Chapter 69: Uneasy Truths

Chapter 69: Uneasy Truths

Lydia sat on the edge of her bed, her phone resting in her palm like a weight she couldn’t quite put down. Her room was quiet, save for the soft hum of the ceiling fan and Julia’s faint movements downstairs. Morning hadn’t fully broken, but Lydia had already been up for hours, thoughts tumbling endlessly.

She picked up her phone again, staring at the message Melissa had sent the night before:

“Don’t tell Mrs Wright yet. I think I need to tell my parents too. Everything. We can’t keep them in the dark anymore.”

Lydia had agreed. It was time, to inform her parents and not keep them in the dark anymore. But there was something else on her mind that she hadn’t said out loud to anyone, not to herself, not even to Melissa.

Ever since Detective Philip called asking if they could come in to identify some faces of interest in the investigation, Lydia had felt uneasy. A fear had crept in, quiet and unshakable. She couldn't resist the thought. What if someone she knew was among those suspects? What if—she swallowed hard—Dennis was among them?

It was an intrusive thought that had been quite persistent, one she’d pushed away over and over again. But she couldn’t ignore the timeline. Everything had changed in her and Melissa’s lives since she started dating him. The strange dreams. The attack. Brian’s death. Melissa’s emotional spiral. It had all started almost immediately around the same time Dennis became a regular part of her life. And while she hated to even entertain such an idea, something about it lingered.

She clenched her jaw. No, she told herself. Dennis wouldn’t—he couldn’t. But doubt was a stubborn thing to get rid of, and she hated herself a bit for conceiving such a thought, even though it was out of her power to eliminate it.

She decided then: she wouldn’t tell Dennis about the station visit. Not yet. Not until she was sure. If his name or face didn’t show up, she could move past this fear and pretend it had never crossed her mind. But if it did…

A soft knock pulled her attention. Julia peeked her head through the door. “You’re up,” she said.

Lydia nodded. “Couldn’t sleep all night.”

“Me neither. I made some toast if you want some.”

“I’ll be down soon,” said Lydia.

Julia disappeared, and Lydia took a deep breath. It was time to make that call she had avoided for quite a while now.

She dialled her mother’s number, her stomach churning as the line rang.

“Lydia?” her mom answered quickly. “Is everything okay?”

Lydia blinked, unsure how to begin. “Mom… I need to tell you something. Please don’t panic.”

That never worked, of course. But she went on anyway, voice steady as she relayed everything. The attack. The strange dreams. Brian’s sudden death. Melissa’s state of mind. Their connection with the police. All of it.

There was a long pause. Then came the sharp edge in her mother’s voice. “You’ve been dealing with all this and you didn’t think to tell us?”

“I didn’t want to ruin your vacation,” Lydia said quietly. “At first, I thought the attack was just… random. A petty theft or something. But now I know it’s not. That’s why I’m telling you.”

“Lydia—”

“I’m sorry, Mom. Really. I thought I could handle it.”

Mr. Joe took the phone then. “We’ll be on the next flight home.”

“There’s no need to—”

“Yes, there is,” he said, firm. “We’ll sort out the tickets right now. We’ll see you in a few hours.”

Lydia’s eyes burned. She nodded, even though they couldn’t see her. “Okay. I love you.”

“We love you too,” her mom said softly. “Tell Julia to stay close to you.”

“I will.”

After they ended the call, Lydia exhaled and set her phone down. A few seconds later, Melissa’s message buzzed in: “I’m getting ready. Let’s meet at the bus stop in thirty minutes.”

Lydia replied, “Okay. On my way soon.”

Downstairs, Julia was already dressed and sitting by the door with her bag in hand. “I’m going with you,” she said firmly.

Lydia blinked. “To the station?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t have to—”

“I’m not leaving you to go alone. Not anymore. That man was standing right near our house, Lydia. I can’t just sit here and wait for something bad to happen.”

Lydia hesitated. Julia looked smaller than she had a week ago. Worn, quieter. But there was resolve in her voice that Lydia hadn’t heard before.

“Alright,” Lydia said. “But you’ll stay in the waiting area when we get there.”

“Deal.”

As the sisters moved around, locking windows and gathering their things, Lydia’s phone pinged again. Another message from Melissa: “I’m almost at the bus stop.”

Lydia slung her bag over her shoulder, glanced at Julia, and nodded. “Let’s go.”

They stepped out into the cloudy morning air, locking the door behind them. It wasn’t cold, but the breeze carried a certain stillness that made Lydia uneasy.

Meanwhile, miles away at the resort, Mr. and Mrs. Joe sat hunched over their phones, trying to secure the next available flight back home. After several failed attempts, the concierge broke the news gently:

“There’s a severe storm warning across the route. No flights will leave the island for the next three days. I’m really sorry, sir.”

Mr. Joe exhaled sharply. “Three days?”

“Yes. The storm is already affecting visibility and wind speed. It’s not safe.”

Frustrated and anxious, he returned to their room to update his wife. “We can’t leave. Not yet.”

Her face fell. “But Lydia—”

“I know. We just have to stay in touch until we can.”

Back in town, Lydia and Julia reached the bus stop just a few minutes before Melissa’s bus arrived. The street was unusually quiet, save for the rustle of dry leaves along the sidewalk.

Lydia glanced down the road, her heart already beating a little faster. Whatever waited for them at the station today—it would change everything.