Chapter 2

I gasped, my eyes flying open.

I was in my bed. In my old apartment. Sunlight streamed through the window. My phone was buzzing on the nightstand.

I grabbed it. The date was Friday, October 26th. The morning I was supposed to leave for the lake house. The day of the accident.

The buzzing continued. It was a text from Jen.

"Hey! On my way over! Can't wait for the lake house! You're the best, Gabby!"

I stared at the screen, my blood turning to ice. Then another text came through.

"I've got a feeling this is going to be a very, very lucky weekend. ;)"

Her eyes. In my memory of her standing over me, they weren't just empty. They were gleaming with avarice, the same greed I saw in my first life.

She was back, too.

And she was coming to steal my "luck."

The doorbell rang, a shrill, demanding sound.

I took a deep breath, my mind racing. The original timeline was a disaster. My kindness had gotten me killed. This time, I wouldn't be kind. I would be calculating.

I opened the door. Jen stood there, a wide, fake smile plastered on her face. She pushed past me into the apartment, her eyes scanning everything, as if she was already claiming it.

"Ready to go? I'm so excited! I'll even drive the first leg of the trip, give you a break."

Her voice was sweet, but her eyes were sharp, hungry. She wanted to be behind the wheel. She wanted to be the one to get hit by that hearse.

A cold, hard plan began to form in my mind. A smile touched my own lips, just as fake as hers.

"Of course, Jen," I said. "That's a great idea."