My phone buzzed in my damp palm.
"Lila, I'm so sorry," Mia's voice note played through my earpiece. "I have this horrible, stabbing pain in my stomach. I'm stuck in the bathroom."
I pressed the microphone icon. "Do you need me to come up? Should I call an ambulance?"
"No, no," she replied seconds later. "Just go ahead without me. Take my SUV. Go save our seats. I'll grab a ride once this passes."
I lowered the phone. The rain pounded against the concrete loading dock.
*Lila was taken from us in a fatal car crash last night.*
I typed back: *Okay. I'll take your car. Feel better.*
I stared at the silver SUV parked twenty feet away. The headlights were off. Rainwater slicked over the windshield. It looked exactly like a steel coffin.
I turned on my heel and walked toward the street to hail a cab.
The neon marquee of the Alamo theater cast red shadows across the wet pavement. I paid my driver and stepped behind a large concrete pillar near the entrance.
Ten minutes later, Kai’s black sedan pulled up to the curb.
Mia hopped out of the passenger side. She didn't clutch her stomach. She didn't wince in pain.
She threw her head back and laughed at something Kai said.
Kai wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his side.
I didn't cry. A strange, sharp bark of laughter escaped my throat instead. The betrayal was so complete it was almost comical.
They walked through the glass doors. I waited two minutes, marched up to the automated kiosk, and bought a ticket for the same screening.
The auditorium was pitch black. The opening previews blared from the surround sound speakers.
I slipped down the carpeted aisle. I spotted Kai's broad shoulders in the middle of row G. Mia rested her head on his shoulder.
I slid into the empty seat directly behind them. Row H.
My phone was already in my hand. I opened the voice memo app and tapped the red button.
"Do you think it happened yet?" Mia whispered.
Kai leaned closer to her. "The brake line is completely severed. Once she hits the downhill slope on 4th Street, she won't be able to stop."
Mia rubbed her arms. "I'm nervous."
Kai kissed the top of her head. "Don't be. She should be in a car crash by now. After tonight, we can be together openly."
I pressed my phone closer to the gap between their seats.
"I just want it over with," Mia sighed. "Playing the supportive best friend is exhausting."
"You won't have to anymore. The channel is ours."
"Did you finalize the memorial merch designs?" she asked.
"Sent the proofs to the manufacturer an hour ago. Hoodies, candles, photo books. The fans are going to buy everything."
"We need to post the obituary right away tomorrow morning. Hit them while the shock is fresh. The engagement will break records."
"I’ll handle the upload," Kai assured her. "You just focus on crying for the camera."
"I bought waterproof mascara just for the occasion."
They chuckled. The sound twisted my stomach into hard knots.
I watched the movie screen flash with bright explosions. The audience around us gasped at the action.
"What if she didn't take the SUV?" Mia asked suddenly.
"She took it. I saw her text to you. She always does what you tell her."
"True. She's so gullible."
"She's dead weight," Kai corrected. "We built that brand just as much as she did. She's just the face."
Mia intertwined her fingers with his. "We're the face now."
I checked my phone screen. Five minutes of crystal-clear audio.
I tapped stop and saved the file to a secure cloud drive.
The movie transitioned into a brief intermission. The house lights flickered, casting a dim glow over the audience.
"I'm going to grab our premium popcorn," Kai said, releasing Mia's hand.
"Hurry back," Mia purred.
I stood up before Kai could turn around. I kept my head down, letting my hair shield my profile.
I walked up the carpeted steps, my sneakers making no sound. I didn't look back. Confronting them now would ruin everything. They thought they had won. Let them think that.
I pushed open the lobby doors and stepped out into the stormy night.
My phone vibrated. A text from Kai.
*Hey babe. Just finishing up editing. Did you make it to the theater okay?*
I stared at the glowing screen. He was sitting twenty feet away from where I just was, texting his supposedly dead girlfriend.
I typed my reply.
*Got here safe and sound. The movie is just getting to the best part.*
I hit send. Then, my screen lit up with an incoming call from an unknown number.
I swiped to answer.
"Is this Lila Monroe?" a gruff voice asked.
"Speaking."
"This is Officer Davis, LAPD. We're calling about a silver SUV registered to a Mia Torres. We need you to come down to the station immediately."
