Chapter 2: The Secret Behind the Crash
I read the message three times before my brain allowed me to understand the words.
*If Julian tells you Adrian died in an accident, he's lying.*
The ballroom noise disappeared.
The laughter.
The music.
The clinking glasses.
Everything became a dull blur around me.
My fingers tightened around my phone.
Three months.
Three months since Adrian's funeral.
Three months since I watched his family bury him.
Three months since everyone told me the same story.
A rainy night.
A dangerous road.
A truck that crossed the center line.
A crash no one could survive.
An accident.
That was the word everyone used.
An accident.
I looked up at Julian.
He was standing near the exit, waiting.
His expression told me he already knew something was wrong.
"Who sent that?"" he asked.
My heart jumped.
"You know about it?""
His face changed.
Just slightly.
But I saw it.
A tiny crack in his calm.
"Meredith.""
"No.""
I stepped back.
"Answer me.""
Julian looked around the room.
People were celebrating ten feet away.
His wedding guests were laughing while my entire world tilted sideways.
"I need you to come with me," he whispered.
"Why?""
"Because if you stay here, you're going to hear pieces of the truth from people who don't care what happens to you.""
May you like
I stared at him.
"
