Chapter 87- a sisterly bond

I sat there, stunned, as Rachel drifted in and out of consciousness. Her weak breaths filled the silence, each one reminding me how close I had come to losing her. I couldn't shake the shock of it all----Victoria, gone. Rachel, barely holding on. Then Rachel's eyes fluttered open again, and she looked at me with a strange, unreadable expression, as though she wanted to say something but didn't know how. "Emma..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. I leaned in, taking her hand again. "I'm here, Rachel. It's okay. You're safe now." She swallowed, looking away, her fingers tightening around mine. "There's something... I never told you." Her voice was trembling, and I could see how much effort it took for her to get the words out. I tilted my head, trying to read her face. "What is it?" I asked gently, not wanting to push but sensing the weight of whatever she was about to say. Rachel took a shaky breath. "Emma, I... I don't know how to say this. It's just... I kept it from you for s