The salty tang of ocean air whipped through the open top of Julie's Mustang as she navigated the winding cliff-side road with a determined focus. Her foot pressed firmly on the gas pedal, the engine roared as she sped towards Sarah's house. Thoughts swirled in her mind weighing heavy on her shoulders. She needed to talk to Sarah, to unburden her soul, to confide in the one person who always understood her. She was assuming Sarah hadn’t heard about the shooting at the coffee shop and was dreading telling her. She knew she had to.
With each turn, the crashing waves below seemed to echo her racing thoughts. The scenery, breathtaking as it was, only served as a backdrop to her urgency. She maneuvered her Mustang along the coastal road, her gaze fixed on the horizon ahead. Her heart pounded with anticipation, knowing that once she reached Sarah's, the words she'd been holding back would finally spill forth, carried by the trust and bond between them. She raced not just towards a destination, but towards solace and understanding.
As Julie arrived at Sarah's apartment, she took a quick look at her iPhone and noticed a text message waiting for her from Brad. With a whirlwind of emotions racing through her, she had no time to respond. Her priority was to get to Sarah as fast as she could. Her focus was like a laser beam, she was intent on telling Sarah everything, including the two men she had killed behind Willowbrook Mall. She was also worried about Sarah’s safety.
Julie had to open her heart to Sarah, to unravel the knots of secrecy and share the gravity of her situation as well as make sure she was okay. Every word she planned to speak felt like a lifeline, crucial to Sarah's understanding of the imminent peril they both faced. Time was slipping away, and within the safety of Sarah's trusted presence, Julie aimed to lay bare the truths that could alter their lives forever.
Sarah opened the door, and the familiarity of Sarah's warm home did little to ease her nerves, she carried a burden that demanded immediate attention. Her gorgeous blue eyes had turned darker and there were faint traces of green mixed in with the dark ocean blue that told Sarah that Julie was in emotional turmoil. Even with her life crumbling around her, she still walked and held herself with a strong confidence that only seemed to be growing.
“Me and Jay just broke up,” Julie blurted, as they hugged each other warmly.
“What??” Sarah asked.
Sarah motioned for Julie to come inside, and they both sat down next to each other on Sarah’s couch.
“What happened?” Sarah asked, “Jay found out about Brad?”
“Yeah. You won’t believe what happened. I guess Brad wanted to get a personal trainer over at Gold's Gym.”
“Oh my God, where Jay works?” Sarah asked in disbelief.
“Yes. And of all the personal trainers that work there, Brad just had to grab Jay’s business card from the front counter. What are the odds of that?”
“Did you guys just have a huge fight?” Sarah asked, desperate for all the juicy details.
“I wouldn’t call it a fight. He was surprisingly calm. I was so in shock, I barely remember what I said, but I think I was trying to convince him to accept a love triangle between the three of us.”
“Oh Jules, if he loves you and he wants what’s best for you, he should have no problem with you sleeping with Brad as well. Give him time, trust me he’ll come around and accept it. Look at you, you’re a beautiful goddess, he has no choice.”
Sarah’s words gave Julie a much-needed sense of calm.
“You’re right,” Julie said firmly.
“Do you think Brad knows? Do you think Jay told Brad?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to Brad yet, and I’m dreading it. I’m going to go over to it his house tonight, I need to fuck, but If he knows, he knows. I’ll face the music.”
As the weight of the impending conversation about the shootings at Willowbrook Mall and the coffee shop settled upon her shoulders, Julie felt the cold fingers of unease creep into her heart. The heaviness of the topic, like a looming shadow, loitered in her mind, suffocating her with its gravity. Julie understood the necessity of sharing this harrowing secret, it was an undeniable burden she couldn't bear alone. Despite her apprehension, she knew she had to gather the courage to untangle the web of darkness and confide in her closest confidante.
The feeling of strength and power that Julie had first experienced after surviving the assassination attempt behind Willowbrook Mall was starting to fade. Julie now realized how grave her situation was. She now knew that the fight for her life was very real, she also knew that she would have to kill again and probably more than once. She had no choice but to confide in her best friend about everything.
“Sarah, there is so much I need to tell you right now you have no idea.”
“You know you can tell me everything, right?” Sarah said reassuringly.
“I’m sure you heard about the shooting at Willowbrook Mall last week?”
“Yeah, something about it. Someone was talking about it at work. Some gang land shit or something right? A couple of guys got shot?”
“Yes,” Julie said, dreading the next few words, “and it was me who shot them.”
A few moments of silence passed while Sarah tried to process what she had just heard.
“You…you what?” Sarah said in disbelief, “You shot them?”
“I shot them. Both of them. It was me that did it.”