Christmas morning, though hardly apparent, is upon them. As Riley makes coffee in Sofia's kitchen, she looks out the window only to be blinded by the rising sun. The silence this early in the day is unavoidable, and Riley is uncertain whether it's a comfort or a confrontation. It's too easy to hear her own thoughts, and she's thinking things she doesn't want to. It's still hard to grasp how her life became such a mess, so quickly. And how everyone around her is affected by it. She wonders if this is what the killer wanted, if somewhere in her past she did something that drove the killer to exact this kind of elaborate revenge. Or perhaps he's just crazy, and has set all this chaos in motion simply because he can. 

Alice, having arrived unnoticed, snags a filled mug off the counter. Standing next to Riley, gazing out the window, she takes a sip. 

'Is she awake?' Riley enquires. 

'Yeah. She barely slept. She's too shaken up.' 

Last night after Gray left, Sofia woke in a panic, barely remembering what happened. She has no idea how the Glow got in her system. She did remember why she called Riley, and told them about the disappearance of Noah's body. Another in a series of crazy developments that Riley can hardly wrap her mind around. Why would the killer want a dead body? 

'I have to leave soon. My parents are making me attend some business lunch.' Alice declares. 

'I can stay with her for a few more hours.' Riley decides, not quite feeling ready to continue her investigation. 

'So, you know about Aaron's little after school activity.' As she takes another sip, Alice studies Riley over the edge of her mug. 

'I'm guessing you've known for a while? After all, you were hosting it...' Riley deduces. 

'Look, I get that it must be a lot for you. And Aaron isn't the guy he was two years ago. But he's still a good person. He's just a little lost, I'm sure you can understand why.' 

As she realizes Alice knows, Riley puts down her coffee and turns to face her. 'Did Bryn tell you?'

 Alice shakes her head gently. 'Aaron did, a while ago actually. He needed someone to talk to, I was there. Don't worry, only as a friend. Not that I wasn't interested, but he's still in love with you.' As Alice places her mug on the counter she flings her bag around her shoulder and picks her coat off the chair she'd thrown it on. 'Just, please try to look past his mistakes. I think you two kind of need each other right now.' 

As Alice turns to leave Riley considers her current feelings, and Alice's advice versus what Bryn had said before. 'Alice?' Halted on her way out the kitchen, Alice turns around. 'Have you ever loved someone you shouldn't?' 

When hearing the question Alice smiles briefly, like she's remembering someone fondly. 'Yes.' 

'What did you do?' 

Gazing into the distance for a moment, she ponders her answer. 'I thought of what that person would want, and needed. Because somehow, that was all that mattered.'

Wearing her biggest, softest sweater and blue velvet leggings Sofia stands on the balcony hanging from her bedroom, taking in her first breath of fresh morning air. She's exhausted and more than anything just wants to crawl into bed and not come out till next July, but instead she's forcing herself to stay up and remember every second she can from last night. If she ever wants to feel safe again, she has to figure out how the killer got to her, how he managed to drug her. 

She's so caught up in her own thoughts she barely notices when Riley joins her out in the cold air. 'Did Alice leave?'

'Yeah, she had to go.' As Riley speaks, she observes Sofia in every detail. 'How are you feeling?'

'Tired, frightened, heartbroken, confused, furious. Take your pick.'

'Sofia, I... I can't begin to apologize to you, for everything that happened.'

'Then don't.' When Sofia finally looks at her, Riley can't decide which one of the emotions she listed is truly displayed in her eyes. 'Just find out who did this, Riley. Just find my brother's killer so I can shoot him in both his kneecaps and throw him in a dark cell.' 

The temperature has dropped significantly, and the rainfall from last night returns now in the form of snow. While Sofia steps inside Riley waits another moment, letting the white flakes reach her as she looks out across the campus. She remembers seeing Penburg for the first time only a few weeks ago, comparing that memory to the present makes it feel like years have passed. 

Sofia has settled on her bed, hugging the covers as she watches Riley sit down next to her. 'So, what did the Glow do to you exactly? Was it the same as it was with me?' Riley asks. 

'In a way. I did hallucinate, or have a nightmare, or whatever it was. The difference however was that my nightmare had already come true. I just watched Noah die all over again.' 

To avoid the vivid images of her dead brother flashing through her mind, Sofia instead casts her eyes on Riley. That desperate look on her face, a mixture of guilt and empathy, with pure exhaustion behind it. She's trying so hard, Sofia realizes that, and none of it is her fault. Even in the midst of being targeted by this psychopath she still worries about her friends. A sense of comfort Sofia feels when being near Riley, something she's felt before, makes her consider sharing her secrets once again. The things only Noah knew. It seems Sofia is now in need of a new confidant. 'Riley?' 

As Riley looks into those darkest of eyes she can feel the weight on Sofia's mind shimmer through. Hesitantly Sofia begins. 'In the spirit of not knowing how much longer we have left...' 

'Hey, don't say that.' 

Sofia breaks through the interruption with a sense of haste, unsure how much longer she'll have the courage to continue. 'Just let me get this out. There are some things about me, things only Noah knew. And I need someone to know, I need you to know.' 

Slowly nodding, Riley prepares herself. 'Okay.' 

'I'm not even sure how to say this... I guess I'll just spit it out. I'm gay.' 

Surprised to say the least, Riley gives herself a moment to take in the confession. 'You're... you're gay?' 

'Yeah, I'm gay. Wow, I've never said that out loud before. I couldn't, my family would never accept it. But I am.' 

Carefully planning her words, Riley tries to hold back the sea of questions building up inside her head. 'But... you've been with guys.' 

'Well, I can't say I haven't tried to not be... myself. But it never felt right, and I can't fake it any longer.' 

Riley feels suddenly deeply moved by the heartfelt reveal. 'I'm not sure what to say... thank you for trusting me with this. And let me be the first to tell you that despite your family and what they expect of you... it's okay, to be who you are.' 

Sofia reaches out and holds Riley's hand, feeling grateful for the acceptance she had so desperately longed for, and relieved that her choice to tell Riley proved to be the right one. 

As she takes a breath she considers the next part in coming clean, and how she'll ever be able to explain it. Then she decides to appreciate this moment, and leave it as it is. One secret at a time.

∾

A hot shower, clean clothes, and the two bites of toast she managed to get down work their magic, and feeling as ready as she'll ever be, Riley texts Gray. However when she steps outside Gray isn't the one waiting for her in the driveway. Unprepared, a shot of angst zaps down her spine as she finds herself wishing she could disappear. 

'Riley, are you...?' Aaron is halted mid-sentence when she raises her hand, signaling him to keep his distance. 

'I told you I needed some time, why are you here?' Like flipping a switch, she blocks her emotions, not ready to forgive him. 

As he prepares to answer a black pickup pulls up next to the dorm. The sight of Gray getting out and looking at Riley strikes a nerve in Aaron and in one swift movement he's beside the truck. 'What are you after?' 

Hardly seeming to notice him, Gray keeps his sight on Riley. 'Please get your boyfriend out of my face, Riley.' 

This only infuriates Aaron more, and he decreases his distance from Gray to a point where he can no longer be ignored. 'What's your end game, huh? Why are you still here?' 

The rising irritation in the look Gray finally throws at Aaron worries Riley, but when she realizes it's time to intervene she doesn't get the chance. 'Look, kid. I don't need to explain myself to you, you don't concern me.' Gray rebuffs. 

'I don't believe for a second you didn't have something to do with Noah's death. Pretend all you want, you're still a killer.' 

As Gray takes a step closer, Riley is sure they're an inch from wailing on each other. 'You don't want to piss me off, trust me.' Gray threatens. 

Not ready to deal with even more drama and very near to the edge of breaking down, Riley feels her herself boil over. 'Enough! I don't have the time or the energy for your little testosterone battle right now! People are dead, and anyone could be next, so get a grip!' 

Shocked by Riley's outburst, both guys stare at her. As the tension appears to have been broken, they step back, and Gray gets in his truck. Before getting in the passenger's seat, Riley looks at Aaron, standing on the curb as his anger dies down and his misery returns. 'Just please let me do this. I can handle myself.' 

His thick dark eyebrows cast a shadow over his pain filled eyes as he forces himself to nod at her request. Pulling the collar of his charcoal colored coat around his neck he watches Gray drive off with the girl he loves, the sensation of being powerless gripping him even more tightly.

∾

On a narrow road along old train tracks leading up north, out of the city, the pickup truck pursues its destination. The frost covered ground makes for a slow journey, and Riley loses all thought for a moment as she counts Christmas trees in the windows of passing houses. 

At the same time Gray's thoughts are occupied by possible conversation starters. The growing closeness between him and Riley that manifested in a heart to heart last night is worrying him. He can't seem to remember the last time he spent this much time with one person, and fearing attachment, is searching for the right way to shrug it all off as not meaning anything. 

As if sensing his apprehension, Riley turns to him the second he opens his mouth, beating him to the punch. 'Thank you.' Surprised, he finds her eyes for a minute, before looking back at the road. 'I know I invaded your space last night, and yet you were still there for me. I really appreciate it, I want you to know that.' 

Suddenly, everything he'd thought to say seems ridiculous, and unfounded. As she watches him move his big hand through his sleek dark hair, she realizes he's nervous. This is a look she hasn't seen on him before. Fidgeting with the sleeves of her black cardigan, her eyes flash across the dashboard while she marks the awkward silence. 

After passing a small train station, a parking lot next to an abandoned building comes up on their left side. As Gray spots it he realizes his chance to say something has passed. 'This is it.'

After exiting the vehicle Riley shuffles through the snow towards the building and takes is all in, trying to get a feel of the place. Gray leads her to a back entrance, slowly pushing open the rusted door as they look for signs of life. 

'Did you used to come here? When you were...?' She's unsure how to finish the sentence, feeling less than inclined to say gang member. 

'Yeah, this was the hideout.' Once upon a time this place must have served as an apartment building, but now it's merely dust accumulating on forgotten pieces of furniture. The minute Riley steps inside the chill of desertion and decay creeps in. 

Carefully, she follows Gray through the dark hallway to the front of the building. Most of the windows are boarded up, but little rays of light squeeze through and indicate the path. Once they reach the stairwell Gray turns around. 'It looks like they've moved on a while ago, otherwise we would have run into someone by now.' He decides. 'We should look around, see if they left anything behind.' 

'Like a forwarding address?' Riley jokes, feeling increasingly uncomfortable in her surroundings. 

'They're not always as careful as they should be, there might be something to hint at our next move.' Gray judges. 

'Alright, let's split up then.' 

He immediately dislikes her suggestion. 'That's not a good idea.' 

'I don't know much about these guys, but I'm pretty sure they're not going to shoot me on sight. Besides, they're probably not here anyway. And I doubt they left traps behind.' 

Gray sighs in hesitation. 'Fine, I'll check upstairs, you look around down here. Ten minutes, then we meet back here.' As she nods, he heads for the stairs. 

Taking a deep breath, she approaches the double doors on the right side of the hall. Already ajar, she pushes them further open to reveal what must have been some kind of public room for the tenants that used to live here. Built-in bookcases, an old torn up couch in the middle of the room, the details of which lead her to conclude that this building hasn't been operative since the 1940s. Pieces of the crumbling ceiling are scattered across the floor. As she takes a step inside she can hear shards of glass and rubble break underneath her shoes. Something not from the previous century would stand out among all this, but she doesn't see anything. 

Back in the hallway, the next door seems to lead to a small office, from what she can see through the cracks. A large piece of wood, possible broken down from the ceiling, has blocked the door, keeping anyone from getting inside. 

The next door however is wide open, and shows an old laundry room. A row of washing machines covered with the junk from the collapsed shelves above it, is the only thing inside. Why would people leave so much stuff behind? 

She enters the room and observes the machines, noting the open doors are free of dust. Did the gang use these? If they did leave this place, it couldn't have been too long ago. 

In the midst of her thought process she's disturbed by a sound very close behind her. For a second she freezes in place, scared to even breathe. Then she realizes it could just be Gray. Were the ten minutes up yet? But as she begins to turn around she suddenly feels a hand grab the back of her neck. 

In a split second, she's being shoved against the wall. The no-longer-white tiles smash against her forehead, making her dizzy. At the thought of screaming she can only manage to gasp. Then a sharp sting in her neck causes her eyes to water, blurring her vision. 

This is it, it's happening, the moment she's been running from. The end. 

Hot air blows against her ear as her unknown assailant closes in. 'I can get to you, anytime, anywhere.' 

With that she's released and sinks to the floor, barely feeling her body as she tries to see through her tears.