter, making it difficult to get up from the ground.
Next to them Joseph drives by, specially showering them with snow.
— What's wrong with him? — asks the blonde, watching him disappear from their sight. — Didn't I recently see you two happy, holding hands? Why doesn't he speak to you?
— He is furious because I talked about him with his first love. I unnecessarily mentioned it to him.
Bella shakes her head and smirks, letting her know that she is an idiot.
— Since you talked to her about him, you could have kept it to yourself. Rather, no partner likes that. You're clearly a beginner when it comes to relationships.
— Oh — Hannah feels offended. — I inadvertently talked myself out of it. And what, now he is not going to speak to me for the whole trip? Is he going to act like a resentful prince?
— Well, you know... I, for one, wouldn't want Tom to talk about me with my ex. — Bella turns a blind eye, thinking that this is the worst thing that can happen to a relationship.
— Then what I should do now? You know very well what a difficult character he has.... — The brunette sighs. She looks ahead, wondering how to fix it. — Moreover, I pulled his hair.
— What — Bella blinks her eyelids, looking at her like an alien.
— I had to take it out on myself. I've been a walking bundle of nerves for days. It's because of the past.... too much has come down on my head lately — she says slowly, watching Jin pass by them. He has to admit that all four of them are doing quite well on the ski slope.
— Sometimes when I listen to you like this, I think you are mentally ill.
The nineteen-year-old's lips take on a sad shape, but she doesn't let it be known that Bella's words made her uncomfortable. If only she knew that she has been struggling with this disease since she was young... The drugs have quieted her, but it's unclear for how long. It could return at any time, especially if she experiences something traumatic again, so the doctor told her to avoid stressful situations. But how can she be careful when her life consists of nothing but problems, caused by her rebellious sister?
— Your asses will freeze. — Tom stops next to them with a wide smile on his face, helping the girls get up from the snow. — Are you having a bad time?
— We're having a great time, but I need to rest for a while, so I'm putting Bella in your hands. Now you deal with her poor driving technique.
The blonde opens her mouth in indignation.
— I'm just learning, genius! — she defends herself, grabbing her boyfriend under the arm. — And Tom is a better teacher than you because at least I'm not lying in the snow now and then.
Hannah smiles and slides down to take off her skis. She sits down on a bench and puts on her boots, then puts her hands to her frozen cheeks. She's cold as hell, even though she's wearing two sweaters under her jacket. Unfortunately, she is a low-pressure sleeper, and even in summer there are days when she is not warm enough.
Someone puts a hood over her head, and she lifts her face and looks at Joseph with surprised eyes. She hopes he will speak to her, but he still intends to act like a resentful prince.
— A fierce asshole — she mutters.
A scream escapes her lips as he walks up to her and embraces her from behind. His embrace is so strong that at first Hannah feels like he wants to strangle her.
— The fierce asshole? — he repeats. The girl is surprised to hear this. — You're the nosy one. How can you gossip about me with Halsey? Are you that inquisitive?
— I'm not inquisitive! I was just looking for a way to subdue you.
— Subdue? — The teenager is sure to break her bones in this bear hug. — Am I a bull?
Hannah smiles under her breath.
— And don't you resemble a bull?
The girl pretends that Joseph causes her pain when he kisses her too hard on the cheek. Deep down, she feels such joy that it is indescribable in simple words.
— You are lucky to be so sweet. I will forgive you this time.