Sarah Williams didn't remember running home only the blur of streetlights, the pounding of her heartbeat, and the burn in her throat from holding back tears.
John's words kept echoing in her mind.
"Maybe you don't trust anyone because you don't even trust yourself."
She had wanted to scream back, That's not true! But the truth? It was.
The house was dark when she stepped in. Her mother was probably working late at the clinic again, and her father… well, he hadn't been around much lately. Sarah leaned against the door, trying to catch her breath, but her chest felt heavy as if something inside her had cracked and refused to heal.
Her phone buzzed.
Naomi Hayes.
She almost didn't answer, but something about Naomi's name made her pick up.
"Sarah, you need to hear this," Naomi's voice was shaky. "It's about John… and it's not good."
Sarah's stomach knotted. "What happened?"
Naomi hesitated. "I overheard something at the café. Two guys talking. They said John's been… lying. To you. To everyone."
Sarah's pulse quickened. "Lying about what?"
Before Naomi could answer, the line crackled and went dead. Sarah stared at her phone, her mind racing. Was this a misunderstanding or had she been too blind to see what was right in front of her?
She didn't get the chance to figure it out.
A sharp knock rattled her front door.
It was almost 11 p.m. Who would be here now?
She peeked through the curtain.
John.
His face was pale, his eyes frantic.
"Sarah, please open the door. I can explain everything," he said, voice trembling.
Her fingers hovered over the lock, but a voice in her head whispered: Do not let him in.
"What are you hiding, John?" she asked through the door.
"Just… please. If I tell you out here, someone might hear."
Sarah's chest tightened. "Who's listening?"
A sound like footsteps echoed down the street. John's head snapped toward the noise, and in that moment, Sarah saw real fear flash across his face. Not guilt. Not shame. Fear.
Then, from somewhere in the shadows, a deep voice called, "Williams! Step away from him."
Sarah froze.
John's hand pressed against the glass. "You have to trust me. Please."
She turned between the stranger's voice and John's pleading eyes. Her mind screamed for clarity, but the night gave her nothing but questions.
And then just like that John ran.