Chapter 3

I didn't bother explaining why I needed space.

They wouldn't understand. Or rather, Chloe wouldn't let them.

"Space? From us?" Noah looked genuinely hurt, a frown creasing his brow. "Ava, we're your best friends."

Were, I thought. A lifetime ago.

"Look, I'm tired," I said, sidestepping their questions and their attempts to draw me back into their drama. "I just want to unpack and rest."

Their possessiveness was already grating.

They exchanged a look, a silent communication that I knew involved Chloe's instructions.

"Okay, okay, we get it," Liam said, trying for a conciliatory tone. "But hey, the graduation trip is still on, right? The mountain cabin? It's gonna be epic. A last hurrah before college."

Chloe's idea, of course. A way to keep me under their collective thumb a little longer.

In my first life, I'd been excited. This time, a cold dread settled in my stomach.

"We promise, Ava," Noah added, his voice earnest. "No more drama. Just us, like old times. We'll focus on you. Chloe even said she'd... tone it down."

The idea of Chloe "toning it down" was laughable.

I just nodded, too weary to argue. "Sure. The cabin."

I needed to see this through, to gather more proof, perhaps. Or maybe, a morbid part of me just wanted to witness the full extent of their treachery with open eyes.

The "last hurrah" graduation trip was to a remote mountain cabin owned by Liam's family.

It was beautiful, rustic, and utterly isolated.

Perfect for Chloe's machinations.

The first evening, while I was supposedly unpacking, I overheard Liam and Noah talking in hushed, desperate tones on the porch.

Chloe was with them.

"Chloe, please," Liam was begging, his voice strained. "How much longer do we have to keep this up with Ava? It's torture. She's barely speaking to us."

"Yeah, C," Noah chimed in, his voice equally miserable. "She knows something's off. Can't we just... tell her you're the one we want?"

Chloe's voice was cold, cutting. "Absolutely not. Do you want to ruin everything? If Ava suspects, truly suspects, she'll run straight to MIT and never look back. Then what? My Stanford dream, our future, it all depends on keeping her close, keeping her compliant until we're all settled."

A pause. Then Chloe's voice softened, became wheedling. "Besides, don't you like having both of us doting on you? Poor Ava, she's so clueless. It's almost... cute."

Silence. Then Liam, miserably, "But it feels wrong."

"Don't be silly, Liam," Chloe cooed. "It's for the greater good. Our good. Now, be good boys, and maybe I'll give you both a little reward later."

I heard the distinct sound of a kiss. Then another.

My stomach churned. They were pathetic.

She had them completely brainwashed.

I slipped back into my room, my heart a block of ice.

The next day, Chloe suggested a hike to a "picturesque waterfall."

She led the way, chattering brightly, Liam and Noah flanking her like devoted bodyguards.

I trailed behind, observing.

She led us off the main trail, towards a cliff edge overlooking a deep ravine. "Oh, look! The view from here must be incredible! Perfect for a photo op!"

Liam and Noah, ever eager to please her, agreed enthusiastically.

Chloe positioned me near the edge. "Just a little further, Ava. The lighting is perfect."

I knew this was coming. In my first life, it had been an "accidental" stumble.

This time, I was ready.

As Chloe "stumbled" towards me, her hand outstretched to "steady" herself on my shoulder, I sidestepped.

Her eyes widened in surprise as her momentum carried her forward. She shrieked, flailing, genuinely losing her balance for a second.

Liam and Noah, who had been watching from a few feet below on a lower ledge, saw Chloe lurch.

"Chloe!" Liam yelled, scrambling up.

Chloe, recovering quickly, immediately played the victim. "Ava! You... you pushed me!" she cried, sinking to the ground, clutching her ankle.

No, I hadn't. But that wouldn't matter.

Liam and Noah rushed to Chloe's side, their faces masks of concern for her.

"Are you okay, C?" Noah asked, kneeling beside her.

Liam shot me a furious glare. "What the hell, Ava? What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," I said calmly. "She tripped."

Chloe was already wailing about her "twisted ankle," her eyes darting towards me with pure venom.

They fussed over Chloe, completely ignoring me as I stood on the precipice she'd led me to.

I made my own way back to safer ground, my hands steady, my resolve hardening.

Later, at the local ER – Chloe's ankle miraculously only "mildly sprained" after a dramatic examination – Liam and Noah offered a flimsy excuse.

"Sorry, Ava," Liam mumbled, not meeting my eyes. "We just... misjudged the situation up there. Chloe looked like she was in real trouble."

"Yeah," Noah echoed, equally unconvincing. "Adrenaline, you know?"

I just nodded.

My phone buzzed. A text from Chloe.

"Guess they care more about little old me! Don't hold it against them. 😉"

I didn't reply.

I was too busy mentally cataloging every lie, every betrayal.

The dossier was growing.