A palpable tension rippled through the car. Although it was always on their minds, the girls had promised each other never to talk about Jamaica again. It was supposed to be a getaway to forget about Real Ali, the diabolical girl who’d killed her twin sister, the Ali they all knew and loved. Last year, Real Ali had returned to Rosewood and tried to pass herself off as the girls’ old friend, but it was later revealed that she was the new A, the girls’ text-messaging tormenter. She’d killed several Rosewood residents, and her master plan was the murder the four girls, too, bringing them to her family’s house in the Poconos, locking them in a bedroom, and lighting a match. But things hadn’t turned out as she hoped. The girls escaped, leaving Real Ali trapped in the house when it exploded. Even though her remains had never been found, everyone was positive she was dead.
But was she?
The trip to Jamaica had been a chance for the girls to move on with their lives and deepen their friendships. Once they got there, though, they met a girl named Tabitha who reminded them of Real Ali. She said things only Ali knew. Her mannerisms were chillingly like Ali’s. Slowly, they became convinced that she was Real Ali. Maybe she’d survived the fire. Maybe she’d come to Jamaica to finish off the girls as planned.
There was only one thing to do: stop her before she got revenge. Just as Real Ali was about to push Hanna off the rooftop deck, Aria intervened and Ali fell instead. Her broken body had vanished before the girls got down to the beach to see what they’d done, probably swept away by the tide. The girls oscillated between feeling relieved that Ali was gone for good…and horrified that they’d killed someone.
“No one will ever know about Jamaica,” Spencer growled now. “Ali’s body is gone.”
By the sixth message, Gayle had figured it out. “This was a set-up, wasn’t it?” she growled. “You had the baby and you left, didn’t you? Was this your plan all along, bitch? Did you plan to scam me from the start? Do you think I give out fifty-thousand-dollars to just anyone? Do you think I’m an idiot? I’m going to find you. I’m going to hunt you and that baby down, and then you’ll be sorry.”
“Whoa,” Aria whispered.
“Oh my God.” Emily flipped her phone closed. “I should have never promised her anything. I know we gave it back, but I should have never taken her money in the first place. She’s crazy. Now do you guys see why I’m doing this?”
“Of course we do,” Aria said quietly.
The infant started to whimper. Emily stroked her tiny head, and then, steeling herself, pushed open the car door and stepped into the chilly air. “Let’s do this.”
“Em, don’t,” Aria opened her own door and grabbed Emily’s arm just as Emily toppled against the side of the car, clearly in pain. “The doctor said you shouldn’t strain, remember?”
“I need to get the baby to the Bakers,” Emily pointed woozily to the house.
Aria paused. A truck horn honked far in the distance. Over the sound of the car’s chugging engine, she thought she heard a brief, high-pitched laugh.
“Fine,” Aria decided. “But I’ll carry her.” She grabbed the baby seat from the back. A distinct smell of baby powder, lotion, and new skin wafted up to greet her, bringing a lump to her throat. Her father, Byron, and his girlfriend,