Chapter 68 Chapter 67:
Arya:
Anna tricked us, yet again. Damn it, I should have known better than to trust her words, everyone is gathered outside the hall, clutching dearly to their loved ones. Let’s just say that everyone is in a bit of shock. 911 was called earlier by Leto, even though she didn’t want to include the police in everything.
Well, anyway. They are here now with the ambulances. Two paramedics burst through the doors, pulling a stretcher, their faces blank with the kind of practiced calm you only see on people who have let their jobs take over their lives. Alisha looks smaller on the stretcher, her gown soaked in dark red. They wheel her towards the ambulance, she’s dead, they already confirmed it ten minutes ago.
I watch as Jasper follows, his eyes are rimmed red, even though she never loved him, he loved her ever so passionately. He falls to his knees trying to hold her hand as they roll her away but Daphne holds him up, whispering. “It’s going to be okay.”
Devon is by my side, “are you okay?” he asks and I nod my head. Does someone get okay by this gruesome sight? Either still, I am going to be okay. That was a lot of confessions to take in. I am still very shocked.
“Barbara!” someone shouts as we all look back. Barbara is walking towards us, hands behind her back, her face is pale. When she gets towards our side, she lifts up her chin and smiles. To be honest, it’s a very creepy smile.
“I guess this is goodbye, Devon.” She seems confident, like she knows how she’s going to escape the jail waiting for her, “I won’t be here to bother you anymore, will I?”
Devon stares at her coldly, “You might not be getting arrested because of what you did to my mother, but justice will be served to what you did to my father.”
“Even though my daughter ratted me out today, I’m still very proud of her, I always knew she was like me.” Barbara smirks, but she doesn’t get a chance to continue talking before the officers take her away to the car. We watch as they flank Theo to the police car, he stares at Daphne, his face doing all the apologizing.
Leto rushes towards us. “Xavier and I have our men looking for Anna, she couldn’t have gone far.”
It strikes me, she said she was going to wipe everybody who ruined her childhood, she really is twisted. My ears perk up, Catherine. Dear goodness, she is going to hurt Catherine.
“Devon, I have to go.” I say hurriedly and Devon stares at me worriedly. “I have to get to Catherine’s house and stop everything.” I take a deep breath; this last part is going to come out pretty shockingly. “I have to do this alone.”
Devon’s nostrils flares, exactly what I expected. “What? No. I am not leaving you alone with a complete psychopath.”
“Look, whatever happens. I need to be alone in that room with her, Devon. You can have the officers on stand-by, but Anna and I have to finish what we started.”
Leto glances between us and Devon’s jaw locks, he doesn’t seem to completely agree with my plan, it’s quite evident in his eyes. “I don’t want to lose you, Arya.”
“Neither do I.” I say softly, reaching out to cup his face. “But this is what I have to do and not to worry; the officers will be on standby, if anything happens, then you can call them in. Okay?”
“Okay,” Devon finally breathes in. I kiss him gently on the lips, Anna is dangerous and we can’t wait on the cops to stop her. This needs to end today so I can know that I am safe, Devon and my whole family are safe.
We tell others about the plan and like Devon, they don’t seem to agree with me. After minutes of coaxing and assuring everyone that I’ll be alright, we finally decide to go on with the plan.
I drive alone to Catherine’s mansion, clutching the wheels shakily; I am driving as fast as I can. “Goodness, please. Let Catherine be safe.” I really need to get there on time before Anna does something bad.
The moment I reach Catherine’s mansion, I step out of the car and rush towards the mansion with my hands shaking. As I step into the house, I almost stumble back. Catherine is frozen on the couch with a gun pointed at her forehead; she cranes her neck to stare at me, dried tears on her cheeks. “Help me.” She mutters faintly.
The TV is still blaring with the scene from the hall, damn it. Catherine must have been watching everything live, the shock to know who her husband actually is and that her only daughter is dead is a lot to take in.
“You probably saw everything right?” Anna says to Catherine, staring at me with twinkling eyes. I attempt to step closer, but she uses the end of the gun to poke at Catherine’s forehead. “Step the fuck back, Arya. Or I’ll blow her head.”
I do as told, the last thing I want crazy Anna doing is killing Catherine.
“Just kill me already,” Catherine sniffles and we both freeze. “You already took away my will to live, you destroyed everything in my life and everyone I hold close.” She says bitterly, like someone who has already given up on life. She lost everything, her husband and daughter in less than a week.
“You can do this.” I mutter to her. Her eyes are empty as she stares at me, like the will to fight has left her soul hours ago.
Anna rolls her eyes, “oh shut the fuck up. This isn’t a pity party.”
“Let her go, Anna.” I say, hoping that somehow there’s still a soft side to Anna, she wasn’t like this back in middle school. I guess family matters really can make someone go cray cray. “You are not like this, you’re better than this.”
“Let’s not go down that lane, Arya. You know, I have always envied you. You got all the good things in life while I got the second hand, I tried to steal everything from you even though that sounds really pathetic, that’s why I took Kevin and then you got yourself someone better.”
“It’s not too late.” I gesture at the gun pointed at Catherine. “There’s still good left in you.”
“I don’t agree with that,” Anna says quietly, and for a moment. I believe that good Anna is still in her. “I don’t deserve to live.”
“Anna-” I try a much softer approach but I am interrupted when she raises the gun at me, my heart starts beating faster. “Anna, please don’t.”
“It’s funny how well you underestimated me. I killed my own husband for crying out loud.” She rolls her eyes, as though this whole crazy shit means nothing to her. “You think you can try to convince me to waltz out of here, I know how it’s going to end, they’re going to arrest me and whip my ass off to jail. I am not that stupid, Arya.”
I just stand there, too stunned to speak.
“I knew you would come for me.” Anna says. “You win, okay? I can’t steal anymore from you. My life is a mess right now and I have a few words to say, as insane as it might sound, you and Clara were the only true friends I ever had. Especially Clara, help me take care of her and tell her I’m sorry for everything. As for Alisha and Julian, they deserved to die.”
“Anna. Please.” I look at her, my heart breaking with her words.
“I am very sorry, Arya but this is it. You win.” Anna says dryly, “It all ends here.”
“Anna.” I whisper, taking a step closer. “It doesn’t have to end like this.”
“You are one of the good ones, Arya. You really are.” Anna’s smile is fragile and at that moment, I see that seven year old Anna that I used to have sleepovers with, I see that Anna that used to bake me cookies every day, I see that girl that loved me very much.
“Goodbye, Arya.” She lifts the gun and presses it to the soft spot beneath her chin, her eyes never leaving mine.
“No! Please don’t do-” I scream, but I am cut off by the noise.
Bang.
Anna’s head jerks back violently, her body falling to the floor, the gun tumbles towards the floor as Catherine lets out a guttural scream. I run towards her the same time that the door bursts open and the officers come in, holding their guns including Nicole, Nicholas, Leto, Xavier, Ethan, Emma, Wanda, Liam, Axel and Devon.
I stare at Anna, my body shaking violently. It’s hard to believe that my childhood friend is gone. It’s just so hard to believe that everything has ended.
“It’s okay, Arya.” Someone is touching my shoulder and I realize it is Devon, I let him hold me in his arms as I sob on his chest.
“It wasn’t fair,” I say, my body still shaking. Devon’s large arms wrap around me, providing the warmth that I need. “She was everything to me, Devon.”
“I know, Arya.” Devon kisses the top of my forehead. “But it has all ended now,” I feel safe in his hands, I stare as the paramedics wheel out Anna’s body, they wrap Catherine in a blanket.
“Thank you.” Catherine says, wrapping the blanket tighter around her body. “You’re an angel, darling.”
“It was nothing.” I say to her, “I am just glad you are safe.”
She smiles weakly at me and all I hope is that she finds a reason to live again, it doesn’t have to be the end for her.
“I can’t believe we did it.” Wanda walks over to me, grinning. “Anna’s death was devastating; I just wished she didn’t go down that path.”
Me too.
“So what happens now?” I ask, unsure about everything.
“We get our happy ending, duh.” Wanda rolls her eyes, smiling at us. “We deserve that shit, babe.”
Yes, we do deserve that shit.
\--
Clara:
A day later,
I push the doors of the station open as I come out; the cold wind slaps my face. It feels nice.
It feels real. I watched everything on TV, Anna’s confessions and all; it is still very hard to believe that she’s dead. My best-friend of many years is gone; do I sound dumb if I say a part of me will always miss her? I have known her for so long; it will be very hard to get adapted to the fact that she’s gone and never coming back.
As I come out of the station, the first person I see leaning against the car is Axel. My face brightens up as I run over to him, he sees me and opens his arms wide, I snuggle against him as he hugs me tightly.
“I have missed you so much.” Axel breathes into my ear, ever since Theo’s confession yesterday, he has been arrested and jailed though Nicole is going to be his lawyer.
“I have missed you too.” I say to Axel, to be honest, after everything that happened? I just want to rest, stay away from the media as much as I can and just spend my days with Axel, life’s too short to be stressing over unnecessary things.
“Clara Hilton!” My sisters, Chloe and Charlotte make their way towards us. They aren’t smiling, this isn’t good.
“You didn’t tell us you were in jail. Can you imagine hearing everything on TV?” They both say in unison, Charlotte stares at Axel, “And, who’s this handsome hunk?”
Oh God. They won’t let me hear the end of it.
“It’s Axel.” Chloe hums a little too loudly, elbowing Charlotte. “It’s amazing to see you in person.” The reason why Chloe and Charlotte don’t really know Axel is because we didn’t attend the same middle school and high school, apparently our mother thought it was a good idea if we attend different schools so people won’t confuse us for one another.
“It’s my pleasure to meet you guys.” Axel replies politely and my heart just bursts with so much pride, like I want to announce to the whole world that ‘he’s mine!’
“Likewise.” The look Chloe gives me makes my face turn beet red.
As if remembering the previous conversation, Charlotte swats at my hands. “Mom was so worried, she booked the early flight and is coming back home today, I hope you are ready to face her.”
Oh shit, even though I was trying to make sure my mom wasn’t involved in all of this. I guess she is now.
“Can we just go home now?” I say tiredly, tugging at Axel’s coat. He stares at me softly.
“Anything you want.” He leans and presses a kiss under my chin. Charlotte winks, giving me a thumbs-up, Chloe gushes, while muttering ‘He’s a keeper.’
And I agree, Axel’s Williams is a damn keeper and I am not letting him go.