In the Shadow Of Memory

Chapter 12

Daisy came bursting through the door, her face flushed, eyes wide with excitement. "Oh my God, you guys!" she squealed, dropping her bag on the floor. "You won't believe who I'm working with on the camera project!"

Mia and Tanya glanced up from their spots on the couch. They exchanged a quick look, already sensing where this was going.

"There's this guy, Lucas—he's a year older than me, and he's like..." Daisy trailed off, biting her lip as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "He's like a dream come true. Seriously, I can't even describe him. He's perfect. We'll be working together for a few weeks, and I swear it's like a teenage dream."

Tanya raised an eyebrow, barely hiding her smirk as she caught Mia's eye. Both of them remembered Daisy's old rants about how much she hated relationships and how she would never fall for someone.

"Oh, and get this," Daisy continued, her voice full of excitement. "Lucas has this friend, Dennis, who's helping too. But Lucas... I mean, seriously, you have to meet him."

Mia and Tanya exchanged another look, holding back their laughter. This was classic Daisy.

Mia glanced at Daisy, a playful smile creeping onto her face. "Weren't you the one saying guys were annoying just the other day?"

She barely finished the sentence before laughter bubbled out of her. Tanya joined in, both of them unable to contain themselves. Daisy shot them a bruh face, arms crossed, but then cracked a smile and started laughing along with them.

"Just this onceeee..." Daisy whispered, shaking her head as she walked away, still laughing.

Tanya exchanged a glance with Mia, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Let's bet she's gonna try hard for this one."

Mia nodded. "She's a model; she could win any heart by now." They both laughed again, but the mood shifted when Tanya's phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen, frowning.

Mia noticed the shift, the way Tanya hesitated before answering. She didn't pry and instead stood up, giving her space. Her mind drifted to her own day. The conversation with Detective Jonathan lingered in her thoughts, and a pang of guilt hit her—she hadn't visited her family like she always promised.

"Girls, I'm leaving for the whole day tomorrow," Mia said, looking between them. "I promised to spend at least one day with my family."

"Of course," Daisy said, still recovering from her laugh. Tanya nodded too, though distracted by her phone call.

Mia trudged to her room, the weight of everything pressing down on her. She collapsed onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. So much was happening—her studies, work, the mystery. Every time she tried to focus on school, her mind wandered. Drifting in class, thinking about Mason. The deeper she dug, the more tangled it all became.

How would she ever find out who did that to him? What exactly did Mason see that night? And why did he think he could handle it on his own? The questions circled her mind, each one leaving her more frustrated than the last.

She frowned. Mia, don't doubt Detective Jonathan. He was doing his best, but why hadn't there been any real breakthroughs? It felt like every step forward only raised more questions.

Sitting up, Mia's thoughts shifted to Mike. What would his reaction be if he knew? Could he even handle the truth? She sighed, wishing things were simpler.