Emma POV

Hazel and I walked out of the dining hall. I could feel Mason’s eyes on me from the moment we left the table and until Hazel closed the door behind us.

I wish he didn’t worry so much.

Hazel’s phone rang, and she pulled it out of her back pocket.

“My mom is calling.” Hazel mumbled as she looked down at her phone. “I have to answer.”

“Go ahead.” I said, opening the bathroom door. “I will be out soon.”

Hazel nodded, picking up the call. I saw her walking away before I walked into the bathroom. I closed the door and walked to one of the stalls.

I did my business and walked out of the stall to wash my hands.

I heard movement behind me just as I grabbed the paper towel to dry my hands.

“What did your mom want?” I asked, thinking it was Hazel.

When I got no response, I looked over my shoulder.

Annie was standing behind me, eyeing me up and down.

When did she get here? I didn’t see her in class. Someone said that she was taking a little more time off, which was completely understandable.

I was glad to see her, though. I wanted to talk to her and apologize. I wanted to tell her how sorry I was for everything that happened. I thought about calling her sooner, but I wanted to give her some time and space to heal. Hearing from the person responsible for your suffering is not the best way to heal from trauma.

“Hi, Annie.” I said, turning around to look at her and giving her a small smile. “I’m sorry. I thought you were Hazel.”

She didn’t say anything. She continued to stare at me. I furrowed my eyebrows slightly, but I kept smiling at her.

“I am really glad to see you.” I said softly. “I wanted to call, but I thought it would be better to give you some time to heal from everything. I am really sorry about what happened. I wish I could take it away. You didn’t deserve that. Melissa and Daisy didn’t deserve what happened to them. I am really sorry that you had to go through that because of me.”

Annie tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at me.

“What is it about you, Emma?” she asked quietly. “Why did he choose you?”

My stomach flipped and my heart stopped for a second. He chose me because I looked like the doll he had when he was a child. He chose Annie because she looked a little bit like me. I wasn’t going to tell her that, though. It wouldn’t help her. She didn’t need to know that.

“I don’t know, Annie.” I said, shaking my head. “I really wish that he hadn’t chosen me. I wish that he got help earlier and that none of this happened. I wish that Melissa and Daisy were here with us and that you didn’t have to go through that.”

“Of course you do.” Annie chuckled, clenching her fists.

She looked angry, and my heart broke for her. I completely understood why she was angry. I deserved her anger. I was responsible for everything that happened to her.

“Did you like my gift?” she asked coldly.

Gift? What gift? I didn’t receive anything from anyone. Did she send me something?

I was just about to ask her what gift she was talking about when I heard the bathroom doorknob twisting. It was probably Hazel.

I looked to my right, but the door remained closed.

It was locked.

The person on the other side knocked loudly.

“Emma?!” I heard Hazel’s voice, but I was too shocked to speak.

“He worked so hard on that dress.” Annie said, making me look back at her. “Too bad he decided to give it to someone who didn’t deserve it.”

Oh, my God.

I took a deep breath and felt tears gathering in my eyes.

It was Annie.

Annie left that dress in my room.

Why? How?

“Emma?!” Hazel yelled again.

I didn’t respond. My eyes were fixed on Annie.

She was looking at me with so much hate and disgust.

What happened to her? What did he do to her?

“I was with him for a while.” she said, taking a step closer to me. “I heard him talk about you constantly. Oh, my doll is perfect. My Emma is everything I want. My Emma is everything I need. What about me? Was I not enough for him?”

My stomach turned and I almost threw up. I took a step back, but the sink was right behind me, and I didn’t have anywhere to go.

She wanted him? She wanted a man who killed two girls and kidnapped her?

I heard Hazel’s footsteps backing away from the bathroom. She was probably going to get Mason.

“I am sorry, Annie.” I said softly. “I am really sorry. I am not perfect. I don’t know why he claimed that I was. I didn’t want that. I didn’t want him.”

“Do you even know how lucky you are?” Annie asked, narrowing her eyes and taking another step closer to me. “He was talking about you with so much love all the time. He loves every little thing about you. Do you know what I would do to have someone love me like he loves you?”

Love? That wasn’t love.

“He wanted to kill me, Annie.” I said. “He wanted to kill you. That’s not love.”

“It’s a way to be together forever.” she said, clenching her fists even tighter. “And I wanted to be with him forever. I even thought I could change his mind and talk him out of taking you. I knew that I would be better for him than you. I would be perfect for him. I would be just what he needed. But he didn’t want to listen. He kept saying that I wasn’t perfect, and you were.”

“That’s not true.” I said, shaking my head. “I am not perfect, Annie.”

“But you are.” she said, chuckling darkly. “You have everything, Emma. From your looks to that brother of yours who won’t let anyone touch you, to Derek’s love.”

I heard footsteps rapidly approaching the bathroom.

Mason.

Thank God.

“I just wanted one small piece of that.” Annie continued. “I just wanted Derek’s love. Why couldn’t you give me that, Emma?”

“Emma?!” Mason screamed, knocking on the door loudly.

“You don’t deserve him.” Annie said, ignoring the loud knocking.

I wanted to respond to Mason, but I didn’t know what Annie would do. She was standing too close to me, and I didn’t have any more room to back up. I could already feel the sink digging into my back.

“Why the fuck would you leave her alone?!” Mason screamed.

“Just kick the door in!” Chris shouted angrily.

Annie didn’t react to anything that was going on outside. Her eyes were fixed on me.

“I am so sorry, Annie.” I said softly. “I am really sorry. I didn’t want him. I never wanted him.”

My heart was breaking for Annie. What could have happened to her to make her fall in love with him? She needed help. She needed to talk to someone. I would make sure that she got help. I was responsible for this. I needed to help her.

I heard something heavy smash against the door, but it didn’t break.

“Fuck!” Mason screamed. “Emma, can you hear me?! Say something!”

There was another heavy blow to the door, but it still wouldn’t break.

I was too scared to speak to Mason. I didn’t know what Annie would do if I did. She was too calm considering that there were people just outside the door.

“If I can’t have him, neither can you.” she said coldly.

My body froze and she jumped toward me.

She wrapped her hands around my neck and squeezed.

My eyes widened and I tried to move her hands from my neck.

Her hold on me was too tight. She was staring at me with a determined look on her face.

I moved to my left, trying to get away from her, but we fell on the ground. She sat on top of me, and her hold on my neck tightened even more.

My eyes rolled back into my head. My heart was racing like never before. My lungs burned from the lack of oxygen.

My hold on her arms loosened and my arms fell to my side, just as I heard the bathroom door break open.