I answer him after it’s closed. “Goodnight.”

“Liv, what are youdoing here?” I ask her as she opens the door to my closet, crouching in front of me.

“You called me, remember? And I got here before he did.”

No, that’s not right. I never saw Liv that night. “No, you didn't. I saw you outside in the ambulance when I could barely speak.” What the hell is going on?

“Tristan and I are here. Let’s go. Now, Bree. He’s coming.”

I follow my sister out of our childhood home, only to stop at the top of the stairs at a sight that breaks my heart. Ralph has Tristan and Vince on their knees, mouths taped and bodies shaking as he moves the gun between the two of them.

When he hears us, he launches into a chase, and Liv runs, but I’m frozen where I stand.

Ralph grabs me by the arm, his grip tight as he drags me down the stairs, whistling as he pulls me. I’m barely able to move, because this isn't right. Nothing about this is right.

“Little lamb, there you are. These two wouldn't tell me where you were, but I guess I found you after all, just like I always do.”

I hear Tristan and Vince screaming through the tape on their mouths.

“We’re going to play a game, Bree. Choose one, and the other dies. If you don’t choose, they both die. Understood?” he asks me, and I shake my head.

No. No, I don't understand what’s happening.This isn't how it goes. None of them are here for this; it’s always just me and Ralph.

“Let them go. Please. I won't do it. I won't choose between them.”

I can’t choose Tristan because he’ll experience a loss in a few years that will crush him and his family, and if he’s not around, I don't know what will happen to the rest of them. I won’t let the West family lose him too. I won't let my sister feel the ache I do every single day.

That’s all it ever takes. A few seconds, and your life can change—for better or worse.

And I can’t choose Vince because all he has ever done is protect me. Even though I didn't know him when Ralph first attacked me, all he has done since is make me feel safe.

Ralph is asking me to choose between the two most important men in my life. He wants me to kill one or both of them.

“Don't do this, please,” I say as tears fall from my eyes.

Ralph points the gun between them and pulls the trigger twice. I hear a body fall and see Tristan on the floor, a pool of blood spreading from his chest.

No, no, no, no, no.

My sister is screaming from the top of the stairs, a guttural yell that makes my legs give out.

And then he fires two more times, and I see Vince keel over.

This time, I’m the one yelling, and Ralph fades into the background as I watch the two of them take their last breaths.

I wake with a yell. My body is drenched, and tears are streaming down my face. I can’t bear to just sit in bed, and before my brain stops me, I throw my covers to the side and rush out of my room, only to trip over something and fall to the floor. Just like that night, I scramble to grab onto the carpet, but again, it doesn't work.

My scrambling comes to a halt when a pair of strong arms wraps around me, brings my back to his chest, and holds me. The familiar body registers in my head immediately.

Vince.He’s alive. He’s okay. He’s still here. He’s not dead.

A strangled sob rips from my chest as the realization hits me in the chest. “Oh, God,” I chant over and over again.

“Angel, what’s wrong? Am I squeezing too hard? Do you need me to get cold water? W-what do you need me to do? Tell me and I’ll do it.”

“Keep holding me so I know you’re real,” I heave, the sobs still overtaking my body.“Please.”

And he does. The two of us sit in the hallway for an hour, or five minutes for all I know, and he holds me until my breathing slows and my heartbeat returns to normal.