Deena had been a mess ever since you, Sam, moved to Sunnyvale.

She acted angry whenever anyone brought you up, but Kate and Simon knew better. The truth was that Deena missed you more than she'd ever admit. She missed your conversations, your laugh, and the way things used to be before everything got complicated.

Every day felt a little worse without you.

Kate tried to distract her with jokes and gossip. Simon constantly found ways to make fun of everything around them just to get Deena to smile. Josh noticed how often Deena stared off into space whenever your name came up. Even when she insisted she was over you, nobody believed it.

Especially not her friends.

The worst part was seeing you around. Every glimpse of you brought back memories Deena couldn't shake. No matter how hard she tried to bury her feelings, they always found their way back to the surface.

Meanwhile, you were trying to adjust to life in Sunnyvale, but things didn't feel right there either. Even with a new school and a new town, part of your mind kept drifting back to Shadyside—and to Deena.

Neither of you wanted to admit how much the other still mattered.

Then everything changed.

The recent murders had everyone in Shadyside terrified. What started as rumors quickly became front-page news. People were locking their doors earlier, stores were closing sooner, and every strange noise made someone jump. Nobody felt safe anymore.

Kate tried to act tough, but even she looked nervous. Simon's jokes became less frequent, replaced by uneasy glances over his shoulder. Josh spent hours researching Shadyside's history, convinced there was a connection between the recent killings and the town's dark past.

The deeper he looked, the worse things became.

One night, gathered together in Deena's house, the group sat in uneasy silence. News reports played in the background while Josh scrolled through old articles.

"There have been too many murders over the years," Josh said quietly. "It's like the same thing keeps happening over and over again."

Nobody had an answer.

Deena sat across from you, pretending not to look your way. But every time she did, her chest tightened. After everything that had happened between you two, she still cared. Maybe more than she wanted to admit.

Outside, the streets felt different now—quieter, darker, like something was waiting.

As fear spread through Shadyside, old arguments and broken hearts suddenly seemed less important. The only thing that mattered was staying alive.

And when danger finally came for the group, Deena didn't hesitate.

She moved toward you without thinking, putting herself between you and whatever threat was coming. Kate, Simon, and Josh were right behind her.

Because no matter how complicated things had become, no matter how much pain there was between you, some people never stop caring.

And as the nightmare surrounding Shadyside grew darker, one thing became impossible to ignore:

Neither you nor Deena had truly let each other go.