Chapter 5: The Friend Who Knew Too Much
The message from Dre stayed on my screen for what felt like an hour.
*“Marlo is not telling you the truth about what happened that night.””*
I read it again.
Then again.
Waiting for the words to change.
They didn’t.
My eyes moved from the phone to Marlo.
He was standing across from me, watching my expression carefully.
Not surprised.
Not confused.
Like he already knew something had happened.
“You knew he would say that.””
Marlo’s face hardened.
“What?””
“You knew Dre would try to turn this around.””
“I didn’t know.””
“You did.””
“No, Bree.””
His voice was quieter now.
“You don’t understand what you’re looking at.””
I held up the phone.
“I’m looking at a picture of my best friend standing next to a man she claimed she barely knew.””
Marlo looked at the screen.
Then away.
“That picture is real.””
My chest tightened.
“You’re admitting it?””
“I’m admitting Dre was there.””
“Then why did he lie?””
Marlo didn’t answer.
And once again, silence became the answer.
I stepped back.
“This is insane.””
I grabbed my jacket.
“I’m leaving.””
“Where?””
I looked at him.
“To find out why everyone has been lying to me.””
Marlo moved toward the door.
“Bree.””
I stopped.
“What?””
His expression changed.
The anger disappeared.
The frustration disappeared.
All that was left was concern.
“Be careful who you confront.””
I stared at him.
“Are you saying I shouldn’t confront Dre?””
“No.””
“Then who?””
Marlo looked at the photograph in my hand.
“Everyone.””
The word followed me out of the coffee shop.
Dre was waiting outside my apartment building.
Of course he was.
His car was parked across the street, headlights off, like he had been sitting there for a while.
The second he saw me, he got out.
“Bree.””
I kept walking.
“Don’t.””
He stopped.
“I need to explain.””
“You’ve had years to explain.””
His face changed.
That one sentence landed.
Good.
“Can we talk inside?””
“No.””
“Bree.””
“No.””
I turned toward him.
“I want you to tell me something right now.””
He looked nervous.
“What?””
“Did you know Eli?””
Dre went completely still.
Not confused.
Not shocked.
Still.
And that told me everything.
“You did.””
He looked down.
“Bree…”
“Wow.””
“I was going to tell you.””
“When?””
He didn’t answer.
“When Blu’s secrets finally destroyed me too?””
“That’s not fair.””
I laughed.
“Everybody keeps saying that.””
The street was quiet.
Too quiet.
“I trusted you.””
“I know.””
“No, I don’t think you do.””
I stepped closer.
“You were sitting there watching me find out my best friend had an entire life I knew nothing about.””
Dre looked away.
“Because I was trying to protect you.””
I shook my head.
“That excuse is getting old.””
“It’s not an excuse.””
“Then what is it?””
Dre took a breath.
“It’s the truth.””
I crossed my arms.
“Then tell me.””
He hesitated.
And for once, I didn’t interrupt.
I wanted him to talk.
I wanted to hear how he would explain betraying me.
“I met Blu before she came here.””
“How?””
“Through Eli.””
My stomach twisted.
Of course.
Everything came back to him.
“He introduced us.””
“You were friends?””
Dre shook his head.
“No.””
“Then what?””
Dre looked at the ground.
“We were afraid of him.””
The answer caught me off guard.
“Afraid?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Dre looked at me.
“Because Eli wasn’t just controlling Blu.””
The wind moved between us.
“He was controlling everyone around her.””
I didn’t speak.
“He knew how to make people feel trapped. He knew what people cared about. He collected information.””
“Information?””
Dre nodded.
“He remembered everything.””
My skin prickled.
“What does that mean?””
“It means Eli could destroy someone without ever touching them.””
I thought about the picture.
The message.
The person watching me.
“Why were you with Blu that night?””
Dre’s face changed.
That question hurt him.
“I wasn’t.””
“But the picture—”
“I was there earlier.””
“Earlier?””
“Yes.””
He rubbed his face.
“Bree, you need to understand something. That picture wasn’t taken the night he disappeared.””
I froze.
“What?””
“It was taken two days before.””
I stared at him.
“Then why does Marlo have it?””
“I don’t know.””
“You’re lying.””
“No.””
“Yes.””
My voice rose.
“You all know exactly what happened except me.””
Dre looked frustrated.
“Because Blu wanted it that way.””
I went quiet.
“What?””
“She made us promise.””
“Promise what?””
“Not to tell you.””
The words hit harder than I expected.
“Why?””
Dre looked away.
“Because she knew you.””
That hurt.
“She knew me?””
“She knew you would try to fix it.””
I swallowed.
“And?””
“And she didn’t want you involved.””
I stared at him.
“So instead she let me walk into danger without knowing?””
Dre didn’t answer.
Again.
That silence.
I hated that silence.
“Where is she?””
Dre looked up.
“What?””
“Blu.””
“I don’t know.””
“You’re lying.””
“I’m not.””
“You were with her?””
His face changed.
Just slightly.
But enough.
“You were.””
Dre sighed.
“She called me.””
“When?””
“After you talked to her.””
I stepped back.
“You went to her.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because she was scared.””
“And what did she tell you?””
Dre didn’t answer.
“Dre.””
“She said Eli came back.””
The world seemed to stop.
“What?””
He nodded slowly.
“She said someone had been contacting her.””
“Contacting her how?””
“Messages.””
“From Eli?””
“I don’t know.””
“How do you not know?””
“Because she wouldn’t show me.””
I looked at him.
“You’re telling me Blu thinks Eli is alive?””
Dre looked terrified.
“Yes.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
Because suddenly the picture made sense.
The warning.
The fear.
The secrets.
But one thing still didn’t.
“Why didn’t she tell me?””
Dre looked at me.
“Because the last time she trusted someone with the truth…”
He stopped.
“What?””
His eyes shifted.
“Bree…”
“What?””
His voice dropped.
“Someone died.””
The air disappeared from my lungs.
“What are you talking about?””
Dre looked like he regretted saying it.
“Forget I said that.””
“No.””
“Bree—”
“No.””
I grabbed his arm.
“Who died?””
Dre looked at me.
And I knew before he spoke.
I knew because of the fear in his eyes.
“It wasn’t Eli.””
My heart pounded.
“Then who?””
Dre pulled away.
“I shouldn’t have told you.””
“Who?””
He looked toward my apartment building.
Then back at me.
“Eli’s brother.””
I froze.
“I didn’t know he had a brother.””
“Most people didn’t.””
“Why?””
Dre swallowed.
“Because Eli made sure nobody knew.””
The pieces were moving.
But they weren’t forming a picture.
They were forming something worse.
A pattern.
“Why would Eli hide his own brother?””
Dre looked at me.
“Because his brother knew the truth.””
“About what?””
Dre opened his mouth.
Then stopped.
His phone suddenly buzzed.
He looked down.
And all the color drained from his face.
“What?””
He didn’t answer.
“Dre.””
Slowly, he turned the phone toward me.
It was a message.
From an unknown number.
One sentence.
*“Stop digging into the night Eli disappeared.””*
I looked at Dre.
Then at the message.
Another text appeared.
This time with a picture attached.
My breath stopped.
Because it was a photo of Dre and me.
Taken outside my apartment.
Taken moments ago.
And underneath it were five words.
*“You should have listened, Bree.””*
Dre looked at me.
May you like
His voice barely came out.
“Run.””
