Page 16 of Whispers of Deception

Sebastian and Delilah nodded, heading off toward the kitchen, while Eleanor followed Lilia and Augustus upstairs. The floorboards creaked underfoot, each step a reminder of the nights they’d spent here, the laughter and the secrets they had shared within these walls. Lilia and Augustus veered off toward Willow’s old room. It was almost the same as it had always been, except for the stark emptiness where her belongings had once been. The walls were bare, but the memories lingered in the air like bitter perfume.

“She loved this place,” Gus said softly, as Lilia ran her fingers over the bookshelves. She could see the outlines from where the sun had faded the wallpaper, the spots where Willow’s favorite posters had once hung. “This was her escape.”

Lilia nodded, her throat tight as she reached for one of Willow’s old books, Wuthering Heights. She flipped through the pages, the familiar scent of the old paper mingling with the dust. And then something slipped out, fluttering to the floor. It was an index card.

She picked it up, frowning at the scrawled handwriting. It was an address, nothing more, just a random address. “Gus, come look at this.”

He took the card from her, his eyes narrowing. “Cambridge. When did Willow ever go to Cambridge?”

“Guys!” Delilah’s voice echoed up the stairs. “You need to see this.”

Lilia and Gus exchanged a glance before heading back down the stairs. They found the others in the study, standing around a small stack of books and a dusty photo album. Sebastian held up a Polaroid, his expression unreadable.

“You’re not going to believe this,” he said, passing the photo to Augustus.

Gus frowned as he looked at it. It was from the night of the party, the last night they had all been together before Willow had disappeared. But the photo was different. It was of Willow, her arm slung around Tobias Hopkins, a lacrosse player from their university. He was smiling at her, arm encircled around her waist, his lips darkened from lipstick that appeared to be smudged. They were standing close, like they were more than just acquaintances.

“I didn’t know they were friends,” Augustus muttered, his eyes scanning the photo.

“Looks like more than friends to me,” Delilah mumbled.

“None of us did,” Eleanor said, leaning over his shoulder. “I don’t even remember seeing them together that night.”

“Because they weren’t friends. Willow hated lacrosse. She never came to a single one of my games, remember? She said the sport was stupid. She went on that huge tangent two summers ago about how she’d much rather die than date a lacrosse player,” Sebastian reminded them.

“So why was she hanging out with him, then?” Lilia asked, shaking her head. “Do you think that’s where she went after the party—I mean, she left early, remember?”

Before anyone could answer, the sound of footsteps echoed from upstairs. It was faint at first, but then there was a creak, like someone shifting their weight on the floorboards.

“What was that?” Delilah hissed, clutching Sebastian’s arm.

“Nothing,” Sebastian murmured, though his eyes were fixed on the ceiling. “Probably the wind.”

The sound came again, louder this time, and they all turned toward the door.

“Okay, so that’s not the wind,” Eleanor said, her voice shaking.

Augustus shushed her, scrambling for his phone to turn on his flashlight. “Be quiet.” He inched toward the door.

“Gus,” Lilia hissed.

A distant murmur of voices caused them all to freeze. There was a faint laugh that followed. Sebastian took Augustus’ flank, nodding his head toward the hallway. Delilah grabbed the closest weapon she could find, a random bookend, and kept it close behind them. They crept down the hallway, their movements slow and cautious. The house was silent now, but as they reached the end of the hallway, a soft light flickered from the living room.

They turned the corner to find the television on, playing a grainy video. It took them a moment to recognize the figure onthe screen, but when they did, a collective silence settled among them.

“Do I look pretty like this?” Willow’s voice was soft, almost teasing as she twirled in front of the camera, wearing nothing but lingerie. She giggled, and her voice echoed through the room. “Have I rendered you speechless?”

“Oh my God,” Lilia whispered.

It was strange to see Willow like this, alive and carefree, so vastly different from the last time she had laid eyes on her. She had been so lifeless, so cold. Void of her familiar flushed cheeks and brilliant smile. Her hair had been so dull, her skin caked with makeup, pale and drawn.

“Turn that thing off and come here,” Willow purred, holding a camera in her hands. “I want to take some pictures with you. They’ll be like a souvenir while you’re on your trip.”

“Who is she talking to?” Eleanor wondered aloud, her voice barely more than a whisper.

The camera moved closer, the perspective shifting as the person filming seemed to sit on the bed. Willow’s expression softened, a hint of sadness in her eyes. “I’ll miss you when you’re gone.”

The silence in the room was thick, heavy with the weight of a thousand questions. The video looped, and Willow’s voice echoed again, “I’ll miss you when you’re gone.”

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