I slept most of the drive to Noah's place, I  wanted to go to my place, but mum thought it wasn't a good idea and insisted we go to Noah's place. She also mentioned something about Lily's parents being at our apartment. I can't imagine what they must be going through. It feels like a long nightmare and I'm still going to wake up and see Lily.

"We are here baby, wake up." Mum puts her hand on my arm to wake me up.

I mumble okay to her, and open my eyes to see we are in Noah's apartment parking basement. Mum looks at me like I'm a glass that's about to break anytime soon, she is cautious around me and it's getting to my nerves.

We get out of the car, and take an elevator to Noah's floor, the ride is silent, but I can see Mum wants to say something. I close my eyes before she can utter anything, this seems to do the trick because whatever she wanted to say doesn't get past her lips.

When we arrive, Hailey opens the door for us and she gives me a hug, but says nothing and she will never know how much I appreciate it right now.

"Hey Hailey, where's Noah and Mo?" My mum asks after closing the door behind her.

"Noah is upstairs,on a call with his boss to give him a few days off and Mo is sleeping. You must be hungry, let me prepare you something to eat" Hailey says moving towards the kitchen

"Nothing for me please, I'm going to go see if Mo is still sleeping." I call out to Hailey walking up the stairs.

"Victoria, you have to eat. You haven't eaten anything today" Mum whisper yells at me.

I ignore her, and keep walking till I get to the guest bedroom, just as I'm about to go in I hear Noah and Hailey's door opening. "Hey pumpkin, I'm glad you are back, you scared the shit out of us." He says walking over to me with a small smile.

"Go have some rest, but I am going to wake you two up for supper." he says with a straight face and kisses my forehead before going downstairs to join the others, and I open the door to see Mo sleeping.

About two hours later after giving up on sleep, Mo whimpers and I see tears soaking her pillow. She is having a nightmare, I wake her up gently so that I don't scare her more. 'Mo, it's a nightmare, wake up.' This goes on for a few seconds before she finally wakes up looking terrified.

"Hey sweet, you were having a nightmare. I'm guessing it was about Lily." I wipe her tears, and hug her as she continues shaking.

"There was so much blood Tori, more blood than there was last night. All I could see was blood everywhere, her clothes were covered in blood, and s-she asked me to make it stop, but I couldn't." Mo shivers as though she was transported to last night.

"It was just a nightmare, I can't imagine what you witnessed. No one should witness their friend dying." I mumble to her trying to comfort her and myself. We stay like this for what feels like forever, but actually just a few minutes.

"Vicky, supper is ready. Come downstairs before I come get you please." Shouts Hailey making us roll our eyes. We all know Noah is the one who plays bad cop, Hailey is sweet, and would rather bring supper to us instead of getting us downstairs.

Mo and I go to the bathroom to wash our faces then proceed to walk downstairs for supper.

......................

The next morning Noah goes to work after we convinced him, it didn't make sense that he stays home when there's nothing to do. Lily's parents and mum are here to do all that is needed. I also added that he will need a few days off work to go back home for the funeral, that did the trick and he went to work. Mo, mum and I left their place after breakfast and we went to my apartment with Lily.

It's weird being here without her, it's so quiet, and the silence is deafening. The first thing my mind registers is a picture Lily that was taken during our summer last year, it was taken in Spain, she looked so carefree, and so happy. Next to it is the three of us eating ice cream, Lily had just smeared hers in Mo's face and we are laughing. "She was such a goofball." Mo says standing behind me.

We were three and now it's just the two of us.

It's as if my mind is only catching up now that I will never see Lily again, all we are left with right now is memories and pictures.

"Where is Layla and Mr Jacobs mum, I thought they slept here?"

"They went to the hospital to sign some documents, I'm sure they will be here soon"

"When are you guys going back home, I want to see if Mo and I can book a flight for the same day. We were supposed to be on a flight home now so." I say looking away from mum.

"It's for Tuesday evening, it must give us enough time to deal with the police, and mortuary"

I go to Lily's room and find Mo looking through Lily's laptop, I sit on the bed and together we go through pictures, some of these pictures are old pictures we took in highschool. Mum opens the door and hands me my vibrating phone and I see it's Mo's roommate calling so I give the phone to Mo figuring the call is for her.

I follow mum out to give Mo some privacy, and see that mum is preparing lunch. "I doubt Layla has had anything to eat since getting here." Mum says answering the forming question in my head. I wash my hands and help her with the peeling, I hate doing nothing, especially right now, and I believe this will distract me for a bit before the Jacobs arrive.

Mo comes downstairs wearing leggings, and a minion shirt that she must have left here weeks ago. "Katie is going home today, so she wants to see me before she leaves. I will come back tomorrow." Mo says heading for the door.

"You shouldn't be alone at a time like this Monica, why don't you come sleep here. The Jacobs and I booked a hotel not far from Noah's place." Mum says washing her hands, what she is saying may sound like a suggestion, but I can tell it's an order by the way she is looking at me.

"Mum is right Mo, come over later and bring your luggage so you don't have to do back, and forth tomorrow. You can take my car so you don't have to struggle." I suggest knowing very well she will say no.

"The car would be great help because I left my handbag with Jamie yesterday, but I hate driving in New York, I will take a taxi. I will call you as soon as I have my bag." Knowing Mo for as long as I have known her, she is not coming back later, in as much as more is outspoken and not shy, she loves dealing with such matters on her own.

"Okay, call me when you get to him. I love you." I tell her then give her a hug to let her know I understand.

"I love you." she says before opening the door and closing it.

"She is not coming back, is she?" Mum asks me making me laugh a little.

"Nope"

........................

I wake up due to someone shaking me slightly. I groan and open my eyes slowly to see Mrs Jacobs, Lily's mum. Lily had her mother's eyes, big brown and full of life, same blond hair. I'm looking at her as though this is my first time realizing how much she looks like Lily. My eyes sting and before long tears flow like the Nile river.

"Come here honey, let it all out" Lily's mum opens her arms and gives me a hug.

"I'm sorry I was not with her Layla, I wish I went with them." I say through tears and hiccups.

"Don't say that, it's not your fault." She says with a firm voice, making sure I understand that.

This makes me lift my gaze to hers, and realize that I still don't know what really happened. "What happened?"

She signs "She got hit by a car, she was crossing the road to go into the car they were traveling with, when a guy who seemed to be running away from the police hit her and left her for dead."

I should have gone with them, maybe I could have seen the car coming, I start to breath heavily then remember the doctor's order 'take deep breaths, try not to stress' I start to inhale and exhale through my nose like she taught me.

"Victoria, how long have you been having panic attacks?" Layla questions me.

"How did you know?" I ask her looking at the floor.

"I'm a doctor dear, I have to know this things" She teases.

"And I was with your mum when Noah called" She adds as she brings me with her to sit on my bed.

"Yes, silly me." I answer looking down at my hands.

"Go take a bath and come down to eat. Your mum said you haven't eaten anything since breakfast. I went to bed after helping mum with lunch before Layla got back from the hospital.

"Okay" I say walking towards my bathroom.I take a long bath then wear yoga pants, and a t shirt. My everyday clothes these days.

As I'm brushing my hair I look at the locket around my neck. It was a matching locket that Lily and Mo had, we bought them during high school inside it's a picture of the three of us at Mo sixteenth birthday, the other side is a picture of dad. Lily bought these lockets with her savings for that year.

I look at my face before I lose myself in memory lane. When I am done in the bathroom I go to the kitchen to take a bottle of water to drink. I gulp the contents looking at my phone to see a  text from Mo.

Hey Tor, I just arrived home from Jamie's place.

She sent it an hour ago.

Okay love, are you sure you want to be home alone?

Yes, I will come by tomorrow.

Alright, see you tomorrow. Sleep well.

Mo has been our friend for about seven years now. We became friends when she moved to town in tenth grade in high school, she got along well with Lily right away. We hit it off that first week at school, and became inseparable since.

It breaks my heart that she had to witness Lily dying in that manner, but at the same time I am somehow glad that Lily had one of us in her time of need.

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Kikipee❤️