Laurel

The next few weeks are a bittersweet delight. The weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders, but at the same time, the reality of everything that’s happened—everything I’ve lost—lingers in the back of my mind.

Sophia and I focus on healing. She does everything she can to distract me, to get my mind off the case and the ever-present worry about Emily.

There’s a part of me that resents it, as though moving forward means admitting that I’m giving up on finding my sister, but that’s not what’s happening.

It’s just that the stress of the chase, of the endless days without answers, has worn me down. And Sophia... Sophia helps me heal, little by little.

She’s an unexpected balm for all my cuts and bruises.

We’re getting to know each other again, but this time, there are no lies involved.

There’s no pretending. No playing parts.

It’s just us. And as strange as it might seem after everything, it feels good.

There’s an ease in the way we spend our time now. Quiet mornings drinking coffee together, sitting by the window, watching the world go by.

Long nights talking about everything and nothing. The things we should have said before.

Sophia talks about her family—or rather, how much she doesn’t remember about them.

It’s not that she’s forgotten entirely, it’s more like the memories are there, tucked away behind a fog that she can’t seem to part.

She says it’s like the faces of her parents are blurred, the sound of their voices muffled, as though she was always meant to forget them.

It makes me ache for her.

I tell her about my job, the complicated mess of my life before all this. My ex, the one who never really understood the kind of woman I was, the kind of woman I needed to be for my sister.

We laugh about it sometimes, but I can tell it’s harder for me to talk about than it is for her to listen.

My old life feels like a shadow now, like someone else’s past, like it belongs to someone who isn’t here anymore. I suppose that’s because in many ways, that person isn’t here anymore.

We share everything—our dreams, our hopes, even the little things like hobbies and songs we like to listen to when we’re alone.

I never thought I’d find this kind of peace again, but with Sophia, I feel like I’m discovering myself all over again. We don’t need anything else—just each other.

It’s the first time I’ve felt like I could breathe in months.

The evening that everything falls apart is one of those rare moments when we’re both completely at ease.

We’ve just stepped out of the shower, the steam still thick in the air around us. Sophia is toweling off her hair, her back to me, and I’m brushing my teeth.

We haven't had sex since the cabin and maybe I'm too distracted to want her like that or I just don't want it to be pity sex, but I've managed to keep my hands to myself.

The exhaustion of the past few weeks is evident in the way I move—slower, like my body is just starting to catch up to the fact that the chaos is over.

I catch her eye in the mirror as I rinse my mouth, and she gives me that small, half-smile that makes my heart beat just a little faster.

"Feeling okay?" she asks, her voice softer than usual.

“I’m good,” I say, wiping the fog from the mirror and meeting her gaze. “Better than I’ve felt in... well, a long time.”

She nods, looking satisfied with the answer, but just as I turn to walk toward the bed, my phone buzzes across the counter.

I freeze, sensing that it’s something important. I grab it without a second thought.

“Hello?” I answers, voice low and cautious.

"Turn on the news," I recognize the voice to be Miguel's but I have no time to ask if he changed his phone.

I grab the remote and turn on the tv, the channel landing on the news immediately.

The lines dies and my eyes are now on the screen.

“In a dramatic turn of events tonight, the infamous cartel based in Las Vegas, with international operations spanning across several countries, has been fully dismantled. Multiple members of the organization, including high-ranking leaders, were arrested on charges of trafficking, organized crime, money laundering, and numerous other offenses. This marks a monumental victory for authorities worldwide, as the cartel’s reach has extended for decades, evading capture until now...”

My heart races in my chest. The words don’t immediately register in my mind—too much shock, too many things happening too fast—but the relief that floods through me is so overwhelming that it nearly knocks me off my feet.

I hear Sophia’s breath catch, the way her voice wavers when she says, “Laurel... that’s them. They’ve been arrested.”

I suck in a breath, the fear, the constant gnawing dread that they would find us, that they would find her. That they would hurt Emily, it all dissolves into sweet relief that's almost too painful.

Sophia is already shaking her head, a smile creeping onto her face. “We did it. You did it. It’s over.”

I can’t believe it.

I just stand there for a moment, frozen, unable to process what I’m hearing. But then it sinks in.

It’s finally over.

I pull Sophia into my arms, holding her tightly, unable to contain the overwhelming relief. She doesn’t pull away.

Her arms come around me just as quickly.

“We did it,” I whisper, the words coming out in a breathless rush. “We’re free.”

For the first time in weeks, I allow myself to relax, to let go of the worry, the guilt, the constant pressure of keeping her safe. We’re free.

Sophia pulls back slightly, looking at me with wide eyes, still processing everything. “Your sister?”

I take a deep breath. “It means I can finally get to the files. I’ll find out everything. We’ll know what happened to Emily, and I can start the next step in this...”

Sophia’s smile falters a little. She’s worried about me.

“What if they’re not there? What if you don’t find her?”

I shake my head, trying to calm the rush of anxiety that’s starting to build up again.

“I have to try. And we’ll go back tomorrow. I’ll comb through the files. We’re close, I can feel it.”

She nods, her expression softening. “We’ll find her.”

The reality of what’s happened is still sinking in, and I can’t quite believe it yet.

The next morning, we pack our things and make our way back to Las Vegas. The flight feels different now, much more enjoyable.

I'm finally going to find my sister.