Ezra looks defeated as Briar, him, and I rush to the hospital in my truck. This stalker thing has gone on too far. We need to do something other than sit on our asses and wait for them to strike first. Diana is lucky she didn't get killed today.

Briar was lucky she didn't get killed at Joel's funeral.

Eventually, our luck is going to run out.

A panic so severe it takes my breath away hits my chest and I instinctively reach my hand out to Briar's. She takes it without question, interlocking her fingers into mine and gently tracing her thumb over the back of my hand in small circles.

"We need to tell the cops about this. About everything."

"Absolutely not!" Ezra says almost immediately. It was the first time he spoke since Diana was taken in the ambulance. "That's not a choice you guys just get to make alone! I know you and Briar think the world turns on its axis for you, but this is a group conversation and decision."

"Woah, lose the attitude for a second," I tell him. I look at him annoyed for a few seconds before turning my attention back to the empty highway we've been driving on. "You have to move past this whole pregnancy thing, dude. If Diana and Briar can move on then you can get over it as well."

"I'm not getting over anything. The only reason I got into a car with you is because I needed to get there as quick as possible to be there for my actual friend. I didn't have time to wait for an Uber with Kenny."

"Grow the fuck up, Ezra!" I shout at him. My foot is made of lead as we speed down the highway at a climbing speed. Ezra opens up his mouth to say something when Briar reaches from the middle of the console and covers both of our mouths.

"You are not going to have this fight driving 90 miles down the freeway. Or with me sitting in the middle of the seat. Both of you shut up and just drive to the hospital. It's not about you guys right now. Our friend just had her biggest secret revealed to the world and she almost was murdered by books! She fucking loved books! So shut the fuck up and sit your ass in silence if you don't have anything else to say."

"He started it," I say defensively.

"Declan, I swear to God," Briar says.

We drive in silence for the next ten minutes before I pull into the hospital parking lot. Ezra practically jumps out of the car before I even stop moving, and Briar instantly scoots over to the passenger door seat and faces me.

"You couldn't not antagonize him in the car?" she asks me.

"He doesn't get to just sit there and talk shit!" I say. "If he's going to dish it then I'm going to give it back."

"We hurt them, Declan," she says matter of factly. "We don't get to sit there and play victims when we kept a monumental secret from them for years. A secret that had they known could have made that night play out differently. Could have made your life play out significantly different."

She's right. I know she's right, but that doesn't mean that I have to sit here and be happy about the way he spoke to me. I was defending Briar also during that disagreement. This isn't just about me. He's not going to be able to say whatever he wants and pop off at her.

"I understand why you're frustrated. What he said was out of line, but the concept behind it is not wrong. That is a group choice, Dec." She leans over the seat and kisses me on the cheek before opening the door of the truck. "Take a second to cool down and then come see us when you're ready."

She leaves me in the car and I process what she says. I know that I wasn't perfect in that situation. I don't want to be at odds with Ezra, but I just can't help but feel that was my secret. Would you like to tell someone your deepest shame? It was bad enough everyone knew that I slept with Maggie. Now they get to know that piece of my past just because?

"You're different. You've changed. You're becoming better." I whisper to myself while looking in the rearview mirror. "You're getting a second chance to make things right. Don't blow it."

Slowly the anger I felt inside of me starts to dissipate, and I feel my chest start to unclench. My phone buzzes and I look down to see a text from Briar. Room 229, but be ready. Her parents are here.

I take one last deep breath before opening the truck door and walking to the entrance of the hospital. I go to the elevator and wait patiently for it to open before pressing the button for the second floor. It takes seconds after the doors open on that floor to hear the shouting in broken Spanish.

"I cannot believe a daughter of mine would ever put herself on the internet in that regard!" A deep voice screams. I follow the noise, and a deep feeling of dread falls over me when I realize he's inside room 229.

I see Briar and Ezra standing outside the door of the hospital room. They look uneasy, and I can tell that they are deciding if they should go into the room or walk away and let them have a moment.

"Now really isn't the time for that-" a young nurse stands in the middle of Diana's screaming parents and Diana's hospital bed. She looks immensely uncomfortable given the current circumstances.

"No te metas en lo que te importa!" her mother screams at the nurse.

I have no idea what that means, but by the way Diana's eyes widen I can assume it's nothing good. "Mom! Don't talk to her like that! You guys are causing such a scene!"

"Imagine the scene that was caused when your naked body was posted all over our church, Diana!" her father screams. "Our place of worship was dishonored by your impurity! All for what? A couple of dollars? You had everything you needed and more! I cannot believe the shame you've brought on us for money!"

Her mother begins to weep, and her father wraps a protective arm around her. They stand in this awkward silence for a few minutes before the nurse clears her throat. "Oh look, there's more visitors for your daughter. Why don't we step out into the hallway and since she's still on your insurance we can fill out some paperwork."

Her parents reluctantly follow the nurse out of the room. Ezra, Briar, and I follow in to see Diana with her hands over her face. "Thankfully there's no broken bones or anything," she says without showing us her face. It sounds as if she's fighting back tears as she takes deep breaths between each of her sentences. "They do suspect I'm going to have significant bruising and that's going to suck."

Briar crosses over and grabs Diana's hand. I watch as Ezra instantly tenses when he sees this and my eyes narrow. Rage begins to build into my chest again before I remember what I said in the truck. I take a deep breath and inhale and exhale slowly.

You're a changed man. You're a better man. This is your chance at a redo.

"Ez, can we please talk? Just for a second."

Ezra looks over at Diana and she nods at him approvingly before she leans her head back and groans. Briar and her begin to whisper to each other. I look at Ezra for what feels like forever before he finally sighs and walks toward the exit of the hospital room.

"The waiting room is down the hall."

We walk in a pregnant silence that leaves me feeling uneasy. The waiting room is blessedly empty when we walk into it, and Ezra immediately walks over to a chair against the wall and flops down.

"Ezra, I'm really sorry," I say ripping the bandage off. "I know that I haven't acted like it, but it was my biggest secret that I thought I was taking to the grave. I didn't want anyone to know that I did that. It wasn't that I didn't trust you. I just didn't want to air out all the skeletons in my closet to people I respected so much."

A quiet that is so tense you could cut it with a knife. He clears his throat and sticks his hand out. "I forgive you. I'm sorry I've been an ass as well. I would have had your back regardless that night. Maggie was out of control-"

"Let's just leave the past where it should be."

I stand up and begin to walk out of the room, but before I can take a step Ezra's hand wraps around my forearm and forces me to turn around. He wraps me in a tight hug and I'm shocked for a second. Eventually, I bear hug him back.

"This has been one giant fucked up piece of work. If you want to go to the police I think it's worth bringing up to the others bro," he lets go of our hug and walks out of the room, and a feeling of relief floods my chest.

Change works. Your past didn't define you. You're different.

I walk down the hallway when I see Diana's parents trying to walk back into the hospital room. Her father looks like he's about to blow a gasket, and I know that the second he steps into the room it's going to turn into World War III. I rush down the hallway and quickly slide in front of him blocking his entrance into the door. He looks at me with disgust as he tries to shove past me.

"I don't think that's the best idea right now, Mr. Garcia. Respectfully, for everyone's sake, I think you and Ms. Garcia should go take a break and calm down before you try and talk to Diana again."

"This is none of your business!" he says forcefully, trying to shove his way past me. "Get out of my way and worry about something that matters to you!"

"She's my friend," I say defensively. "She does matter to me. And while I know you love your daughter very much, and I understand your strong feelings, I can't let you walk back in here just to yell at her again." He lays his hands on me, but I still refuse to move, and Diana gasps from her bed.

"Dad!" she squeals. "Stop it! Stop it right now!"

"NO DAUGHTER OF MINE-"

Mr. Garcia is cut off by two men who grab onto his forearms. "We've heard complaints of a man screaming. Sir, I will have to ask you and your wife to leave the property immediately. You can come to see your daughter at another time."

Mr. Garcia opens up his mouth to respond, but Ms. Garcia touches his arm. "Baby, he's right. This is a hospital and what happened needs to be discussed behind closed doors," she takes a deep breath. "Diana, we apologize for screaming. We will talk when everyone is a bit cooled off," she directs her attention to me. "I'm assuming she's okay to stay with you guys in your home for a bit?"

"Yes mam," I say shocked at how easily she agreed to leave.

"Okay, then I'll have my son run her a bag of clothes. Thank you all for being good friends to our baby girl."

She grabs her husband's forearm and pulls him away before he attempts to say anything else. Once they're gone, I turn around and walk into the room, allowing the door to close behind me.

"I'm sorry if that was out of line," I tell Diana as I sit on the edge of her bed.

"Maybe a little," she says leaning back against her pillow. She wipes a tear from her cheek and glances back up at me. "But it means the world you were willing to do that for me."

Briar leans over and kisses Diana on the forehead. "We've got your back, babes. There's nothing to fear." She puts on her brightest smile which fills the room with nothing but light. My stomach starts to get butterflies, and I'm reminded once again how much I'm falling for this girl.

"However," Ezra says bursting the bubble of light. "We need to discuss talking about all of this with the police. They're aware of the attempted murder of Briar at Joel's funeral, but all of the stuff that's been leaked about us is important and could potentially help them identify the person after us-"

"Absolutely not," Diana says. "I don't trust them. I don't trust them at all."

"It's scary," says Briar, "

"Well, then it's settled," says Diana firmly. "We aren't going to them."

"You don't get to just shut everyone down without hearing us out," Ezra says.

"You guys seriously can't be this dumb," Diana says looking at everyone in the room. "Please tell me you don't agree with them. We can't do this."

"It was my idea," I say matter-of-factly.

Diana sinks into the bed and puts one of the pillows over her face. She hugs it as tight as she can before she lets out a giant scream that makes all of us jump. Thankfully, the pillow muffled it enough to where I don't think it caught the attention of anyone in the hallway. When she finally takes the pillow off her face she glares at everyone.

"The only thing that bringing the police in now is going to do is get us in trouble for leaving out the note at the murder site. We've obstructed justice by preventing them from seeing the note from the person who killed Joel. We will go to jail."

"Fucking shit," I whisper as I put my face in my hands. "We can't keep going on like this!"

Multiple notifications begin to ping on Briar's phone. She looks down at it confused and her eyes widen when she reads one of the notifications. "Turn on the news," she says quickly. "Turn it on now."

Diana fumbles with the remote before Briar grabs it out of her hand and turns on the news. A tall woman in a business suit sits in front of a hotel with a somber look on her face.

"Channel 12 is continuing to monitor the recent death of Tiktok Star Darren Royal. Royal, a 24-year-old influencer, recently split from his ex-fiance Briar Oakland. Today, Royal was found dead in a hotel room with Valerie Airman a 24-year-old from Los Angeles. Earlier this morning police were called to the hotel room due to a noise complaint, but were shocked to come into a bloody crime scene."

I look over at Briar and her face is sickly pale. Her breathing becomes shallow and she looks at me with genuine fear. "Dead?" she asks me. "He's dead?"

She starts to cry, and I instantly run over to her and wrap my arms around her. I don't say anything. I know that Darren has been a huge part of her life. I know she doesn't love him in that way. She probably doesn't love him at all.

This is going to be a blow to her though. From her life to her career, everything for her is about to change. And it's all that prick's fault.

"Holy fucking shit," Diana screams as she grabs the remote out of Briar's hand and turns it up.

"Earlier this week an attack was made on Briar Oakland at the funeral of local Joel Ewing. A masked assailant held a knife to her throat with the intent to kill. When witnesses ran into the parking lot the assailant ran away, and Oakland's life was spared. While searching the room for any evidence police found what seemed to be the same mask worn by the stranger." A flash across the screen shows a babydoll mask. The same babydoll mask that had Briar at knifepoint and Diana running for her life in the library.

"Authorities believe both Airman and Royal were responsible for the attack. Their text messages revealed a long-running affair between the two. A note was found at the crime scene that said "We did it. I'm so sorry." Though it looks to be a suicide, the police are still not willing to rule out foul play. Channel 12 will report any breaking news about this case. This is Aimee Kanoffla signing off."

No one speaks. Everything seems to be frozen in time as we all process the news that just happened. Darren is dead. Darren is dead and he was the one that continued to harass us during our time here.

"This doesn't make sense," Briar says quietly.

She attempts to stand up, but her knees give out and she falls to the floor. I instantly reach out to catch her and she sinks into my chest and sobs. "This doesn't make sense. This can't be the truth. It can't be!"

Briar's phone continues to blow up in her hand, and Ezra leans down and gently removes it to turn it off. She gasps for air, hyperventilating as I run my hand up and down her back. "It's over, baby," I whisper to her. "I'm sorry this is how it ended, but it's over. He can't hurt you ever again."

We sit like that for a while, Ezra and Diana on either side of us on the floor, when a knock on the hospital room door makes us all jump.

"Groverview Police," says a deep voice.

Ezra stands up and goes to the door. Detective Arroyo and Hawthorn stand at the door in silence. They look apologetic as they step into the room and clear their throats. "I understand tonight is a very unfortunate night to do this, but we need you all to come down to the station. Ms. Garcia, we are waiting for your doctors to clear you, but will expect you there as soon as you are able."

Briar sighs and then stands up from the floor leaving my embrace. "Let's get this the fuck over with," she says bitterly. She struts out of the room.