New Jersey, Present Day
They pulled into the gravel driveway, the tires crunching like bone beneath their wheels. Travis's house was small, tucked between trees like it was hiding. Diana sat in the passenger seat, staring out the windshield, her heart hammering against her ribs. She hadn't seen Travis in years, but she still knew every inch of him. Every scar, every smirk, every stupid joke that made him her best friend—and kept her missing him long after he was gone.
She was so deep in thought she didn't notice Natalie's hand until it slid over hers. Natalie rubbed the back of it gently with her thumb. For a second, it grounded her.
Then, Misty—fucking Misty—opened her mouth.
"You should have brought your rifle," she chirped from the back seat.
Diana blinked, turning sharply. "Misty, really? What the fuck?"
"What?" Misty shrugged. "We haven't seen Travis in like twenty-five years. He moved to the middle of nowhere. Changed his name. This place has Unabomber written all over it."
Diana clenched her jaw, stepping out of the car without another word. The three of them approached the porch. Natalie knocked, peering in.
"I don't see a car," Misty said, squinting at the empty drive. "We could head back to town, maybe check it out, grab snacks, come back later..."
Natalie didn't answer. She reached into her jacket and pulled out a rock.
Glass shattered.
"Or that works too," Misty muttered.
Diana flinched at the sound, heart racing. "Well, if he didn't know we were here before, he definitely does now."
Natalie reached in and unlocked the door. Diana followed, her boots creaking across the floorboards.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Misty asked from behind. "What if the neighbors see?"
"What neighbors?" Natalie muttered, pushing the door open fully.
The house smelled like dust and old sweat. The living room was a wreck—clothes, papers, empty beer cans, a tipped-over chair. Diana's stomach twisted.
"Yikes," Misty muttered. "Someone could use a trip to Tuesday Morning. This kind of mess? It's never a good sign. We see it all the time with suspects—complete isolation, zero hygiene. It's always bad news."
Misty and Natalie said something to each other, causing Misty turn on her heel and head back out the front door.
Diana barely heard them. Her eyes swept across the room, searching for any sign of life. Any trace of Travis. She drifted toward the kitchen, opened the fridge. A couple beers. Expired milk. A half-used stick of butter. That was it.
Natalie leaned in the doorway behind her. "Remember when Travis tried to gut that fish with a stick in the woods? Cut his own leg?"
Diana cracked a small smile. "And he still swore the stick was the better choice. Even while bleeding."
"He was a stubborn idiot," Natalie said quietly, eyes on the floor.
There was a long pause.
"I need to tell you something."
Diana turned, sensing the shift in her voice.
"Back in 2002. During one of our... breakups. Travis and I hooked up."
The words landed like a slap.
Diana froze.
Natalie kept talking, like she could talk fast enough to outrun it. "We were both drunk. High. It meant nothing. It was stupid. I didn't even—look, we weren't together. And it wasn't about you. It just happened."
Diana stared at her, stunned. "You and Travis?"
Natalie nodded, barely meeting her eyes. "I never told you because it didn't matter. It never meant what we had—what you and me had. It was just... a mess. One night."
Diana felt her chest tighten. "Why are you telling me now?"
"Because we're here. And you deserve to know the truth."
Diana turned away, pacing a few steps toward the counter, gripping it to keep herself grounded. She didn't even realize she was shaking until she heard the tremble in her own breath.
"Jesus, Nat. You think it didn't matter? You think that makes it better?"
"I said it was during a break—"
"Don't do that," Diana cut in, turning to her. "Don't try to lawyer your way out of it. You knew how I felt about you. You knew what he meant to me. Jesus Nat my best friend, and you waiting almost 20 years to tell me, why?"
"We weren't even speaking back then," Natalie said, voice rising. "We were a goddamn mess, Dede. You were off with someone else. I was—"
"It was some random person, for three months, and I broke it off the second you asked me to!" Diana snapped. "You don't get to spin this. You always do this. You blow shit up and walk away like it doesn't count."
Natalie looked down, quiet now.
Diana turned and walked out, the front door still ajar. She passed Misty, who was crouched next to the trash bin, rooting through a bag with gloved hands and a flashlight.
"Find anything useful?" Diana said bitterly.
"Lots of mold," Misty chirped. "A couple receipts. Possibly a fingernail?"
Diana didn't respond. She just got in the car and shut the door. The silence inside was deafening. She didn't cry. She just sat there, trying to breathe, trying to understand how the people she loved most were always the ones who tore her apart.
Natalie didn't follow her.
Typical.
· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·
Diana sat in the front seat, staring blankly at the dashboard. The air inside the car felt heavier than outside. Her fingers dug into her thighs, trying to keep it together. She wasn't going to cry over Natalie. Not here. Not now.
Then she saw the headlights.
A car was pulling into the drive—slow, deliberate. And it wasn't Travis.
Red and blue lights. Subtle, unflashing. A cop.
"Shit," she whispered.
Diana immediately ducked down, sliding low in the seat, just enough to disappear from sight but still see through the bottom edge of the window. Her heart thudded in her throat as the cruiser came to a stop. A uniformed officer stepped out. Mid-40s, sunglasses still on despite the dimming sky.
He adjusted his belt, looked at the broken glass on the porch, and walked up the steps.
She held her breath.
The cop knocked on the already open door, then stepped inside.
She could barely make out the muffled voices—Natalie's, maybe Misty's too.
Diana pressed her back deeper into the seat, every muscle tense. If they got arrested for breaking and entering—no, if Natalie got arrested—it would be her fault for not stopping her. But they couldn't explain why they were here. Not really. Not without sounding unhinged.
She glanced back toward the house.
The front door stayed open, but no one came back out.
What the hell were they saying in there?
What had that cop walked into?
Diana clenched her jaw and stayed crouched low, her mind racing with every possible outcome.
She just hoped Natalie didn't make things worse.
Again.
Then the voices.
Natalie's, dry and annoyed. "We didn't steal anything."
Misty, chipper like it was some misunderstanding. "We were just worried about a friend."
The heavy thud of boots came closer, then the clink of metal.
Diana peeked up.
The cop was walking out of the house, leading both Natalie and Misty in handcuffs. Their wrists were bound in front, and Natalie was staring daggers at the ground while Misty still managed an awkward half-smile.
Diana's stomach dropped.
"Is this your vehicle?" the officer asked, his voice low but firm.
"Yeah," Natalie muttered.
"What's in it?" he asked, eyes narrowing.
"Nothing," Misty said way too fast.
The cop turned toward Natalie, reached into her jacket, and fished out the keys.
Diana's heart beat hard against her ribs.
He walked to the car, lifted the key fob, and unlocked it with a sharp click.
Diana popped up slowly from her seat, heart racing.
She looked the cop dead in the eye.
"Hi, officer."
· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·
About an hour later, the metal door buzzed open and the officers let the 3 women leave. Her arms were crossed, but the relief on her face was unmistakable.
Natalie turned to look at Diana. "You made bail?"
"Technically, my assistant did," Diana said, handing Misty a paper bag with her purse inside. "But yeah. You're welcome."
Misty beamed. "I knew having a rich friend would come in handy someday."
Diana ignored her, focusing on Natalie instead. "You okay?"
Natalie nodded slowly, eyes tired. "I've had worse days."
Diana exhaled and turned, leading them toward the car parked out front. "Well, next time you want to break into a house, maybe don't bring the neighborhood's most suspicious person and the world's worst liar."
Misty trailed behind, holding up her hands. "Hey, I'll have you know I kept my story consistent."
Diana smiled at Misty, not a her nicest smile but how can Diana smile at a time like this?
They reached the car. Diana was about to slide into the driver's seat when Natalie stopped her, moving her aside and getting in the drivers seat, causing Diana to roll her eyes.
"Are you guys mad at each other?" Misty said in her perky voice "Please don't be mad at each other it's a really long drive home and uncomfortable silence makes me uncomfortable."
As Diana slid into the passengers and Misty into the back Natalie spoke.
"We're not going home" She said not looking at either Woman.
Misty and Diana turned to each other and back to Natalie.
"Where are we going?" Misty said confused.
Except Natalie ignored her and they pulled away from the station—free for now, but far from out of the woods. Far out from Travis's house.